DrawIt Desktop
A native macOS, Windows, and Linux application powered by the full DrawIt engine. Full offline support, local file management, embedded MCP server for AI agents, and all the AI tools from the web app.
Download & Install
Checksums & signatures — all builds are signed and notarized. SHA-256 checksums are published on the GitHub release page.
Auto-updates — the app checks for updates at launch and installs them silently in the background.
macOS: First Launch
macOS may warn that the app is from an identified developer. The app is signed and notarized by Apple — this warning is standard for new installs. Right-click the .dmg and choose Open.
Linux: AppImage
Overview
Full Offline Support
All diagramming and AI generation (via local models) works without internet.
Native Performance
Built with Tauri — a Rust-based desktop framework. Small binary, no Electron.
Opens Any .drawit File
Double-click any .drawit file on your OS to open it directly in DrawIt.
Integrated Terminal
Built-in terminal powered by xterm.js. Run the DrawIt CLI without leaving the app.
Embedded MCP Server
Any AI agent (Claude, Gemini CLI, etc.) can connect to port 3847 to control the canvas.
Automatic Updates
Silent background updates — always on the latest version.
Opening Files
DrawIt registers itself as the default handler for .drawit files on macOS, Windows, and Linux after installation.
- Double-click any
.drawitfile in Finder / Explorer / Nautilus — DrawIt opens it directly on the canvas. - Drag & drop a file onto the DrawIt icon to open it.
- CLI launch:
chamuka-drawit /path/to/diagram.drawit - File > Open in the menu bar, or
Cmd+O/Ctrl+O.
The Recent Files list (sidebar) remembers the last 10 opened files for quick access.
Features
Diagramming
- Full DrawIt engine — all interaction tools, undo/redo, multi-select, group/ungroup
- Hardware-accelerated rendering — smooth 60fps at any scale
- Export to PNG, SVG, Mermaid, DOT, and JSON
- Multi-page document support with named pages
- Named snapshots for save/restore points
AI Generation
- Generate diagrams from natural-language prompts
- Improve existing diagrams with follow-up instructions
- 11 diagram templates: architecture, flowchart, sequence, wireframe, mind map, and more
- Agents connected via MCP can read and modify the canvas live
Keyboard Shortcuts
Agent Connection
DrawIt Desktop embeds a full MCP (Model Context Protocol) server on http://127.0.0.1:3847/mcp. Any AI agent can connect to read and control the canvas in real time.
Authentication
The MCP server requires a Bearer token to prevent unauthorized local access. The token is generated at launch and displayed in the Agents panel in the app sidebar.
It is also saved to ~/.chamuka-drawit/mcp-token so CLI agents and scripts can read it automatically.
Connect Claude Code
Health check
Available tools
Local AI Integration
The desktop app integrates with Ollama for fully local, offline AI generation — no API key or internet connection required.
Cloud models via OpenRouter (Gemini Flash Lite, DeepSeek, GPT-4o) are also supported for higher-quality generation when online.
File Format
DrawIt Desktop reads and writes the .drawit file format — a plain JSON container. Files are fully compatible with:
- The DrawIt web app at chamuka.ai
- The DrawIt VS Code extension
- The DrawIt CLI (
drawit export,drawit validate, etc.) - The Embed SDK (
@chamuka-labs/engine)
Files are human-readable and version-control friendly. Commit .drawit files to git and diff them with drawit diff.
Cloud Sync
With a Chamuka account, diagrams saved in the desktop app can sync to chamuka.ai automatically. Access your diagrams from any device or share them with collaborators.
Privacy first: Cloud sync is opt-in. Diagrams are stored locally by default and only synced when you explicitly enable it.
Questions about the desktop app?
dev@chamuka.ai