A connector pinout diagram records which physical position carries each signal and how it connects to the other end of a cable. WireViz separates the pin ID, the signal label, and the cable conductor so you can describe an adapter without assuming that both connectors use the same numbering.
Open the named-pin adapter example and choose Open in editor to follow this guide. Its pinout is illustrative; replace the assignments with the ones from your actual connector drawing.
1. Match the physical pin IDs
Select the source connector in the canvas or Layers. Set its pins list under Advanced or in YAML to match the physical identifiers: numbers such as 1, 2, 3, or letters such as A, B, C. The compact Pinout rows show these IDs and let you edit their signal labels and colors; the rows do not rename pin IDs.
Pin IDs identify physical positions. Labels describe their purpose. In the example, SOURCE uses IDs A, B, C and labels supply, return, signal. DESTINATION uses IDs P, R, S for the same three signals. Changing a label does not mean the two parts have identical physical numbering.
Before copying a manufacturer's drawing, check whether its view is the mating face or the wire-entry side. These views can appear mirrored. The editor does not infer the physical viewing direction from a connector illustration.
2. Describe the conductors
Select W1 and set its conductor count, colors, gauge and length. The example has three conductors and adds wire labels that distinguish them from connector pin labels:
cables:
W1:
colors: [RD, BK, YE]
wirelabels: [feed, return_wire, data]
gauge: 0.25 mm2
length: 30 cm
This is a fragment from the complete example. Its three colors establish a three-conductor cable. Gauge and length are entered design data; the drawing does not calculate them.
3. Map each pin to a wire and endpoint
In Pins, choose a From connector and pin, a Cable and Wire, and a To connector and pin. Select Connect to create a path. Existing paths can also be defined through connection sets in YAML.
The named-pin example already contains this set:
connections:
- - SOURCE: [supply, return, signal]
- W1: [feed, return_wire, data]
- DESTINATION: [P, R, S]
Each list position describes one lane. This maps A→P, B→R and C→S through wires 1, 2 and 3. Unique connector labels and unique cable labels can be used as references; repeated labels cannot identify one position unambiguously.
For an adapter that changes physical order, change the destination list to the required pin IDs. A crossover is a different pin map, not a need to drag the connector into another location on the canvas. Read connection syntax for ranges, branches and shields.
4. Inspect the pinout diagram
Wait for Up to date, then open WireViz preview with Shift+W. Check every signal against your intended pin map. Review any diagnostics in Checks before exporting.
The preview is the compiled WireViz drawing. Its automatic layout can differ from the positions you arranged on the editing canvas. Compilation catches source and reference problems; it does not verify that a physical cable follows the pinout.
5. Export the drawing and editable source
Use SVG for a scalable pinout diagram, PNG for a raster image, or HTML for a drawing accompanied by its bill of materials. Download YAML as well so you can edit the definition later. There is no persistent project save in this release, and custom image files must be retained separately from YAML.
For the full field list, see connector syntax. For illustrations and starter definitions, browse the connector library. For output details, read import and export.