Produce publish-grade technical diagrams with ak:tech-graph

Use ak:tech-graph when a technical relationship needs a designed SVG plus a high-resolution PNG rather than inline diagram source. The Skill classifies the diagram, plans layout and semantic arrows, applies one of seven packaged visual styles, validates the SVG, exports PNG through rsvg-convert, and reports the file paths.

Choose ak:tech-graph for a designed technical artifact

Use ak:tech-graph when

• Architecture, data flow, sequence, process, agent, memory, UML, network, timeline, comparison, or concept relationships need a standalone graphic.
• A blog, deck, product page, or technical document needs editable SVG and PNG.
• Arrow meaning, component grouping, label placement, and visual style need deliberate control.
• You can review the rendered image before publishing.

Choose another workflow when

• The diagram should stay as compact, diffable source inside Markdown. Use ak:mermaidjs-v11.
• You need a complete HTML presentation. Use ak:slides.
• The system facts are uncertain. Verify them first; visual polish does not make an inferred architecture true.

Prepare the structure, style, and renderer

Provide the audience, diagram type, verified nodes, layers or groups, labeled edges, primary direction, desired style, title, legend needs, and output path. Style 1, Flat Icon, is the default when no style is specified.

The runtime must provide rsvg-convert. The packaged Skill identifies it as a prerequisite that must be verified before use. Installing librsvg with a system package manager can change the machine and may use the network; approve that separately if the executable is missing.

Generate the artifact

/ak:tech-graph Draw the approved lead-review architecture as a data-flow diagram in style 1. Separate draft creation, human approval, and manual publishing; label every data edge; output to ./docs/diagrams/

/ak:tech-graph Draw the approved lead-review architecture as a data-flow diagram in style 1. Separate draft creation, human approval, and manual publishing; label every data edge; output to ./docs/diagrams/

$ak:tech-graph Draw the approved lead-review architecture as a data-flow diagram in style 1. Separate draft creation, human approval, and manual publishing; label every data edge; output to ./docs/diagrams/

The Skill also recognizes --output /path/ in its artifact contract. Without a custom path, it writes ./[derived-name].svg and ./[derived-name].png in the current directory. Confirm the destination before generation.

Follow the generation and review stages

1. Classify. Choose the diagram type and its layout rules.
2. Extract structure. Identify layers, nodes, edges, flows, semantic groups, and source-backed labels.
3. Plan layout. Reserve component spacing, arrow corridors, labels, legend, and a viewBox large enough for the content.
4. Load a style. Use style 1 by default or the requested numbered style; apply its exact tokens and SVG patterns.
5. Map shapes and arrows. Give nodes consistent semantic shapes and encode data, control, read, write, async, or feedback meaning in arrows.
6. Write and validate SVG. Use the packaged generator or validation helpers for complex output, then run rsvg-convert file.svg -o /dev/null.
7. Export PNG. Run rsvg-convert -w 1920 file.svg -o file.png after the SVG validates.
8. Inspect the render. Check crossings, collisions, clipped text, unreadable labels, legends, and factual accuracy. Revise and export again until clean.
9. Report evidence. Name both output paths, renderer result, visual review, and any unresolved uncertainty.

Keep file writes and publication controlled

Do not embed secrets, private endpoints, customer identifiers, or unapproved provider architecture in labels. Packaged style names are visual references, not endorsements or permission to imply an official relationship. Avoid external font imports because rsvg-convert cannot fetch them; use inline SVG and approved local assets.

Verify outputs and source evidence

A complete run should provide:

• the exact .svg and .png paths;
• the diagram type, selected style number and name, and intended audience;
• the evidence source for every component and labeled relationship;
• successful SVG validation and PNG export at the requested width;
• visual-review notes covering overlap, arrow routing, labels, contrast, and legend placement; and
• publication or distribution steps still awaiting approval.

SVG syntax validation alone is not enough. If the runtime cannot inspect images, the Skill must say visual self-review was skipped rather than guessing that the layout is clean.

Troubleshoot and understand limits

The Skill cannot guarantee that an unreviewed diagram is publication-ready, that all brands permit a packaged visual style, or that renderer behavior is identical across machines. Continue with ak:docs to place an approved artifact in the project's durable documentation route.

See the Marketing Kit overview and Projects, artifacts, and checkpoints.