# List of TikZ Editor

After mentioning `TikZ` in academia, I tried to have a look here for recommended editors for `TikZ`. I found no list, and thus here's the question:

What `TikZ` editors/front-ends do you know? What can you recommend?

I guess that what I have in mind is a tool where the image can be edited using an interface similar to inkscape, and then it will generate a code snippet in `TikZ`. For example I know of geogebra, but I'm interested in a big list.

I am aware of the list available here, as pointed by one of the answers to this question, but I'm interested in some evaluation of each based on personal experience.

I suggest that each tool should has its own answer, this way this will become sort of a poll as well. Probably, each answer should contain at least: pros/cons/platform...

-
Does `vi` count? :-) – Peter Grill Nov 4 '12 at 18:49
Without starting any wars ;) all tools are welcome! – Dror Nov 4 '12 at 18:57
Related, maybe even duplicate: What You See is What You Get (WYSIWYG) for PGF/TikZ? – Qrrbrbirlbel Nov 4 '12 at 21:56
– sdaau Mar 25 '14 at 13:00
Does Emacs + AUCTeX count? `:)` – Svend Tveskæg Dec 13 '14 at 13:11

TikzEdt

This is a wonderful editor for TikZ graphics. It has a live preview, several code snippets and examples and parses the TikZ elements to some degree so that for example nodes can be marked in the live preview. Additionally this parsing allows the direct manipulation of some elements, you can drag nodes around in the preview window and the code is updated accordingly.

While the current version 0.2.1 is still a bit rough here and there it works nicely on Windows with a preliminary Linux version.

http://www.tikzedt.org/

-

Inkscape allows you to edit the image using an interface remarkably similar to Inkscape's, It can then generate TiKZ code.

Advantages: interface really is very like that of Inkscape.

Disadvantages: tends to produce unwieldy code which is not at all readable and may be difficult to modify.

Disclaimer: I've used Inkscape and I've used TiKZ but I've never generated TiKZ code using Inkscape (and I have no intention of doing so).

-
I tried to do so. It's very easy but, as you mentioned, it's far from being clean and understandable code. I'd say it's a last resource if one wants to have a nice looking TikZ image, but hasn't the time to create it by themselves in TikZ. – gbernardi Apr 13 at 9:05
@gbernardi But you must admit, it satisfies the interface-like-Inkscape requirement to perfection! – cfr Apr 13 at 17:35
Yes, I do. I was not trying to diminish the value of such great addon. Just pointing out something I noticed that could mainly be detrimental for the compilation time of the generated TikZ pictures ;) As a matter of fact, I should have added that I tested it for some toy examples that were rather intricated: I vectorized a raster icon I liked (which had quite an irregular outline) in Inkscape, and converted it to TikZ. – gbernardi Apr 14 at 8:06
I'm not disagreeing with you, you know. I was only joking. – cfr Apr 14 at 15:02

There is another editor which does live preview: QTikZ

-