figure-generation

Q: How do I install figure-generation?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/lingzhi227/agent-research-skills --skill figure-generation in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/figure-generation/ (personal) or .claude/skills/figure-generation/ (project).

by lingzhi227Education & Science

Generate publication-quality scientific figures using matplotlib/seaborn with a three-phase pipeline (query expansion, code generation with execution, VLM visual feedback). Handles bar charts, line plots, heatmaps, training curves, ablation plots, and more. Use when the user needs figures, plots, or visualizations for a paper.

Installs: 2.3K
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Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/lingzhi227/agent-research-skills --skill figure-generation

01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads figure-generation automatically when relevant.
03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.

Scientific Figure Generation

Generate publication-quality figures for research papers.

Input

$0 — Description of the desired figure
$1 — (Optional) Path to data file (CSV, JSON, NPY, PKL) or results directory

Scripts

Generate figure template

python ~/.claude/skills/figure-generation/scripts/figure_template.py --type bar --output figure_script.py --name comparison
python ~/.claude/skills/figure-generation/scripts/figure_template.py --list-types

Available types: bar, training-curve, heatmap, ablation, line, scatter, radar, violin, tsne, attention

Three-Phase Pipeline (from MatPlotAgent)

Phase 1: Query Expansion

Expand the user's figure description into step-by-step coding specifications using the prompts in references/figure-prompts.md. Determine: figure type, data mapping (x/y/color/hue), style requirements, paper conventions.

Phase 2: Code Generation with Execution Loop (up to 4 retries)

Generate a self-contained Python script using the template from scripts/figure_template.py as a starting point
Write script to a temp file and execute: python figure_script.py
If error: capture traceback, feed back, regenerate (see ERROR_PROMPT in references)
If no .png produced: add explicit save instruction, retry
On success: report the generated figure path

Phase 3: Visual Refinement

Read the generated PNG file and visually inspect using the VLM feedback prompts from references/figure-prompts.md:

Does the figure type match the request?
Are labels, titles, and legends correct?
Is the color scheme appropriate and consistent?
Are axis scales sensible? Is text readable at publication size?

If improvements needed: generate corrective instructions and re-execute.

References

All MatPlotAgent prompts: ~/.claude/skills/figure-generation/references/figure-prompts.md
Figure templates: ~/.claude/skills/figure-generation/scripts/figure_template.py

Output

Both PNG (preview, 300 DPI) and PDF (vector, for paper) formats. Plus the LaTeX include code:

\begin{figure}[t]
    \centering
    \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{figures/figure_name.pdf}
    \caption{Description. Best viewed in color.}
    \label{fig:figure_name}
\end{figure}

Quality Requirements

DPI ≥ 300, or vector PDF
Colorblind-friendly palette (no red-green only)
All text ≥ 8pt at print size
Consistent styling across all paper figures
No matplotlib default title — use LaTeX caption

Related Skills

Upstream: data-analysis, experiment-code
Downstream: paper-writing-section, paper-compilation, slide-generation
See also: table-generation

FAQ

What does the figure-generation skill do?

How do I install figure-generation?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/lingzhi227/agent-research-skills --skill figure-generation in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/figure-generation/ (personal) or .claude/skills/figure-generation/ (project).

Which AI agents can use figure-generation?

Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.

Is figure-generation safe to install?

No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.

Who maintains figure-generation?

It is published by lingzhi227 in lingzhi227/agent-research-skills. It has 2,262 recorded installs.