ascii-diagram-creator-skill

What I do

I create professional ASCII diagrams from user-defined workflow specifications and save them as image files:

1. Parse Workflow Definition: Analyze the user's workflow description to understand the diagram structure
2. Generate ASCII Diagram: Create a clean, well-formatted ASCII representation of the workflow
3. Convert to Image: Save the ASCII diagram as an image file (PNG, SVG, or other formats)
4. Save to Disk: Store the image file in the specified location (default: ./diagrams/)

Supported diagram types:

• Flowcharts
• Process flows
• Sequence diagrams
• State machines
• System architecture diagrams
• Decision trees

When to use me

Use this workflow when:

• You need to visualize a workflow, process, or system architecture
• You want a quick, text-based diagram that can be saved as an image
• You need to include diagrams in documentation or presentations
• You want to document code logic or system flows
• You need to communicate complex processes in a visual format

Prerequisites

• ImageMagick or similar tool for ASCII to image conversion
• Write permissions to the output directory
• Valid workflow definition from user input

Steps

Step 1: Analyze the Workflow Request

• Parse the user's workflow definition
• Identify the diagram type needed (flowchart, sequence, etc.)
• Extract key elements:
  • Start/end points
  • Processes/actions
  • Decision points
  • Connections/flows
  • Labels and annotations

Step 2: Design the ASCII Diagram

• Create a well-structured ASCII diagram using box-drawing characters
• Use consistent spacing and alignment
• Follow standard ASCII diagramming conventions:

  ┌─────────────┐
  │    Start    │
  └──────┬──────┘
         │
         ▼
  ┌─────────────┐
  │   Process   │
  └──────┬──────┘
         │
         ▼
  ┌─────────────┐
  │    End      │
  └─────────────┘
  

• Ensure the diagram is readable and properly aligned

Step 3: Create Output Directory

• Create a diagrams/ directory if it doesn't exist:

  mkdir -p diagrams
  

• Use a custom directory if specified by the user