Scientific Figure Making logo

Scientific Figure Making

CommunityPopular
ChenLiu-1996
scientific-figure-making

Covers publication-ready matplotlib figures for academic papers, slides, and reports—bars, trends, scatter, heatmaps, and multi-panel layouts—with this repository’s house style, print/vector export conventions, and parity with figures4papers demos. Use when the user is finalizing or creating such figures in matplotlib. Do not use for interactive dashboards or web viz (Plotly, Altair, Bokeh), exploratory-only plots without a publication target, dominant 3D or geographic mapping, or Illustrator/Figma-first infographic workflows.

Overview

PublisherChenLiu-1996
Repositoryfigures4papers
Skill namescientific-figure-making
Stars
5.2K
Forks
333
Bundled files
5
Links
  • Markdown instructions

    A SKILL.md file the model loads on demand, so it only costs tokens when a request actually matches.

  • Works with any LLM

    AI skills are plain Markdown, not provider-specific code, so this works with GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model.

  • 5 bundled files

    Scripts, templates, and references the model can read while it works. Files are read-only and never executed.

  • Open source

    Published by ChenLiu-1996 on GitHub. Read the source before you install it.

Installation

Install the Scientific Figure Making AI skill in TypingMind to use it with any LLM, or drop it into another agent that reads SKILL.md.

1

Install in TypingMind

TypingMind installs a skill straight from its GitHub folder — it reads SKILL.md, bundles the resource files, and stores the result locally.

  1. Open the app and go to Plugins → Skills.
  2. Choose "Install from GitHub".
  3. Paste the skill folder URL below and confirm.
  4. Enable the skill in any chat where you want it available.
Plugins → Skills → Add skill → From GitHub URL, then paste the folder URL and press Continue.
2

Install in another agent

Any agent that reads the Agent Skills format can use this skill — copy the folder into that agent's skills directory.

Claude Code — .claude/skills
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ChenLiu-1996/figures4papers.git /tmp/figures4papers
mkdir -p .claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/figures4papers/scientific-figure-making .claude/skills/scientific-figure-making
Restart Claude Code after copying so it picks up the new skill.

Use it in TypingMind

Enable Scientific Figure Making in any TypingMind chat and the model takes it from there. Its name and description sit in the system prompt, and the moment a request matches, the model loads the full instructions itself — you never invoke it by hand, and it costs no tokens until it is actually used.

The model loads Scientific Figure Making on its own as soon as a request matches it.

Works with any AI model

AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so Scientific Figure Making is not tied to the model it was written for. Install it once in TypingMind and use it with GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama, or a local model you run yourself — all on your own API keys.

  • Loaded only when it is needed

    The system prompt carries just the name and description. The instructions are fetched on the first matching request, so an idle skill costs nothing.

  • Switch models mid-chat

    Because the skill is instructions rather than code, changing model does not break it — the next model reads the same SKILL.md.

Skill instructions

This is the SKILL.md content the model loads. Read it before installing — a skill is instructions your model will follow.

Scientific figure making

Open references/ only as needed; do not preload every file. Start from the table below, then follow links inside the document you opened (and into figure_* code via references/demos.md) instead of loading the full reference set up front.

When to load this skill

  • Matplotlib figures for papers, slides, or reports that must match this repo’s publication look (fonts, palette, spines, legends, export).
  • Requests involving grouped bars, trend lines, heatmaps, multi-panel grids, or PDF/SVG/high-DPI output in a scientific-figure context.
  • References to figures4papers figure_* projects or “same style as the repo figures.”

When not to load

  • Plotly, Altair, Bokeh, or other interactive / web-first plotting.
  • EDA-only plots where seaborn or pandas is enough until there is a publication target.
  • Primary workflow is 3D, GIS, or non-matplotlib tooling.
  • Illustrator / Figma–first layout or infographic (not matplotlib data plots).

Related files

FileOpen when
references/tutorials.mdEnd-to-end walkthroughs (bar, trends, heatmap)
references/api.mdFunction signatures, PALETTE, validation rules
references/common-patterns.mdLayout patterns, legend panel, print-safe bars
references/design-theory.mdTypography, export policy, palette rationale
references/demos.mdCanonical figure_* demo links in figures4papers

Bundled files

The model reads these on demand while the skill is loaded. They are exposed as readable files and are never executed.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Scientific Figure Making AI skill do?

Covers publication-ready matplotlib figures for academic papers, slides, and reports—bars, trends, scatter, heatmaps, and multi-panel layouts—with this repository’s house style, print/vector export conventions, and parity with figures4papers demos. Use when the user is finalizing or creating such figures in matplotlib. Do not use for interactive dashboards or web viz (Plotly, Altair, Bokeh), exploratory-only plots without a publication target, dominant 3D or geographic mapping, or Illustrator/Figma-first infographic workflows.

Why use Scientific Figure Making on TypingMind?

Because you install it once and use it with any model. Scientific Figure Making is plain Markdown rather than provider-specific code, so the same skill runs on GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model — and you can switch model mid-chat without it breaking. TypingMind runs on your own API keys, so you pay providers directly instead of a per-seat subscription, and your skills and chats stay in your own storage.

How do I install Scientific Figure Making in TypingMind?

Open Plugins → Skills → Install from GitHub in TypingMind and paste https://github.com/ChenLiu-1996/figures4papers/tree/main/scientific-figure-making. TypingMind reads its SKILL.md and bundles its files and installs it as a skill you can enable per chat.

Which AI models can use Scientific Figure Making?

Any model you connect in TypingMind. AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and local models can all load this skill when a request matches it.

How many AI models can I use with Scientific Figure Making?

As many as you like. As long as a model supports skills, you can use Scientific Figure Making with it — GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama and more — all on TypingMind with your own API keys.

Is the Scientific Figure Making AI skill free?

It is published on GitHub by ChenLiu-1996. Check the repository for licensing terms. You only pay your own AI provider for the tokens you use.

What are AI skills?

An AI skill is a reusable instruction bundle that teaches an AI model how to do one specific task. It follows the open Agent Skills format: a SKILL.md file with a name and description, plus any scripts, templates or reference files the model may need. The model reads the instructions only when your request matches the skill, so an installed skill costs nothing until it is used.

How are AI skills different from plugins or MCP servers?

A plugin or MCP server gives a model new tools to call — code that runs somewhere and returns a result. An AI skill gives the model knowledge and process instead: how to approach a task, which steps to follow, what good output looks like. Skills are plain Markdown, so they need no server, no API key and no runtime, and they work with any model.

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