visual-mockup
This skill contains shell command directives (!`command`) that may execute system commands. Review carefully before installing.
What this skill carries — grep references/ for any subject the names below miss:
!d=${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}; command -v skill-toc >/dev/null 2>&1 && exec skill-toc "$d"; s=$HOME/.claude/skills/plugin-utils/bin/skill-toc; [ -x "$s" ] && exec "$s" "$d"; echo "(skill-toc unavailable: references and scripts are NOT listed here — install the plugin-utils plugin, or start a new session so its bin/ reaches PATH)"
Announce: "I'll create a mockup so you can see the layout before I code the real diagram."
Why This Exists
Diagram code (CeTZ, Fletcher, TikZ) is slow to iterate on — you write coordinates, compile, discover the layout is wrong, rewrite. A 30-second sketch lets the user see and approve the spatial layout before any real code gets written. This saves 3-5 compile-fix cycles on complex diagrams.
When to Use
- Before coding a new diagram with 4+ nodes, regions, or non-trivial arrow routing
- Before coding a CeTZ chart where the data shape matters (stock prices, timelines)
- When the user describes a layout change and you want to confirm before implementing
- When an ASCII sketch isn't enough to convey spatial relationships (overlapping regions, diagonal arrows, nested containers)
- When you and the user are iterating on where things should go
You don't need this for simple diagrams (2-3 nodes in a line). Use your judgment — if the layout is obvious, skip the mockup and go straight to code.