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:

1. Load modules/image-reader.md
2. Execute image type recognition and content extraction
3. Output structured Markdown summary
4. If image contains diagrams, proceed to Step 1
5. 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.md
• excalidraw → references/excalidraw.md
• canvas → 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 → .mmd file
• Excalidraw → .excalidraw file
• Canvas → .html file

Obsidian Format (default):

• Mermaid → .md file (with mermaid code block)
• Excalidraw → .md file (with Excalidraw JSON)
• Canvas → .canvas file

Step 4 - Generate File#

1. Strictly follow format specifications in reference file
2. Output to ~/.openclaw/workspace/outputs/<filename>.<ext>
3. 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#

NeedRecommended ToolChart TypeWorkflow / CI-CDExcalidraw or MermaidflowchartAPI calls / Message interactionMermaidsequenceDiagramOrganization / System hierarchyExcalidrawhierarchyConcept divergence / BrainstormingCanvas or ExcalidrawmindmapState machine / LifecycleMermaidstateDiagram-v2Project timelineExcalidrawtimelineA vs B comparisonExcalidrawcomparisonPriority matrixExcalidrawmatrixLarge knowledge networkCanvasfree-layoutAnimation demoExcalidrawanimation modeDatabase designMermaiderDiagramClass diagram / Object relationshipsMermaidclassDiagramProject scheduleMermaidgantt

Notes#

1. Must load reference first: Skipping this step will produce incorrectly formatted files
2. Chinese support: All tools natively support Chinese, no escaping needed
3. File path: Output files are uniformly placed in ~/.openclaw/workspace/outputs/ directory
4. Fallback strategy: If primary tool fails, automatically try alternative tool
5. Node count limit: For more than 30 nodes, recommend user to split or use Canvas