tikzjax-diagramming_skill

Overview

This skill creates precise TikZ diagrams inside Obsidian using the TikZJax plugin. It targets technical drawings that need exact positioning and LaTeX-quality rendering, such as geometry, circuits, chemical structures, and 3D plots. It enforces the required document structure and helps choose supported packages and libraries. It also explains dark mode behavior and limitations to avoid rendering surprises.

How this skill works

You write diagram source inside a code block labeled tikz and include \begin{document}...\end{document} with drawing code inside \begin{tikzpicture}...\end{tikzpicture} (or specialized environments like circuitikz or tikz-cd). The skill outlines which LaTeX packages and tikz libraries loadable by TikZJax, recommended scale settings, and theme-adaptive text handling. It highlights dark-mode inversion rules and unsupported features so diagrams remain readable across themes. Examples demonstrate common patterns and package usage for quick adoption.

When to use it

• When you need precise geometry or coordinate-based diagrams that Mermaid cannot place accurately.
• For electronic circuit schematics using circuitikz with component labels and net routing.
• To draw chemical structures with chemfig where bond angles and notation must be exact.
• When producing commutative diagrams, 3D plots, or publication-quality technical figures.
• For game scene mockups or sprite layouts requiring fixed coordinates and layering.

Best practices

• Always include \begin{document} and \end{document} and place drawing code inside the proper environment.
• Use scale=1 for legible text; reduce scale only when text size is acceptable.
• Avoid color mixing syntax (e.g., blue!30) and custom \definecolor if you want dark-mode inversion.
• Omit explicit node color (e.g., use \node {...}) so text adapts automatically to light/dark themes.
• Load only supported packages and tikz libraries listed to prevent rendering errors.

Example use cases

• Draw a coordinate system with axes, labeled points, and dashed guide lines for math notes.
• Compose a circuit with resistors, capacitors, and a battery using circuitikz for electronics docs.
• Render a chemical skeleton with chemfig for organic chemistry lecture notes.
• Create a commutative diagram with tikz-cd to illustrate category theory mappings.
• Produce a 3D surface plot with pgfplots and tikz-3dplot for scientific visualizations.