Obsidian Viz Skill
Generate Obsidian-compatible visualization files from text descriptions or image inputs.
Processing Flow
Step 0 - Input Type Detection
If user sends an image:
- Load
modules/image-reader.md - Execute image type recognition and content extraction
- Output structured Markdown summary
- If image contains diagrams, proceed to Step 1
- If image is text/screenshot only, end process
If user provides text description:
- Proceed directly to Step 1
Step 1 - Tool Selection
Load modules/chart-router.md and select the most appropriate tool based on content type:
- Excalidraw: Hand-drawn style, architecture diagrams, free layout, concept maps
- Mermaid: Technical documentation, flowcharts, sequence diagrams, state diagrams, ER diagrams
- Canvas: Large knowledge networks, interactive exploration, data visualization
Step 2 - Format Specification Loading
Load the corresponding reference file based on the selected tool:
mermaid→references/mermaid.mdexcalidraw→references/excalidraw.mdcanvas→references/canvas.md
Important: Must read the corresponding reference file before generating any content.
Step 3 - Output Format Selection
Standard Format (when user explicitly requests "standard format" or "excalidraw.com"):
- Mermaid →
.mmdfile - Excalidraw →
.excalidrawfile - Canvas →
.htmlfile
Obsidian Format (default):
- Mermaid →
.mdfile (with mermaid code block) - Excalidraw →
.mdfile (with Excalidraw JSON) - Canvas →
.canvasfile
Step 4 - Generate File
- Strictly follow format specifications in reference file
- Output to
~/.openclaw/workspace/outputs/<filename>.<ext> - Explain to user how to open the file in Obsidian
Usage Instructions
Excalidraw Files
Obsidian Mode (.md):
- Place in any vault folder
- Obsidian automatically opens in canvas mode
- Requires Excalidraw plugin
Standard Mode (.excalidraw):
- Can be opened directly at excalidraw.com
- Supports import to any Excalidraw instance
Mermaid Files
Obsidian Mode (.md):
- Place anywhere in vault
- Renders in normal preview mode
- Obsidian supports Mermaid by default
Standard Mode (.mmd):
- Can be opened in Mermaid-compatible editors
- Natively supported by GitHub, GitLab, etc.
Canvas Files
Obsidian Mode (.canvas):
- Place anywhere in vault
- Double-click to interact in Canvas view
- Natively supported by Obsidian
Standard Mode (.html):
- Open in browser
- Supports interactive exploration
Chart Type Quick Reference
| Need | Recommended Tool | Chart Type |
|---|---|---|
| Workflow / CI-CD | Excalidraw or Mermaid | flowchart |
| API calls / Message interaction | Mermaid | sequenceDiagram |
| Organization / System hierarchy | Excalidraw | hierarchy |
| Concept divergence / Brainstorming | Canvas or Excalidraw | mindmap |
| State machine / Lifecycle | Mermaid | stateDiagram-v2 |
| Project timeline | Excalidraw | timeline |
| A vs B comparison | Excalidraw | comparison |
| Priority matrix | Excalidraw | matrix |
| Large knowledge network | Canvas | free-layout |
| Animation demo | Excalidraw | animation mode |
| Database design | Mermaid | erDiagram |
| Class diagram / Object relationships | Mermaid | classDiagram |
| Project schedule | Mermaid | gantt |
Notes
- Must load reference first: Skipping this step will produce incorrectly formatted files
- Chinese support: All tools natively support Chinese, no escaping needed
- File path: Output files are uniformly placed in
~/.openclaw/workspace/outputs/directory - Fallback strategy: If primary tool fails, automatically try alternative tool
- Node count limit: For more than 30 nodes, recommend user to split or use Canvas