How do I install the Deserialization skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add lichtblick-suite/deserialization in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Deserialization safe to use?

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Which AI agents work with Deserialization?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Deserialization free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Deserialization?

lichtblick-suite (@lichtblick-suite) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Deserialization by lichtblick-suite

Name: Deserialization
Author: lichtblick-suite

Deserialization

Deep deserialization knowledge: parseChannel schema dispatch, ros1msg/ros2msg/ros2idl/jsonschema/protobuf/flatbuffer decoders, WASM decompression handlers, and the DeserializingIterableSource wrapping pattern.

File contents

Deserialization Skill

Converts raw binary message data into structured JavaScript objects.

Flow

Raw bytes (from source)
    │
    ▼
DeserializingIterableSource (applies parseChannel-based decode)
    │
    ▼
Decoded message objects (ready for panels)

Schema Encodings

Encoding	Schema Format	Deserializer
`ros1msg`	ROS 1 message definition text	`@lichtblick/rosmsg-serialization` `MessageReader`
`ros2msg`	ROS 2 message definition text	`@lichtblick/rosmsg2-serialization` `MessageReader`
`ros2idl`	OMG IDL text	`@lichtblick/omgidl-serialization` `MessageReader`
`jsonschema`	JSON Schema object	`JSON.parse` + `postprocessValue` (base64 decode)
`protobuf`	`FileDescriptorSet` binary	`protobufjs` `Root.fromDescriptor`
`flatbuffer`	Binary reflection schema	`flatbuffers_reflection` `Parser`

Core Entry Point: `parseChannel()`

packages/mcap-support/src/parseChannel.ts:

function parseChannel(channel: Channel): ParsedChannel {
  // Returns { deserialize: (data: ArrayBufferView) => unknown, datatypes: Map }
  // Dispatches based on channel.schema.encoding
}

This is the single function that resolves any channel's schema into a deserializer.

Per-encoding parsers

packages/mcap-support/src/parseProtobufSchema.ts
packages/mcap-support/src/parseFlatbufferSchema.ts
packages/mcap-support/src/parseJsonSchema.ts

DeserializingIterableSource

packages/suite-base/src/players/IterablePlayer/DeserializingIterableSource.ts:

Wraps a serialized source (ISerializedIterableSource)
Applies parseChannel() to each channel's schema at initialization
Deserializes messages on-the-fly as they are iterated
Produces IDeserializedIterableSource (messages are JS objects, not raw bytes)
Supports sampling (setSamplingWindowEnd() for latest-per-render-tick mode)

⚠️ This wrapper is only inserted for serialized sources. Sources that already implement IDeserializedIterableSource skip it.

WASM Decompression Handlers

packages/mcap-support/src/decompressHandlers.ts:

zstd: @lichtblick/wasm-zstd — best compression ratio
lz4: @lichtblick/wasm-lz4 — fastest decompression
bz2: @lichtblick/wasm-bz2 — legacy support

Handlers are loaded once (singleton promise) and shared across all readers.

Performance Notes

Deserialization is CPU-bound — runs in a Worker via WorkerIterableSource
Protobuf: root.lookupType() is cached after first call
JSON: postprocessValue handles base64 → Uint8Array for bytes fields
Flatbuffers: zero-copy read from the shared buffer (fastest)
ROS: MessageReader precompiles field offsets at schema-parse time

Skills Reference

For MCAP chunk structure: load mcap-format skill
For Worker patterns: load web-workers skill
For the iterator layering: load player-internals skill

---name: deserializationdescription: Deep deserialization knowledge: parseChannel schema dispatch, ros1msg/ros2msg/ros2idl/jsonschema/protobuf/flatbuffer decoders, WASM decompression handlers, and the DeserializingIterableSource wrapping pattern.---# Deserialization SkillConverts raw binary message data into structured JavaScript objects.## Flow```textRaw bytes (from source) │ ▼DeserializingIterableSource (applies parseChannel-based decode) │ ▼Decoded message objects (ready for panels)```## Schema Encodings| Encoding | Schema Format | Deserializer ||----------|--------------|--------------|| `ros1msg` | ROS 1 message definition text | `@lichtblick/rosmsg-serialization` `MessageReader` || `ros2msg` | ROS 2 message definition text | `@lichtblick/rosmsg2-serialization` `MessageReader` || `ros2idl` | OMG IDL text | `@lichtblick/omgidl-serialization` `MessageReader` || `jsonschema` | JSON Schema object | `JSON.parse` + `postprocessValue` (base64 decode) || `protobuf` | `FileDescriptorSet` binary | `protobufjs` `Root.fromDescriptor` || `flatbuffer` | Binary reflection schema | `flatbuffers_reflection` `Parser` |## Core Entry Point: `parseChannel()``packages/mcap-support/src/parseChannel.ts`:```typescriptfunction parseChannel(channel: Channel): ParsedChannel { // Returns { deserialize: (data: ArrayBufferView) => unknown, datatypes: Map } // Dispatches based on channel.schema.encoding}```This is the single function that resolves any channel's schema into a deserializer.### Per-encoding parsers- `packages/mcap-support/src/parseProtobufSchema.ts`- `packages/mcap-support/src/parseFlatbufferSchema.ts`- `packages/mcap-support/src/parseJsonSchema.ts`## DeserializingIterableSource`packages/suite-base/src/players/IterablePlayer/DeserializingIterableSource.ts`:- Wraps a serialized source (`ISerializedIterableSource`)- Applies `parseChannel()` to each channel's schema at initialization- Deserializes messages on-the-fly as they are iterated- Produces `IDeserializedIterableSource` (messages are JS objects, not raw bytes)- Supports sampling (`setSamplingWindowEnd()` for latest-per-render-tick mode)> ⚠️ This wrapper is **only** inserted for serialized sources. Sources that already implement> `IDeserializedIterableSource` skip it.## WASM Decompression Handlers`packages/mcap-support/src/decompressHandlers.ts`:- **zstd**: `@lichtblick/wasm-zstd` — best compression ratio- **lz4**: `@lichtblick/wasm-lz4` — fastest decompression- **bz2**: `@lichtblick/wasm-bz2` — legacy supportHandlers are loaded once (singleton promise) and shared across all readers.## Performance Notes- Deserialization is CPU-bound — runs in a Worker via `WorkerIterableSource`- Protobuf: `root.lookupType()` is cached after first call- JSON: `postprocessValue` handles base64 → `Uint8Array` for `bytes` fields- Flatbuffers: zero-copy read from the shared buffer (fastest)- ROS: `MessageReader` precompiles field offsets at schema-parse time## Skills Reference- For MCAP chunk structure: load `mcap-format` skill- For Worker patterns: load `web-workers` skill- For the iterator layering: load `player-internals` skill

Frequently asked questions