Getting Started

Excalidraw is an open source virtual whiteboard for sketching hand-drawn-like diagrams, wireframes, and notes collaboratively. It features an infinite canvas, a clean minimal interface, and real-time collaboration. Available as an open web service in Eyevinn Open Source Cloud, you can deploy your own private Excalidraw instance in seconds with no configuration required.

Prerequisites

• If you have not already done so, sign up for an Eyevinn OSC account

Step 1: Create an Excalidraw instance

Navigate to the Excalidraw service in the OSC web console. Go to the My excalidraws tab and click Create excalidraw. Enter:

• Name: a unique name for your instance (alphanumeric only, e.g. myboard)

Click Create and wait for the status indicator to turn green.

Step 2: Open your whiteboard

Click the instance URL to open Excalidraw in your browser. The whiteboard is immediately ready — no login required. Start drawing using the toolbar on the left:

• Rectangle, ellipse, diamond, arrow, line — basic shapes and connectors
• Text — add labels and annotations
• Draw — freehand strokes
• Eraser — remove elements

Collaboration

To collaborate in real-time, click the Live collaboration button (the person icon in the top right) and share the session link with your team. All participants see changes instantly.

Exporting your drawing

Click the hamburger menu (top left) and select Export image to save your drawing as a PNG, SVG, or Excalidraw file. The Excalidraw format (.excalidraw) preserves all element data and can be re-imported later via Load in the same menu.

CLI usage

osc create excalidraw-excalidraw myboard

Resources

• Excalidraw documentation
• Excalidraw on GitHub