Mermaid, PlantUML, and Graphviz could not arrange four feedback loops as open circles, so I generated the SVG directly. The tools I compared, the script that worked, and the commands to reproduce it.

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When Mermaid, PlantUML, and Graphviz's circo layout all failed to render four feedback loops as open circular rings, the author wrote a Python script that generates SVG directly. The script uses trigonometry (cos/sin) to place nodes on rings, draws major arcs with gaps, and connects cycles with tangent funnel lines. The post includes the full script, reproduction commands using python3, rsvg-convert, and Graphviz dot, and a comparison table of why each diagramming tool fell short.

Drawing Open Circular Cycle Diagrams with a Python SVG Generator