pencil-mcp-find-empty-space-on-canvas

name	pencil-mcp-find-empty-space-on-canvas
description	Smartly find empty canvas space. Use to automatically plan artboard placement to avoid overlap and keep the canvas organized.
license	Complete terms in LICENSE.txt

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。