vp-init

name	vp-init
description	Entry point for the splunk-viz-packs plugin. Routes the user to the right skill based on intent: vp-couture for design-first themed viz suites, vp-create for scaffolding, vp-viz for single viz builds, vp-ref-gotchas for rules lookup. Use when the user says 'build custom vizs', 'themed viz pack', 'custom Splunk visualization', or invokes splunk-viz-packs without a specific skill.

vp-init — Entry point for custom viz packs

What this plugin does

Builds themed Splunk custom visualization apps — branded Canvas 2D vizs sharing one design token system, packaged as installable Splunk apps (.tar.gz).

Input: brand context (palette, fonts, tone) + domain (F1, SOC, healthcare, retail)

Output: tarball with 5-8 custom vizs, shared theme.js, dashboard with hero image, webpack build, AppInspect-ready packaging

Quick brief template

For structured input, point the user to templates/viz-pack-brief.md. It covers brand, domain, metrics, viz preferences, and constraints. Or use the minimal version:

Build a viz pack for [BRAND].
Theme: [dark/light].
Data: [what the dashboard shows].
Key metrics: [3-5 metrics with types].
Style: [3 tone words].

Routing table

User says	Route to	Why
"Build a themed viz pack for [brand]"	vp-couture	Design-first: brand research → palette → viz inventory → build
"Make my dashboard look like [brand]"	vp-couture	Same — needs design context before code
"Which vizs should I build for [domain]?"	vp-couture	Planning question → design orchestrator
"Scaffold a viz app called X"	vp-create	Structure only, no design
"Build a single [kpi/gauge/chart] viz"	vp-viz	One viz, no suite planning
"What are the rules for custom vizs?"	vp-ref-gotchas	Reference lookup
"How do I draw X on Canvas?"	vp-ref-patterns	Recipe lookup

Quick start — recommended flow

vp-init (you are here)
   ↓
vp-couture — design brief (brand, palette, viz inventory)
   ↓
vp-create — scaffold app directory + theme.js + webpack
   ↓
vp-viz — write each visualization_source.js
   ↓
vp-create — build + package tarball

Always load vp-ref-gotchas before writing ANY viz code.

Model selection

Task	Model	Why
Brand research, design decisions, palette selection	Opus	Judgment, creativity, taste
Design brief, viz inventory planning	Opus	Strategic decisions
Design critique, quality gate review	Opus	Evaluative reasoning
Writing visualization_source.js	Sonnet	Fast, reliable code generation
Writing formatter.html, CSS, conf files	Sonnet	Mechanical, well-specified
Webpack build, packaging, file operations	Sonnet	Execution, not judgment
Dashboard JSON layout	Sonnet	Structured output
CSV lookup data generation	Sonnet	Data creation

Default: Opus plans, Sonnet builds. When dispatching subagents, use model: "sonnet" for implementation tasks and model: "opus" for design/review tasks.

Required plugins — ALL THREE needed

Building a viz pack produces THREE types of artifacts. Each has its own plugin with rules that MUST be followed:

Artifact	Plugin	Key skills to load
Viz source code (JS)	splunk-viz-packs (this plugin)	vp-ref-gotchas, vp-viz, vp-ref-patterns
Dashboard JSON	splunk-dashboard-studio	ds-create (hard defaults!), ds-ref-syntax
SPL queries	splunk-spl	spl-gotchas (23 silent-fail traps)

If you only load splunk-viz-packs, you WILL produce:

• Dashboards at 1440px (ds-create says 1920)
• Invalid fontFamily in markdown panels
• SPL with tostring("0.000") errors
• Missing data source names

Cross-plugin dependency map:

vp-couture (design)
    ↓ loads
vp-create (scaffold) ──→ ds-create (dashboard rules)
    ↓                ──→ spl-gotchas (SPL rules)
vp-viz (per-viz code)
    ↓ references
vp-ref-gotchas (viz rules)
vp-ref-patterns (Canvas recipes)

Optional Splunk app dependencies

Dependency	Required?	Why
icon_library Splunk app	Optional	Material Symbols icons in dashboards
infographic_shapes Splunk app	Optional	Gradient shapes, progress bars, glow effects

What this skill does NOT do

This is a router. It does not write code, generate designs, or produce artifacts. It identifies intent and hands off to the right skill.

Task	Skill
Design a themed viz suite	vp-couture
Scaffold app structure	vp-create
Write a single viz	vp-viz
Canvas rendering recipes	vp-ref-patterns
Hard rules and gotchas	vp-ref-gotchas
Dashboard JSON	ds-create (from splunk-dashboard-studio)
SPL queries	spl-gotchas (from splunk-spl)