Publication-Quality Diagrams with TikZ
DocsForge compiles TikZ diagrams to SVG at build time — no client-side
JavaScript, no browser plugin, just crisp vector graphics in your docs.
The workflow
TikZ diagrams live as .tex files. Drop them anywhere under your docs
directory and reference them like any image:
When a LaTeX toolchain is available, DocsForge compiles each diagram with
latex + dvisvgm (or pdflatex + pdf2svg) and caches the result — a
change to the .tex file triggers a rebuild, everything else is skipped.
Why TikZ?
| Mermaid | TikZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Syntax | Text-based, simple | LaTeX-based, powerful |
| Math support | Limited | Full LaTeX math |
| Precision | Layout by algorithm | Pixel-perfect |
| Build | None | Compile to SVG |
See the diagram demo for five live examples, including
the Shannon communication model and a neural network diagram.
Graceful degradation
If no LaTeX toolchain is installed, the build warns and skips compilation
instead of failing. Install texlive texlive-pictures dvisvgm to enable it.