json-canvas

Files (2)

• SKILL.md
• EXAMPLES.md · references/

SKILL.md (first lines)

# JSON Canvas Skill

## File Structure

A canvas file (`.canvas`) contains two top-level arrays following the [JSON Canvas Spec 1.0](https://jsoncanvas.org/spec/1.0/):

```json
{
  "nodes": [],
  "edges": []
}
```

- `nodes` (optional): Array of node objects
- `edges` (optional): Array of edge objects connecting nodes

## Common Workflows

### 1. Create a New Canvas

1. Create a `.canvas` file with the base structure `{"nodes": [], "edges": []}`
2. Generate unique 16-character hex IDs for each node (e.g., `"6f0ad84f44ce9c17"`)
3. Add nodes with required fields: `id`, `type`, `x`, `y`, `width`, `height`
4. Add edges referencing valid node IDs via `fromNode` and `toNode`
5. **Validate**: Parse the JSON to confirm it is valid. Verify all `fromNode`/`toNode` values exist in the nodes array

### 2. Add a Node to an Existing Canvas

1. Read and parse the existing `.canvas` file
2. Generate a unique ID that does not collide with existing node or edge IDs
3. Choose position (`x`, `y`) that avoids overlapping existing nodes (leave 50-100px spacing)
4. Append the new node object to the `nodes` array
5. Optionally add edges connecting the new node to existing nodes
6. **Validate**: Confirm all IDs are unique and all edge references resolve to existing nodes

### 3. Connect Two Nodes

1. Identify the source and target node IDs
2. Generate a unique edge ID
3. Set `fromNode` and `toNode` to the source and target IDs
4. Optionally set `fromSide`/`toSide` (top, right, bottom, left) for anchor points
5. Optionally set `label` for descriptive text on the edge
6. Append the edge to the `edges` array
7. **Validate**: Confirm both `fromNode` and `toNode` reference existing node IDs

### 4. Edit an Existing Canvas

1. Read and parse the `.canvas` file as JSON
2. Locate the target node or edge by `id`
3. Modify the desired attributes (text, position, color, etc.)
4. Write the updated JSON back to the file
5. **Validate**: Re-check all ID uniqueness and edge reference integrity after editing

## Nodes

Nodes are objects placed on the canvas. Array order determines z-index: first node = bottom layer, last node = top layer.

### Generic Node Attributes

| Attribute | Required | Type | Description |
|-----------|----------|------|-------------|
| `id` | Yes | string | Unique 16-char hex identifier |
| `type` | Yes | string | `text`, `file`, `link`, or `group` |
| `x` | Yes | integer | X position in pixels |
| `y` | Yes | integer | Y position in pixels |
| `width` | Yes | integer | Width in pixels |
| `height` | Yes | integer | Height in pixels |
| `color` | No | canvasColor | Preset `"1"`-`"6"` or hex (e.g., `"#FF0000"`) |

### Text Nodes

| Attribute | Required | Type | Description |
|-----------|----------|------|-------------|
| `text` | Yes | string | Plain text with Markdown syntax |

```json
{
  "id": "6f0ad84f44ce9c17",
  "type": "text",
  "x": 0,
  "y": 0,
  "width": 400,
  "height": 200,
  "text": "# Hello World\n\nThis is **Markdown** content."
}
```

**Newline pitfall**: Use `\n` for line breaks in JSON strings. Do **not** use the literal `\\n` -- Obsidian renders that as the characters `\` and `n`.

### File Nodes

| Attribute | Required | Type | Description |
|-----------|----------|------|-------------|
| `file` | Yes | string | Path to file within the system |
| `subpath` | No | string | Link to heading or block (starts with `#`) |

```json
{
  "id": "a1b2c3d4e5f67890",
  "type": "file",
  "x": 500,
  "y": 0,
  "width": 400,
  "height": 300,
  "file": "Attachments/diagram.png"
}
```

### Link Nodes

| Attribute | Required | Type | Description |
|-----------|----------|------|-------------|
| `url` | Yes | string | External URL |

```json
{
  "id": "c3d4e5f678901234",
  "type": "link",
  "x": 1000,

From kepano/obsidian-skills, MIT.

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