Pencil MCP Snapshot Layout

Tools

This skill is designed to call the Pencil MCP tool:

• snapshot_layout

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

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. (e.g., "Analyze layout" might refer to HTML/CSS layout analysis).

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

ALWAYS use this skill when:

• You need to understand the hierarchy and layout relationship of nodes in Pencil.
• You are planning to move or align elements and need their current bounds.
• You need to check for "problems" like clipped content or overlapping elements.
• The user asks to "Analyze layout" or "Check structure" of a Pencil design.

Trigger phrases include:

• "Pencil snapshot layout" (Pencil 布局快照)
• "Analyze Pencil page structure" (分析 Pencil 页面结构)
• "Check Pencil layout problems" (检查 Pencil 布局问题)
• "Get Pencil node hierarchy" (获取 Pencil 节点层级)

Input Parameters

• filePath (string, optional): Path to access a specific .pen file. Default is active document.
• maxDepth (integer, optional):
  • Limit how deep to descend in the node tree.
  • Recommendation: Always specify a reasonable limit (e.g., 2 or 3) to avoid context overflow.
  • 0 means only top-level nodes.
• parentId (string, optional): Only return layout for this node's subtree.
• problemsOnly (boolean, optional):
  • Set to true to only return nodes with layout issues (e.g., clipped by parent).
  • Default: false.

How to use this skill

1. Determine Scope: Do you need the whole page (maxDepth=1) or a specific section (parentId=...)?
2. Call Tool: snapshot_layout(...).
3. Analyze Output: The result is a tree structure with layout information (bounds, constraints).

Examples

1. Simple: Top Level Snapshot

Get the layout of the top-level frames to see where empty space might be. See 1-top-level.json.

2. Medium: Specific Frame Layout

Get the layout structure of a specific frame to understand its children's positioning. See 2-specific-frame.json.

3. Complex: Layout Problems

Check for layout issues (like clipped content) deep within a specific section. See 3-layout-problems.json.

Keywords

English keywords: snapshot layout, layout analysis, node hierarchy, structure check, bounds check, layout problems

Chinese keywords (中文关键词): 布局快照, 布局分析, 节点层级, 结构检查, 边界检查, 布局问题

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。