Tgif [0] is interesting too, Prolog-based, with Hyper-Structured-Graphics [1]

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tgif_(program)

[1] http://bourbon.usc.edu/tgif/hgviewer.html

And apparently there is at least one guy using it to draw illustrations[1] and explain how to use it with a tutorial[0].

Sadly the site seems to have been moved from another location and the obj files (the files tgif uses) did not survive the move. Only one file was transferred from another tutorial (in Japanese) about using Tgif with Gimp, most likely because it had a "wrong" extension (.html). It does open fine in a build of Tgif i just did though[2].

[0] http://plaza.harmonix.ne.jp/~onizuka/HowToTgifE.html

[1] http://plaza.harmonix.ne.jp/~onizuka/galgaE.html

[2] https://i.imgur.com/Rs5eG3M.png

Well found ;) I remember crossing this multiple times since the 90s while looking for Tgif-related info, but always in Japanese I think... and every time with marvel for his technique applied with both excellent software.

"Hyper-Structured Graphics" --

This was new to me, thanks!

Essentially, hyperlinks for shapes; any graphic element can be linked to another, including other drawings (documents) or sections of a document.

I suppose that's obvious these days. Hyperlinks are expected.

I know that Visio (Windows) and OmniGraffle (MacOS) can do this. I would build active computer network diagrams, dashboards: you could click on a computer's graphic and get an SNMP report.

SNMP: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_Network_Management_Pr...

https://www.omnigroup.com/omnigraffle

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/visio/flowchar...

I think MacDraw did links, too. HyperCard, sure.

Great, thanks for the info! I used Tgif for exactly that, designing SNMP monitoring with network maps/dashboard like pages. Forgot exactly which combinations I implemented, but it envolved Tgif, Tkined [0], Scotty [1], Big Brother [2] and later Netsaint [3] (now known as Nagios).

[0] https://www.ibr.cs.tu-bs.de/projects/nm/tkined/welcome.html.... [1] https://www.ibr.cs.tu-bs.de/projects/nm/scotty/tcl+snmp.html [2] https://www.linuxjournal.com/article/2225 [3] http://netsaint.sourceforge.net/

And significantly used, too. I still smile every time I recognize Xfig art in articles/ papers these days.

Just curious: How do you recognize it?

This is speculation but after you use it for a while it has a very distinct look that I've never seen elsewhere. I mean if you use the stock template items.