json-canvas

Name: json-canvas
Author: kepano

bykepano· 5 skills

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How to install json-canvas?

kepano/obsidian-skills/json-canvas

$npx -y skills add kepano/obsidian-skills --skill json-canvas

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SKILL.md

1	# JSON Canvas Skill
2
3	## File Structure
4
5	A canvas file (`.canvas`) contains two top-level arrays following the [JSON Canvas Spec 1.0](https://jsoncanvas.org/spec/1.0/):
6
7	```json
8	{
9	"nodes": [],
10	"edges": []
11	}
12	```
13
14	- `nodes` (optional): Array of node objects
15	- `edges` (optional): Array of edge objects connecting nodes
16
17	## Common Workflows
18
19	### 1. Create a New Canvas
20
21	1. Create a `.canvas` file with the base structure `{"nodes": [], "edges": []}`
22	2. Generate unique 16-character hex IDs for each node (e.g., `"6f0ad84f44ce9c17"`)
23	3. Add nodes with required fields: `id`, `type`, `x`, `y`, `width`, `height`
24	4. Add edges referencing valid node IDs via `fromNode` and `toNode`
25	5. Validate: Parse the JSON to confirm it is valid. Verify all `fromNode`/`toNode` values exist in the nodes array
26
27	### 2. Add a Node to an Existing Canvas
28
29	1. Read and parse the existing `.canvas` file
30	2. Generate a unique ID that does not collide with existing node or edge IDs
31	3. Choose position (`x`, `y`) that avoids overlapping existing nodes (leave 50-100px spacing)
32	4. Append the new node object to the `nodes` array
33	5. Optionally add edges connecting the new node to existing nodes
34	6. Validate: Confirm all IDs are unique and all edge references resolve to existing nodes
35
36	### 3. Connect Two Nodes
37
38	1. Identify the source and target node IDs
39	2. Generate a unique edge ID
40	3. Set `fromNode` and `toNode` to the source and target IDs
41	4. Optionally set `fromSide`/`toSide` (top, right, bottom, left) for anchor points
42	5. Optionally set `label` for descriptive text on the edge
43	6. Append the edge to the `edges` array
44	7. Validate: Confirm both `fromNode` and `toNode` reference existing node IDs
45
46	### 4. Edit an Existing Canvas
47
48	1. Read and parse the `.canvas` file as JSON
49	2. Locate the target node or edge by `id`
50	3. Modify the desired attributes (text, position, color, etc.)
51	4. Write the updated JSON back to the file
52	5. Validate: Re-check all ID uniqueness and edge reference integrity after editing
53
54	## Nodes
55
56	Nodes are objects placed on the canvas. Array order determines z-index: first node = bottom layer, last node = top layer.
57
58	### Generic Node Attributes
59
60	\| Attribute \| Required \| Type \| Description \|
61	\|-----------\|----------\|------\|-------------\|
62	\| `id` \| Yes \| string \| Unique 16-char hex identifier \|
63	\| `type` \| Yes \| string \| `text`, `file`, `link`, or `group` \|
64	\| `x` \| Yes \| integer \| X position in pixels \|
65	\| `y` \| Yes \| integer \| Y position in pixels \|
66	\| `width` \| Yes \| integer \| Width in pixels \|
67	\| `height` \| Yes \| integer \| Height in pixels \|
68	\| `color` \| No \| canvasColor \| Preset `"1"`-`"6"` or hex (e.g., `"#FF0000"`) \|
69
70	### Text Nodes
71
72	\| Attribute \| Required \| Type \| Description \|
73	\|-----------\|----------\|------\|-------------\|
74	\| `text` \| Yes \| string \| Plain text with Markdown syntax \|
75
76	```json
77	{
78	"id": "6f0ad84f44ce9c17",
79	"type": "text",
80	"x": 0,
81	"y": 0,
82	"width": 400,
83	"height": 200,
84	"text": "# Hello World\n\nThis is Markdown content."
85	}
86	```
87
88	Newline pitfall: Use `\n` for line breaks in JSON strings. Do not use the literal `\\n` -- Obsidian renders that as the characters `\` and `n`.
89
90	### File Nodes
91
92	\| Attribute \| Required \| Type \| Description \|
93	\|-----------\|----------\|------\|-------------\|
94	\| `file` \| Yes \| string \| Path to file within the system \|
95	\| `subpath` \| No \| string \| Link to heading or block (starts with `#`) \|
96
97	```json
98	{
99	"id": "a1b2c3d4e5f67890",
100	"type": "file",
101	"x": 500,
102	"y": 0,
103	"width": 400,
104	"height": 300,
105	"file": "Attachments/diagram.png"
106	}
107	```
108
109	### Link Nodes
110
111	\| Attribute \| Required \| Type \| Description \|
112	\|-----------\|----------\|------\|-------------\|
113	\| `url` \| Yes \| string \| External URL \|
114
115	```json
116	{
117	"id": "c3d4e5f678901234",
118	"type": "link",
119	"x": 1000,
120	"y": 0,
121	"width": 400,
122	"height": 200,
123	"url": "https://obsidian.md"
124	}
125	```
126
127	### Group Nodes
128
129	Groups are visual containers for organizing other nodes. Position child nodes inside the group's bounds.
130
131	\| Attribute \| Required \| Type \| Description \|
132	\|-----------\|----------\|------\|-------------\|
133	\| `label` \| No \| string \| Text label for the group \|
134	\| `background` \| No \| string \| Path to background image \|
135	\| `backgroundStyle` \| No \| string \| `cover`, `ratio`, or `repeat` \|
136
137	```json
138	{
139	"id": "d4e5f6789012345a",
140	"type": "group",
141	"x": -50,
142	"y": -50,
143	"width": 1000,
144	"height": 600,
145	"label": "Project Overview",
146	"color": "4"
147	}
148	```
149
150	## Edges
151
152	Edges connect nodes via `fromNode` and `toNode` IDs.
153
154	\| Attribute \| Required \| Type \| Default \| Description \|
155	\|-----------\|----------\|------\|---------\|-------------\|
156	\| `id` \| Yes \| string \| - \| Unique identifier \|
157	\| `fromNode` \| Yes \| string \| - \| Source node ID \|
158	\| `fromSide` \| No \| string \| - \| `top`, `right`, `bottom`, or `left` \|
159	\| `fromEnd` \| No \| string \| `none` \| `none` or `arrow` \|
160	\| `toNode` \| Yes \| string \| - \| Target node ID \|
161	\| `toSide` \| No \| string \| - \| `top`, `right`, `bottom`, or `left` \|
162	\| `toEnd` \| No \| string \| `arrow` \| `none` or `arrow` \|
163	\| `color` \| No \| canvasColor \| - \| Line color \|
164	\| `label` \| No \| string \| - \| Text label \|
165
166	```json
167	{
168	"id": "0123456789abcdef",
169	"fromNode": "6f0ad84f44ce9c17",
170	"fromSide": "right",
171	"toNode": "a1b2c3d4e5f67890",
172	"toSide": "left",
173	"toEnd": "arrow",
174	"label": "leads to"
175	}
176	```
177
178	## Colors
179
180	The `canvasColor` type accepts either a hex string or a preset number:
181
182	\| Preset \| Color \|
183	\|--------\|-------\|
184	\| `"1"` \| Red \|
185	\| `"2"` \| Orange \|
186	\| `"3"` \| Yellow \|
187	\| `"4"` \| Green \|
188	\| `"5"` \| Cyan \|
189	\| `"6"` \| Purple \|
190
191	Preset color values are intentionally undefined -- applications use their own brand colors.
192
193	## ID Generation
194
195	Generate 16-character lowercase hexadecimal strings (64-bit random value):
196
197	```
198	"6f0ad84f44ce9c17"
199	"a3b2c1d0e9f8a7b6"
200	```
201
202	## Layout Guidelines
203
204	- Coordinates can be negative (canvas extends infinitely)
205	- `x` increases right, `y` increases down; position is the top-left corner
206	- Space nodes 50-100px apart; leave 20-50px padding inside groups
207	- Align to grid (multiples of 10 or 20) for cleaner layouts
208
209	\| Node Type \| Suggested Width \| Suggested Height \|
210	\|-----------\|-----------------\|------------------\|
211	\| Small text \| 200-300 \| 80-150 \|
212	\| Medium text \| 300-450 \| 150-300 \|
213	\| Large text \| 400-600 \| 300-500 \|
214	\| File preview \| 300-500 \| 200-400 \|
215	\| Link preview \| 250-400 \| 100-200 \|
216
217	## Validation Checklist
218
219	After creating or editing a canvas file, verify:
220
221	1. All `id` values are unique across both nodes and edges
222	2. Every `fromNode` and `toNode` references an existing node ID
223	3. Required fields are present for each node type (`text` for text nodes, `file` for file nodes, `url` for link nodes)
224	4. `type` is one of: `text`, `file`, `link`, `group`
225	5. `fromSide`/`toSide` values are one of: `top`, `right`, `bottom`, `left`
226	6. `fromEnd`/`toEnd` values are one of: `none`, `arrow`
227	7. Color presets are `"1"` through `"6"` or valid hex (e.g., `"#FF0000"`)
228	8. JSON is valid and parseable
229
230	If validation fails, check for duplicate IDs, dangling edge references, or malformed JSON strings (especially unescaped newlines in text content).
231
232	## Complete Examples
233
234	See [references/EXAMPLES.md](references/EXAMPLES.md) for full canvas examples including mind maps, project boards, research canvases, and flowcharts.
235
236	## References
237
238	- [JSON Canvas Spec 1.0](https://jsoncanvas.org/spec/1.0/)
239	- [JSON Canvas GitHub](https://github.com/obsidianmd/jsoncanvas)

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Run `npx skills use "https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills" --skill "kepano/obsidian-skills/json-canvas"` and follow the generated skill instructions now. Read its complete output, redirecting it to a temporary file first if necessary. Resolve relative paths from the supporting-files directory it provides.

Use the skills in "https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills" that are relevant to the current task. Run `npx skills add "https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills"` and select the relevant skills, then follow their instructions.

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