[glenn-jocher]

Migrates the one Mermaid diagram in this repo to the unified Ultralytics Mermaid design system. The site renderer (ultralytics/portal#4537) now owns all diagram colors and styles, so content sets none and uses shape, order and layout to carry meaning.

What changed

The Quick Decision Guide on docs/en/compare/index.md used graph TD, legacy :::start/:::decide/:::out classes with hardcoded classDef colors, Title Case labels, and -- "text" --> edge labels. It rendered 1377 px wide.

It is now a flowchart TD cascade:

• ([Define project needs]) start terminal, with each outcome also a ([ ]) terminal
• {Existing YOLO11 pipeline?}: yes leads to YOLO11, matching the page's guidance that YOLO11 suits existing pipelines
• {Edge or mobile?}: yes leads to YOLO26n or YOLO26s
• {Accuracy first?}: yes leads to YOLO26l or YOLO26x, no leads to YOLO26m

The separate "Specialized Features" branch (NMS-free, multitask, video) is removed. Its leaves all resolve to YOLO26, the YOLO26 section below already covers them, and the diagram's intro sentence describes a hardware and performance choice.

File	Diagrams changed	Validator
docs/en/compare/index.md	1	WARN, 437 px measured with the site renderer (dagre) (was FAIL, 1377 px)

The remaining WARN is width only. A decision tree with four outcomes and labeled exits cannot fit 395 px with the site config. Listing yes first at every decision keeps the reading order consistent; the narrowest exit ordering tested (430 px) mixes sides for a 7 px gain. Lint findings: none.

🛠️ PR Summary

_{Made with ❤️ by Ultralytics Actions}

🌟 Summary

The Quick Decision Guide now uses an unstyled flowchart TD cascade, relying on node shapes and decision order instead of diagram-specific colors and classes.

📊 Key Changes

• Replaced the legacy graph TD, classDef styles, and labeled-edge syntax with terminal-shaped start and outcome nodes and yes/no exits.
• Changed the decision path to check for an existing YOLO11 pipeline, then edge or mobile deployment, then accuracy priority, leading to YOLO11 or the listed YOLO26 models.
• Removed the separate specialized-features branch; its topics are covered in the YOLO26 section below the guide.
• The PR reports the diagram’s measured width decreased from 1,377 px to 437 px with the site renderer.

🎯 Purpose & Impact

• Readers are guided by existing pipeline, deployment hardware, and accuracy priority; the diagram no longer presents separate recommendations for specialized features.

[UltralyticsAssistant]

👋 Hello @glenn-jocher, thank you for submitting a ultralytics/docs 🚀 PR! This automated message confirms your contribution was received, and an Ultralytics engineer will assist with the review. To ensure a seamless integration of your work, please review the following checklist:

• ✅ Define a Purpose: Clearly explain the purpose of your fix or feature in your PR description, and link to any relevant issues. Ensure your commit messages are clear, concise, and adhere to the project's conventions.
• ✅ Synchronize with Source: Confirm your PR is synchronized with the ultralytics/docs main branch. If it's behind, update it by clicking the 'Update branch' button or by running git pull and git merge main locally.
• ✅ Ensure CI Checks Pass: Verify all Ultralytics Continuous Integration (CI) checks are passing. If any checks fail, please address the issues.
• ✅ Update Documentation: Update the relevant documentation for any new or modified features.
• ✅ Add Tests: If applicable, include or update tests to cover your changes, and confirm that all tests are passing.
• ✅ Sign the CLA: Please ensure you have signed our Contributor License Agreement if this is your first Ultralytics PR; the CLA check will comment with signing instructions if needed.
• ✅ Minimize Changes: Limit your changes to the minimum necessary for your bug fix or feature addition. "It is not daily increase but daily decrease, hack away the unessential. The closer to the source, the less wastage there is." — Bruce Lee

For more guidance, please refer to our Contributing Guide. Don't hesitate to leave a comment if you have any questions. Thank you for contributing to Ultralytics! 🚀

[UltralyticsAssistant]

🔍 PR Review

_{Made with ❤️ by Ultralytics Actions}

Reviewed the Quick Decision Guide diagram migration in docs/en/compare/index.md. The revised cascade is consistent with the guidance on the page and removes the legacy styling as intended. LGTM.

[UltralyticsAssistant]

Excited to see this PR merged—thank you, @glenn-jocher! The streamlined decision cascade guides readers through existing pipelines, deployment hardware, and accuracy priorities, while reducing the diagram’s measured width from 1,377 px to 437 px.

“Simple can be harder than complex.” — Steve Jobs