What databases does PicaDeck support?

PicaDeck supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MongoDB out of the box. You can design your schema once and export migrations for any of these databases.

How does real-time collaboration work?

Multiple team members can work on the same schema simultaneously. You'll see live cursors showing where teammates are working, and changes sync instantly across all connected clients.

Can I import my existing database schema?

Yes! You can import schemas by uploading SQL files, Prisma schemas, or JSON schema files. PicaDeck will automatically visualize your tables, relationships, and indexes.

What migration formats can PicaDeck generate?

PicaDeck generates raw SQL migrations for PostgreSQL and MySQL, Prisma schemas for all databases, and MongoDB native scripts.

All data is encrypted in transit and at rest. We never store your actual database credentials or production data — only the schema definitions.

How does version control for schemas work?

Just like Git for code, you can create branches for experimental changes, commit schema versions with messages, and merge branches after review. Every change is tracked.

Documentation — Guides, Tutorials & API Reference

The Canvas

The schema canvas is an infinite, pannable workspace where your tables are displayed as interactive nodes. You can freely arrange tables to create a clear visual representation of your database structure.

Action	How
Pan	Click and drag on empty canvas space
Zoom	Scroll wheel or pinch gesture on trackpad
Fit to view	The canvas automatically fits all tables into view when you first open a project
Select a table	Click on a table node to select it and open its property panel

Right-click context menu

Right-click anywhere on the canvas or on a table to open a context menu with quick actions like adding tables, relationships, or deleting selected items.

Creating Tables

To create a new table, click the Add Table button in the floating toolbar at the top of the canvas. A new table node will appear at the center of your current viewport.

Each table starts with a default name (e.g., "new_table") that you should rename immediately. Click on the table name in the property panel to edit it.

Good naming conventions for tables:

Use snake_case (e.g., user_profiles)
Use plural names for collections (e.g., orders not order)
Be descriptive but concise

You can also add an optional comment to the table to describe its purpose. This comment is included in exported migrations.

Adding Columns

Select a table to open its property panel, then click Add Column to add a new column. Each column has the following properties:

Property	Description
Name	Column name (use snake_case, e.g., `created_at`)
Data Type	Database-specific type (e.g., VARCHAR, INTEGER, TIMESTAMP for PostgreSQL)
Primary Key	Mark as the table's primary identifier
Nullable	Whether the column allows NULL values
Unique	Enforce unique values across all rows
Default Value	A default value when no value is provided on insert

Note

The available data types change based on your project's database type. PostgreSQL projects show types like UUID, JSONB, and SERIAL, while MySQL projects show INT, VARCHAR, and ENUM.

Relationships

Relationships define how tables connect to each other. PicaDeck supports three relationship types:

One-to-One (1:1)

Each row in Table A is linked to exactly one row in Table B, and vice versa. Example: a users table and a user_profiles table.

One-to-Many (1:N)

One row in Table A can be linked to many rows in Table B. This is the most common relationship type. Example: one user has many orders.

Many-to-Many (M:N)

Rows in Table A can link to many rows in Table B and vice versa. This typically requires a junction/pivot table. Example: students and courses.

To create a relationship, use the Add Relationship button in the toolbar, then select the source and target tables and columns. You can also configure:

ON DELETE — what happens when the referenced row is deleted (CASCADE, SET NULL, RESTRICT, NO ACTION)
ON UPDATE — what happens when the referenced key is updated

Relationships are displayed as lines connecting tables on the canvas. The line style indicates the relationship type — a solid dot for the "one" side and a fork for the "many" side.

Custom Types

PicaDeck supports two kinds of custom types that you can define and reuse across your schema:

Enums

A list of allowed string values. Useful for status fields, roles, or any column with a fixed set of options. Example: an OrderStatus enum with values PENDING, SHIPPED, DELIVERED.

Composite Types

A structured type with named fields. Useful for grouping related fields into a single reusable type. Example: an Address type with fields like street, city, country, zip_code.

Once created, custom types appear in the data type dropdown when adding or editing columns. They are also included in migration exports.

Auto Layout

Click the Auto Layout button in the toolbar to automatically arrange all tables on the canvas. The algorithm positions tables to minimize relationship line crossings and create a clean, readable layout.

After auto-layout, you can still manually drag individual tables to fine-tune their positions. All positions are saved automatically.

Undo & Redo

PicaDeck tracks all schema changes and supports full undo/redo:

Undo — Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac)
Redo — Ctrl+Shift+Z (or Cmd+Shift+Z on Mac)

Undo/redo applies to all data-modifying actions — adding/removing tables, editing columns, changing relationships, and more. Canvas movements (pan, zoom) and selections are not tracked in the undo history.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
`Ctrl+Z`	Undo
`Ctrl+Shift+Z`	Redo
`Delete`	Delete selected table or column
`Escape`	Close property panel
`R`	Add relationship
`Shift+A`	Auto layout

The Canvas

Action	How
Pan	Click and drag on empty canvas space
Zoom	Scroll wheel or pinch gesture on trackpad
Fit to view	The canvas automatically fits all tables into view when you first open a project
Select a table	Click on a table node to select it and open its property panel

Right-click context menu

Right-click anywhere on the canvas or on a table to open a context menu with quick actions like adding tables, relationships, or deleting selected items.

Creating Tables

To create a new table, click the Add Table button in the floating toolbar at the top of the canvas. A new table node will appear at the center of your current viewport.

Each table starts with a default name (e.g., "new_table") that you should rename immediately. Click on the table name in the property panel to edit it.

Good naming conventions for tables:

Use snake_case (e.g., user_profiles)
Use plural names for collections (e.g., orders not order)
Be descriptive but concise

You can also add an optional comment to the table to describe its purpose. This comment is included in exported migrations.

Adding Columns

Select a table to open its property panel, then click Add Column to add a new column. Each column has the following properties:

Property	Description
Name	Column name (use snake_case, e.g., `created_at`)
Data Type	Database-specific type (e.g., VARCHAR, INTEGER, TIMESTAMP for PostgreSQL)
Primary Key	Mark as the table's primary identifier
Nullable	Whether the column allows NULL values
Unique	Enforce unique values across all rows
Default Value	A default value when no value is provided on insert

Note

The available data types change based on your project's database type. PostgreSQL projects show types like UUID, JSONB, and SERIAL, while MySQL projects show INT, VARCHAR, and ENUM.

Relationships

Relationships define how tables connect to each other. PicaDeck supports three relationship types:

One-to-One (1:1)

Each row in Table A is linked to exactly one row in Table B, and vice versa. Example: a users table and a user_profiles table.

One-to-Many (1:N)

One row in Table A can be linked to many rows in Table B. This is the most common relationship type. Example: one user has many orders.

Many-to-Many (M:N)

Rows in Table A can link to many rows in Table B and vice versa. This typically requires a junction/pivot table. Example: students and courses.

To create a relationship, use the Add Relationship button in the toolbar, then select the source and target tables and columns. You can also configure:

ON DELETE — what happens when the referenced row is deleted (CASCADE, SET NULL, RESTRICT, NO ACTION)
ON UPDATE — what happens when the referenced key is updated

Relationships are displayed as lines connecting tables on the canvas. The line style indicates the relationship type — a solid dot for the "one" side and a fork for the "many" side.

Enums

A list of allowed string values. Useful for status fields, roles, or any column with a fixed set of options. Example: an OrderStatus enum with values PENDING, SHIPPED, DELIVERED.

Composite Types

A structured type with named fields. Useful for grouping related fields into a single reusable type. Example: an Address type with fields like street, city, country, zip_code.

Once created, custom types appear in the data type dropdown when adding or editing columns. They are also included in migration exports.

Auto Layout

After auto-layout, you can still manually drag individual tables to fine-tune their positions. All positions are saved automatically.

Undo & Redo

PicaDeck tracks all schema changes and supports full undo/redo:

Undo — Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac)
Redo — Ctrl+Shift+Z (or Cmd+Shift+Z on Mac)

Shortcut

Action

Ctrl+Z

Undo

Ctrl+Shift+Z

Redo

Delete

Delete selected table or column

Escape

Close property panel

R

Add relationship

Shift+A

Auto layout

Schema Editor

The Canvas

Creating Tables

Adding Columns

Relationships

One-to-One (1:1)

One-to-Many (1:N)

Many-to-Many (M:N)

Categories

Custom Types

Enums

Composite Types

Auto Layout

Undo & Redo

Keyboard Shortcuts

Schema Editor

The Canvas

Creating Tables

Adding Columns

Relationships

One-to-One (1:1)

One-to-Many (1:N)

Many-to-Many (M:N)

Categories

Custom Types

Enums

Composite Types

Auto Layout

Undo & Redo

Keyboard Shortcuts