aiskillstore/marketplace/ascii-preview-generate

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Use AI to create ASCII text-based preview of PDF page layout. Transforms visual and extracted data into structured ASCII representation for HTML generation.

Install

npx vskill@latest install aiskillstore/marketplace/ascii-preview-generate

SKILL.md

ASCII Preview Generate Skill

Purpose

This skill uses AI to create a meaningful ASCII text-based representation of the PDF page layout. The AI:

  • Analyzes both the PDF page image and extracted text data
  • Creates a structured ASCII preview showing page organization
  • Represents heading hierarchy, paragraphs, lists, and tables visually
  • Provides clear structural context for downstream HTML generation

The ASCII preview serves as a structured representation of page layout, enabling the downstream AI-HTML generator to understand both visual layout and content structure.

What to Do

  1. Load input files
  • Read 02_page_XX.png (visual reference)
  • Read 01_rich_extraction.json (text spans with metadata)
  • Verify all required fields present
  1. Invoke AI to analyze and represent
  • Send PNG image to Claude (visual reference)
  • Include extracted text data (JSON)
  • Request ASCII layout representation
  • AI determines structure and relationships
  1. AI generates ASCII preview
  • AI analyzes heading hierarchy from extraction data
  • AI identifies paragraphs and their relationships
  • AI represents lists with proper formatting
  • AI shows table layouts if present
  • AI creates visual representation using ASCII characters
  1. Validate ASCII output
  • Verify output is readable text
  • Check that all content elements represented
  • Confirm structure is clear and logical
  1. Save to persistent file
  • Save to: output/chapter_XX/page_artifacts/page_YY/03_page_XX_ascii.txt
  • Include metadata (page number, chapter, timestamp)

Input Parameters

rich_extraction_file: <str> - Path to 01_rich_extraction.json
page_png: <str> - Path to 02_page_XX.png (optional, for visual validation)
output_file: <str> - Path to save ASCII preview
book_page: <int> - Book page number (for display)
chapter: <int> - Chapter number (for display)

Output Format

ASCII Preview Structure

The ASCII preview uses this structure:

================================================================================
PAGE XX ASCII LAYOUT PREVIEW
================================================================================
Book Page: YY | Chapter: Z | PDF Index: XX | Dimensions: 612x792px
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[PAGE CONTENT WITH ASCII ART AND ANNOTATIONS]
STRUCTURE SUMMARY:
[Element counts and types]
================================================================================
Example Output
================================================================================
PAGE 16 ASCII LAYOUT PREVIEW
================================================================================
Book Page: 17 | Chapter: 2 | PDF Index: 16 | Dimensions: 612x792px
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ [H1 Heading - 27pt Bold] │
│ ████████████████████████████████ │
│ █ Rights in Real Estate █ │
│ ████████████████████████████████ │
│ │
│ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ [Divider] │
│ │
│ [H2 Section Heading - 11pt Bold All-Caps] │
│ REAL PROPERTY RIGHTS │
│ │
│ [Paragraph 1 - 11pt Regular] │
│ Real property consists of physical land and the legal rights │
│ associated with ownership. These rights form what is commonly │
│ referred to as the "bundle of rights." │
│ │
│ [H4 Subsection - 11pt Bold] │
│ Physical characteristics. │
│ │
│ [Paragraph 2 - 11pt Regular] │
│ Land has unique physical characteristics that distinguish it from │
│ other types of assets. The most important characteristics include: │
│ │
│ [Bullet List - 3 items] │
│ ▶ Immobility - Land cannot be moved from one location to │
│ another. This fact has significant legal and economic │
│ implications. │
│ ▶ Indestructibility - Land is permanent and cannot be │
│ destroyed. Although structures on land can be destroyed, │
│ the land itself endures. │
│ ▶ Uniqueness - Each parcel of land is unique due to its │
│ location. "Not two parcels of land are exactly alike due to │
│ their geographic location." │
│ │
│ [H4 Subsection - 11pt Bold] │
│ Interdependence. │
│ │
│ [Paragraph 3 - 11pt Regular] │
│ All land exists in relation to other land. Therefore, the value │
│ of land is dependent on the land around it... │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
STRUCTURE SUMMARY:
─────────────────
Page Type: Chapter Continuation
Total Elements: 12
Headings (3):
• H1: 1 instance (27pt, bold) - "Rights in Real Estate"
• H2: 1 instance (11pt, bold, all-caps) - "REAL PROPERTY RIGHTS"
• H4: 2 instances (11pt, bold) - "Physical characteristics", "Interdependence"
Paragraphs (3):
• Body text: 3 paragraphs total
• Average paragraph length: ~45 words
• Text flow: Top to bottom, left to right
Lists (1):
• Bullet list with 3 items
• Indentation: 2em from left margin
• Separator: "▶" character
Tables: 0
Images: 0
Font Summary:
• 27pt: 1 instance (heading)
• 11pt: 7 instances (body, subsections, lists)
• Total unique fonts: 2 (Arial-Bold, Times-Regular)
Confidence Assessment:
• Heading hierarchy: 100% confident
• Element types: 95% confident
• Content flow: 90% confident
• (Lower confidence = ambiguous or unusual formatting)
================================================================================

AI Prompt Template

The prompt sent to Claude to generate ASCII preview:

You are creating an ASCII text-based layout preview of a PDF page.
VISUAL REFERENCE (PDF Page):
[PNG Image Attached]
EXTRACTED TEXT DATA:
[JSON Attached]
TASK:
Generate an ASCII text representation of this page's layout and structure.
REQUIREMENTS:
1. ASCII Format:
- Use box drawing characters for visual clarity (┌─┐│└┘)
- Show page boundaries
- Use spacing to represent actual layout
2. Element Representation:
- Headings: Show in ASCII, mark with [H1], [H2], [H3], [H4]
- Paragraphs: Show first line, indicate continuation
- Lists: Use ▶ or • characters, maintain structure
- Tables: Show column alignment and structure
- Spacing: Represent actual gaps between elements
3. Annotations:
- Label each element type [Heading], [Paragraph], [List], etc.
- Show font size context (11pt, 27pt, etc.)
- Note text styling (Bold, All-Caps, etc.)
4. Summary Statistics:
- Count headings by level (h1, h2, h3, h4)
- Count paragraphs
- Count lists and items
- Note any tables or images
5. Readability:
- Keep lines under 80 characters
- Use clear visual separation
- Make structure obvious at a glance
OUTPUT:

================================================================================ PAGE XX ASCII LAYOUT PREVIEW ================================================================================ Book Page: YY | Chapter: Z | PDF Index: XX


[ASCII representation with visual structure]

STRUCTURE SUMMARY: [Element counts and types] ================================================================================

VALIDATION:
- ASCII must be readable text
- All major content elements must be represented
- Structure must be clear and logical
- Total elements count must match data

AI Generation Process

  1. Load inputs
  • 02_page_XX.png - Visual reference
  • 01_rich_extraction.json - Text spans with metadata
  1. Invoke Claude API
  • Send image as multi-modal input
  • Include extracted data in prompt
  • Request ASCII layout preview
  1. Extract and validate output
  • Parse ASCII from response
  • Verify readability
  • Check element representation
  1. Save to file
  • Write to output/chapter_XX/page_artifacts/page_YY/03_page_XX_ascii.txt

Quality Checks

Before declaring ASCII preview complete:

  1. File output
  • [ ] Output file created and readable
  • [ ] File is valid text (UTF-8 encoding)
  • [ ] File size meaningful (> 500 bytes)
  1. Content representation
  • [ ] All major page elements represented
  • [ ] Heading hierarchy shown clearly
  • [ ] Paragraphs indicated and readable
  • [ ] Lists properly formatted with bullets/markers
  • [ ] Tables (if present) shown with alignment
  1. Accuracy against source data
  • [ ] Structure matches rich_extraction.json
  • [ ] Element counts reasonable
  • [ ] Text content accurate (no changes)
  • [ ] Layout represents visual (PNG) appearance
  1. Readability and format
  • [ ] ASCII art is clear and clean
  • [ ] Line length reasonable (< 100 chars)
  • [ ] Box drawing characters render properly
  • [ ] Annotations are clear and helpful
  • [ ] Summary section present and accurate

Output Metadata

json
{
"preview_file": "03_page_16_ascii.txt",
"page": 16,
"book_page": 17,
"chapter": 2,
"generated_at": "2025-11-08T14:31:00Z",
"source_file": "01_rich_extraction.json",
"elements_detected": {
"headings": 4,
"paragraphs": 3,
"lists": 1,
"tables": 0,
"images": 0
},
"confidence_scores": {
"overall": 0.93,
"heading_hierarchy": 1.0,
"element_types": 0.95,
"content_flow": 0.90
}
}

Use in Downstream Processing

The ASCII preview is used by Skill 3 (ai-html-generate) as one of three inputs:

  1. 02_page_XX.png - Visual reference (pixel data)
  2. 01_rich_extraction.json - Parsed text with metadata
  3. 03_page_XX_ascii.txt - Structural representation ← This skill creates

Together, these three inputs give the AI complete context for accurate HTML generation.

Error Handling

If PNG image fails to load:

  • Fall back to text-only analysis using rich_extraction.json
  • AI still generates ASCII but without visual reference
  • Note in metadata: "Image unavailable"
  • Proceed (text data is sufficient for structure)

This is the start of the file. Read the full SKILL.md on GitHub.

Security

  • Security scanPassed, 100 of 100Pattern checks on the skill's files.
  • Model reviewNot runA model review is scheduled for the next rescan.

Quality evaluation

  • Task evaluationNot runNo evaluation yet. Run one in Skill Studio.

Source

Popularity

Repository stars
263
Repository forks
23
7-day trend score
28

Stars and forks are for the whole GitHub repository, not this skill alone. Refreshed 3 May 2026, 5 months ago.

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