Is there any tool for drawing circuit schematics (by "mouse clicking") which exports to TikZ?
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1\$\begingroup\$ It might be helpful to back up a bit and tell us what it is you are wanting to do. Why is it that you want to export to TikZ? We also have a pretty extensive list of schematic tools here: electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/1024/… \$\endgroup\$– KellenjbCommented Jan 19, 2012 at 22:13
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\$\begingroup\$ Currently I use TikZ to draw simple circuits for problem sheets. I am just looking for a graphical interface where I can select components with the mouse, drag them around etc. which produces good TikZ code. \$\endgroup\$– JuliaCommented Jan 20, 2012 at 13:53
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1 Answer
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There is no short answer to your question. To begin with, TikZ is a part of the (La)TeX ecosystem. That being said, it's a WYMIWYG (What You Mean Is What You Get) not WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) kind of thing, so basically the very spirit in which it was created goes against 'drag-and-drop' kind of philosophy.
If you are using a library specifically designed for drawing circuits (e.g. circuitikz or the circuit library provided by TikZ itself), I think you've run out of luck.
If, on the contrary, you have no problem drawing the shapes and then want to manipulate them, you can use Inkscape and export to TikZ with a plug-in. I have used it, you get working, albeit suboptimal TikZ code, to say the least.
On a more personal note, I believe you should learn TikZ. Once you master it, you will not need the rather complicated approach with Inkscape and will have very readable code. You can try TeX.StackExcahge if stuck - the community is very friendly and responsive. I know it first hand, because I'm part of it. ;)
