Graphics, Figures & Tables ⇒ How to create an ergonomic diagram in tikz?

[usr345]

I am very interested in created ergonomic diagrams. But MS Visio is evil. Can someone help me to do this in tikZ?


Edit by localghost: Preferably no external links (see Board Rules). Attachments go onto the forum server where possible.

[sitex]

Hello,

I would begin by modifying the code for one of the examples located at
http://www.texample.net/tikz/examples/tag/diagrams/.

Tom

[localghost]

I am very interested in created ergonomic diagrams. But MS Visio is evil. Can someone help me to do this in tikZ?

It is possible with pgf/tikZ and some of its additional libraries.

My first idea was the following which gave me two errors and bad box warnings. It was simple and flexible, but didn't result in the output as shown in the picture.

Code: Select all

\documentclass{minimal}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{backgrounds,calc,fit,positioning,shapes,shapes.callouts}

\begin{document}
  \begin{tikzpicture}[%
    shorten >=3pt,
    shorten <=3pt,
    node distance=5cm,
    note/.style={draw,fill=white,rectangle callout,minimum width=10em,minimum height=4ex},
    content/.style={draw,fill=white,ellipse,minimum width=10em,minimum height=4ex}
  ]
    \node[content]                                   (a) {Let's go to bed};
    \node[content]                                   (b) [right of=a]                     {said Vasya};
    \node[note,callout absolute pointer={(a.north)}] (c) [node distance=1.5cm,above of=a] {Direct speech\strut};
    \node[note,callout absolute pointer={(b.north)}] (d) [right of=c]                     {Author's words\strut};

    \path (a) edge (b);
    \begin{scope}[on background layer]
      \node[draw,fill=gray!25,fit=(a) (b) (c) (d)] {};
      \node[draw,fill=gray!10,fit=(a) (b)] {};
    \end{scope}
  \end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

The errors concern the „callout shapes“ and the absolute pointers to another node*.

Code: Select all

! Undefined control sequence.
\pgf@sh@bg@rectangle callout ...f@sh@np@\pgf@test 
                                                  \noexpand \endcsname }\ede...
l.15 ...e=1.5cm,above of=a] {Direct speech\strut};
                                                  
The control sequence at the end of the top line
of your error message was never \def'ed. If you have
misspelled it (e.g., `\hobx'), type `I' and the correct
spelling (e.g., `I\hbox'). Otherwise just continue,
and I'll forget about whatever was undefined.

! Undefined control sequence.
\pgf@sh@bg@rectangle callout ...f@sh@np@\pgf@test 
                                                  \noexpand \endcsname }\ede...
l.16 ...                   {Author's words\strut};
                                                  
The control sequence at the end of the top line
of your error message was never \def'ed. If you have
misspelled it (e.g., `\hobx'), type `I' and the correct
spelling (e.g., `I\hbox'). Otherwise just continue,
and I'll forget about whatever was undefined.

I was not able to find out the cause of the error because I didn't find any mistake in my code.

So here is another example that does exactly what the picture shows without any warnings or errors.

Code: Select all

\documentclass{minimal}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{backgrounds,calc,positioning,shapes,shapes.callouts}

\begin{document}
  \begin{tikzpicture}[%
    shorten >=3pt,
    shorten <=3pt,
    node distance=5cm,
    note/.style={draw,fill=white,rectangle callout,minimum width=10em,minimum height=4ex},
    content/.style={draw,fill=white,ellipse,minimum width=10em,minimum height=4ex}
  ]
    \node[content]                                   (a) {Let's go to bed};
    \node[content]                                   (b) [right of=a]                     {said Vasya};
    \node[note,callout relative pointer={(0,-0.75)}] (c) [node distance=1.5cm,above of=a] {Direct speech\strut};
    \node[note,callout relative pointer={(0,-0.75)}] (d) [right of=c]                     {Author's words\strut};

    \path (a) edge (b);
    \begin{scope}[on background layer]
      \draw[fill=gray!25] ($(c.north west)+(-20pt,15pt)$) rectangle ($(d.south east)+(20pt,-65pt)$);
      \draw[fill=gray!10] ($(a.south west)+(-20pt,-10pt)$) rectangle ($(b.north east)+(20pt,10pt)$);
    \end{scope}
  \end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

The disadvantage is that some things are hard-coded thus have to be adapted manually in case of other changes. A picture of the result is attached.

*Perhaps you want to send a bug report to the package maintainer(s) if you can reproduce the error.


Thorsten