Survey Visuals Skill for Codex

Survey Visuals (timeline + figure specs; NO PROSE)

This skill creates non-prose artifacts that make the writing stage less template-y:

• timeline / evolution bullets
• figure specs (what to draw, why it matters, what papers support it)

Load Order

Always read:

• references/overview.md
• references/figure_archetypes.md

Read by task:

• references/timeline_patterns.md when building timeline milestones

Machine-readable assets:

• assets/figure_templates.yaml — figure archetype specifications (extensible without code changes)

Script Boundary

Use scripts/run.py only for:

• deterministic assembly of timeline bullets from paper_notes + bibkeys
• table generation from outline + mapping
• figure spec skeleton generation using assets/figure_templates.yaml

Do not treat run.py as the place for:

• hardcoded figure descriptions or narratives
• milestone selection heuristics that should be inspectable from references

Tables are handled by dedicated table skills:

• table-schema -> outline/table_schema.md
• table-filler -> outline/tables_index.md (internal index)
• appendix-table-writer -> outline/tables_appendix.md (reader-facing Appendix tables)

Inputs

• outline/outline.yml
• outline/claim_evidence_matrix.md
• papers/paper_notes.jsonl
• citations/ref.bib

Outputs

• outline/timeline.md
• outline/figures.md

Workflow inputs (explicit)

• Use outline/outline.yml + outline/claim_evidence_matrix.md to decide what to visualize.
• Use papers/paper_notes.jsonl for year/milestone candidates.
• Use only citation keys from citations/ref.bib.

Workflow (heuristic)

1) Read the outline + claim-evidence matrix and pick recurring comparison axes.

2) Timeline (outline/timeline.md):

• Write year -> key milestone bullets (aim for breadth and citations).

3) Figures (outline/figures.md):

• Write 2-4 figure specs that a human could draw:
• purpose (what insight this figure communicates)
• required elements (boxes/arrows/axes)
• what papers support each element (cite keys)

4) Use only citation keys present in citations/ref.bib.

Quality checklist

• [ ] No TODO and no <!-- SCAFFOLD ... --> markers remain in the outputs.
• [ ] outline/timeline.md contains >=8 year bullets and each bullet has >=1 citation marker [@...].
• [ ] outline/figures.md contains >=2 figure specs and each mentions at least one supporting citation.

Helper script (optional)

Quick Start

• uv run python .codex/skills/survey-visuals/scripts/run.py --help
• uv run python .codex/skills/survey-visuals/scripts/run.py --workspace <workspace>

All Options

• --workspace <workspace> (required)
• --unit-id <id> (optional; used only for runner bookkeeping)
• --inputs <a;b;c> (optional; defaults to the four Inputs listed above)
• --outputs <timeline_rel;figures_rel> (optional; defaults to outline/timeline.md;outline/figures.md)
• --checkpoint <C#> (optional; ignored by the helper)

Examples

• Generate timeline + figures with defaults:

uv run python .codex/skills/survey-visuals/scripts/run.py --workspace <workspace>

• Generate to custom output paths:

uv run python .codex/skills/survey-visuals/scripts/run.py --workspace <workspace> --outputs outline/timeline.md;outline/figures.md

Notes

• The helper is intentionally minimal and never overwrites non-placeholder artifacts.
• In strict mode it blocks only if placeholder markers remain (and if minimum timeline/figure requirements are not met).

Troubleshooting

Issue: timeline is thin or citation-free

Fix:

• Prefer fewer, higher-signal milestones, but ensure each bullet has >=1 [@...].
• Route upstream if notes are thin: strengthen paper-notes / evidence-draft rather than padding.

Issue: figure specs read like prose

Fix:

• Keep specs as draw-instructions: purpose + elements + what each element is supported by (cite keys).
• Move narrative explanation into the main text; this file should stay non-prose.