FloThot

This application helps you to draw very simple flow charts.

It is meant to be companion app of Perpetual Notes.

ℹ️ For a visual help file, please load the FloThot Help.fjson under examples folder.

Introduction

🧹 Cut the clutter, capture the idea. While heavyweight diagramming tools bury you under endless shape libraries and formatting menus, our app strips away the noise so you can focus on what matters — your thoughts. No hunting for the perfect symbol, no wrestling with toolbars. Just open, sketch, connect, and you’re done. By removing distractions, we have made it effortless to map a process, capture a workflow, or outline an idea in seconds. It’s diagramming at the speed of thought — simple, fast, and refreshingly bare-bones 🦴.

Usage

LMB = Left Mouse Button 🖱️
MMB = Middle Mouse Button (scroll wheel)🖱️
RMB = Right Mouse Button 🖱️
Ctrl = Control key on keyboard

Add box ⏹️ (or any other shape)

RMB on empty space in canvas provides option to add box.

The box is called a shape in this application.

Other shapes like circle ⭕, rounded rectangle ⏹️, diamond 🔷 can also be added in this way.

You can also copy icons in web browser and paste in canvas.

Add label 🏷️

RMB on empty space in canvas provides option to add label.

Add image from internet 🖼️

RMB on canvas and select Paste image. If images are small enough then it will be pasted on canvas.

Connect arrow between boxes ➡️

Move mouse pointer over a box
While holding RMB, move mouse to target box and release RMB.
An arrow will be drawn.

If you want bi-directional arrow, just draw another arrow by switching source and target boxes.

Change text of a box or label 📝

Move your mouse pointer over a box (or label) and double click LMB.
You can then edit the text.
Press Enter to come out of edit mode.
If you Ctrl + LMB click on a label, if the label text is a valid URL, it will open in associated application.

Delete a shape or a label ❌

Move your mouse pointer over a box.
Press RMB and select delete option. The box deleted.
You can also select box/label and press F6 (cut) to delete it.

Resize a shape ↔️

Hover your mouse pointer near a corner of the box.
Mouse cursor will change to a double arrow.
Drag the mouse to resize the box.
For the circle, you need to move mouse pointer near the imaginary bounding box surrounding the circle.

Undo deletion of shape or label ♻️

Press Ctrl + Z
The last deleted item (shape or label) will be restored on the canvas.
You can also press F8 (paste) to restore deleted (cut) objects.

Apply colors 🎨

Shift + RMB on a box or connector to change its color.

Save and load data 💾📂

Flow chart data is saved as .fjson file which is in JSON format.

Filename can be supplied as command line parameter to load the file upon start up.

Pan or shift all objects

You can do mouse wheel scroll for Page Up/Down and Shift + mouse wheel for panning left/right.

Cut / Copy / Paste

Select one or more objects by dragging LMB around them.
Press F6 (cut), F7 (copy) or F8 (paste) as desired.

Exporting 🖼️

You can copy the flow chart as an image into Clipboard using Tools - Copy to Clipboard menu.
Then the image can be pasted in a target application by pressing Ctrl + V.
If Power Point is installed in your computer, the diagram can be send to there directly via Tools - Send to Power Point menu.

Arrange

There are some auto arrange options available under Tools - Arrange menu.
Not all options are valid for all types of diagrams.
You can undo arrange if your diagram looks jumbled up.

Keyboard shortcuts ⌨️

Ctrl + F1 = Help
F1 = Add box
F2 = Edit text under mouse pointer
F3 = Find next
F4 = Restore 100% zoom
F5 = Reload
F6 = Cut
F7 = Copy
F8 = Paste
F10 = Save
F11 = Draw custom shape
Scroll Lock = Align Left
Delete = Delete shape when under mouse cursor
Insert = Add circle
Ctrl + F = Find
Ctrl + K = Change color of selected shapes
Ctrl + L = List to boxes
Ctrl + O = Open
Ctrl + P = Export as image
Ctrl + Q = Quit
Ctrl + Z = Undo
Shift + F1 = Edit underlying JSON data
Shift + F3 = Find text in folder

Mouse commands 🖱️

LMB = Left Mouse Button
MMB = Middle Mouse Button (scroll wheel)
RMB = Right Mouse Button
Ctrl = Control key on keyboard

RMB = add shape
Shift + RMB = context menu (on shape, connector & label)
RMB drag = create connector
LMB drag = create selection or move selected items
LMB double click = edit text
MMB = scroll up/down
Shift + MMB = scroll left/right
Ctrl + MMB = zoom in/out
Ctrl + LMB = URL navigation

Product page URL: https://enselsoftware.com/product/FloThot.html