WireViz is a tool for documenting cables, wiring harnesses, and connector pinouts by converting plain text YAML files into graphical diagrams.
The tool solves the problem of manually creating and maintaining wiring documentation by accepting human-readable YAML input and automatically generating SVG and PNG diagrams via GraphViz. It understands standard wire color codes including IEC 60757, DIN 47100, 25-pair color code, and TIA/EIA 568 standards, automatically converting between wire gauge formats in mm² and AWG. The tool also generates bills of materials automatically and supports easy autorouting for simple one-to-one wiring connections.
WireViz suits teams documenting individual cables and harnesses rather than complete system wiring. Its text-based approach makes documentation version-controllable and editable without specialized software. The tool handles both simple two-wire cables and complex multi-connector harnesses. It is not designed to represent the complete wiring of a system, focusing instead on the construction details of individual wires and harnesses.
The project maintains active engagement with contributors through documented contribution guidelines. Development activity shows consistent attention to feature requests and bug reports across the codebase. The maintainers respond to issues and pull requests, indicating ongoing stewardship of the project. The tool receives updates addressing both core functionality and edge cases in diagram generation and material specification handling.
