How to view database diagram in a Code First using localdb

Install Entity Framework Power Tools Beta 4, restart Visual Studio, right-click on the context in your solution view and you'll see a new 'Entity Framework' option in the context menu. Select 'View Entity Data Model' to see a beautiful visual database diagram in Visual Studio. Voilà!

Entity Framework 6 Power Tools: Link


I checked out the Entity Framework Power Tools Beta 4 and it is no longer being supported. Intead, you can use the new Entity Framework 6 Power Tools Community Edition.

It is supposed to work the same.


You can use Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 2012 with localdb which supports Database Diagrams in they way you may be used to with other SQL Server database.

  1. Open Management Studio (should have been installed with Visual Studio)
  2. Connect to (localdb)\v11.0, with Windows Authentication
  3. Find the relevant database
  4. Expand Database Digrams, and install diagram support objects if you've not already
  5. Add the tables you need and you're done!

Source: This older but still relevant article: http://visualstudiomagazine.com/blogs/data-driver/2012/05/visual-studio-11-beta-easier-development-localdb.aspx