Pencil MCP Find Empty Space On Canvas

Tools

This skill is designed to call the Pencil MCP tool:

• find_empty_space_on_canvas

If your client namespaces MCP tools, it may appear as mcp__pencil__find_empty_space_on_canvas.

When to use this skill

Intent Recognition (CRITICAL)

Even if a trigger phrase matches, you must verify the user's intent:

1. Is the user explicitly asking to use "Pencil"?
2. Is the current conversation context clearly about "Pencil" design tasks?

If the answer is NO, do NOT use this skill.

CRITICAL PREREQUISITE: You must ONLY use this skill when the user EXPLICITLY mentions "Pencil".

ALWAYS use this skill when:

• You are about to insert a new Frame or Artboard in Pencil.
• You want to ensure the new element doesn't overlap with existing work on the Pencil canvas.
• You need to organize the canvas.

Trigger phrases include:

• "Find space for new screen in Pencil" (为 Pencil 新页面找位置)
• "Where can I draw in Pencil?" (我在 Pencil 哪里画？)
• "Pencil avoid overlap" (Pencil 避免重叠)

Input Parameters

• width (number, required): The width of the required space.
• height (number, required): The height of the required space.
• direction (string, optional): Search direction relative to node (e.g., "RIGHT", "BOTTOM").
• nodeId (string, optional): Starting reference node. If omitted, searches around entire canvas content.
• padding (number, optional): Minimum padding distance (default: 100).

How to use this skill

1. Estimate Size: Determine the size of the element you plan to create.
2. Call Tool: find_empty_space_on_canvas(width=..., height=...).
3. Use Result: The tool returns {x, y} coordinates. Use these coordinates in your subsequent batch_design call to insert the Frame.

Examples

1. Simple: Find Any Space

Find a spot for a small element (e.g., 100x100). See 1-find-any.json.

2. Medium: Place Next to Node

Find space to the right of an existing frame. See 2-place-next-to.json.

3. Complex: Organized Layout

Find space for a large dashboard with ample padding below the header section. See 3-organized-layout.json.

Keywords

English keywords: find space, empty canvas, layout planning, avoid overlap, next to node, smart placement

Chinese keywords (中文关键词): 查找空白, 空画布, 布局规划, 避免重叠, 节点旁, 智能放置

能力边界

✅ 适用场景

• 当你需要使用此技能对应的技术栈时
• 当项目需要遵循最佳实践时
• 当需要快速上手或深入理解核心概念时

⚠️ 需要注意

• 复杂业务逻辑需要结合具体场景调整
• 性能优化需要根据实际数据量评估

❌ 不适用场景

• 不相关的技术栈或框架
• 需要完全自定义的特殊场景

常见陷阱 (Gotchas)

1. 版本兼容性：注意框架版本与依赖库的兼容性，不同版本 API 可能有差异
2. 配置文件格式：配置文件格式错误是最常见的问题，建议使用编辑器的语法检查
3. 环境变量：确保所有必要的环境变量已正确设置，敏感信息不要硬编码
4. 依赖冲突：多版本共存时注意依赖冲突，使用 lock 文件锁定版本
5. 性能陷阱：大数据量场景下注意性能优化，避免 N+1 查询等常见问题

使用流程

Step 1: 环境准备

确保开发环境已安装必要的依赖和工具。

Step 2: 配置初始化

根据项目需求进行基础配置。

Step 3: 核心功能使用

按照示例代码实现核心功能。

Step 4: 测试验证

运行测试确保功能正常。

Step 5: 部署上线

完成开发后进行部署和监控。