diff --git a/utils/dd4hep-drawer.py b/utils/dd4hep-drawer.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..796517708
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/dd4hep-drawer.py
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# coding: utf-8
+
+from dd4hep import Detector
+import graphviz
+import re
+from collections import Counter
+
+from argparse import ArgumentParser
+
+parser = ArgumentParser()
+
+parser.add_argument(
+    "--compactFile", help="DD4hep compact description xml", required=True
+)
+parser.add_argument(
+    "--maxDepth",
+    help="Maximum traversal depth of the detector tree",
+    default=10,
+    type=int,
+)
+parser.add_argument(
+    "--maxEdges", help="Maximum number of edges per connection", default=5, type=int
+)
+parser.add_argument(
+    "--drawList",
+    action="extend",
+    nargs="+",
+    metavar=("Vertex", "InnerTrackers"),
+    help="Names of the immediate children of the start element that should be drawn.",
+    default=[],
+)
+parser.add_argument(
+    "--startNode", help="Start of the traversal", default="world"
+)
+
+args = parser.parse_args()
+
+theDetector = Detector.getInstance()
+theDetector.fromXML(args.compactFile)
+
+# take part between last / and before the .xml
+detector_name = args.compactFile.split("/")[-1].split(".")[0]
+
+dot = graphviz.Digraph("detector_name")
+
+start = theDetector.detector(args.startNode)
+# start = theDetector.world()
+
+dot.node(start.name(), start.name())
+
+
+def process_name(raw_name):
+    name = re.sub(r"\d+", "X", raw_name)
+    return name
+
+
+edge_counter = Counter()
+
+
+def add_children(detElement, depth=0, children=[]):
+    depth += 1
+    if not children:
+        children = detElement.children()
+    for raw_name, child in children:
+        name = process_name(raw_name)
+        parent_name = process_name(detElement.name())
+        sens = child.volume().isSensitive()
+        sens_lbl = "sensitive" if sens else ""
+        dot.node(name, name, {"xlabel": sens_lbl})
+        # dot.node(name, name)
+        if edge_counter[(parent_name, name)] < args.maxEdges:
+            dot.edge(parent_name, name)
+            edge_counter[(parent_name, name)] += 1
+        if depth < args.maxDepth:
+            add_children(child, depth)
+
+
+start_children = [(name, start.child(name)) for name in args.drawList]
+add_children(start, children=start_children)
+
+dot.render(f"{detector_name}_{args.startNode}_{'-'.join(args.drawList)}.gv")