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name: microsim-generator description: Creates interactive educational MicroSims using the best-matched JavaScript library (p5.js, Chart.js, Plotly, Mermaid, vis-network, vis-timeline, Leaflet, Venn.js). Analyzes user requirements to route to the appropriate visualization type and generates complete MicroSim packages with HTML, JavaScript, CSS, documentation, and metadata.

MicroSim Generator

Overview

This meta-skill routes MicroSim creation requests to the appropriate specialized generator based on visualization requirements. It consolidates 13 individual MicroSim generator skills into a single entry point with on-demand loading of specific implementation guides.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when users request:

• Interactive educational visualizations
• Data visualizations (charts, graphs, plots)
• Timelines or chronological displays
• Geographic/map visualizations
• Network diagrams or concept maps
• Flowcharts or workflow diagrams
• Mathematical function plots
• Set diagrams (Venn)
• Priority matrices or bubble charts
• Custom simulations or animations
• Comparison tables with ratings

Step 1: Analyze Request and Match Generator

Scan the user's request for trigger keywords and match to the appropriate generator guide.

Quick Reference Routing Table

Trigger Keywords	Guide File	Library
timeline, dates, chronological, events, history, schedule, milestones	references/timeline-guide.md	vis-timeline
map, geographic, coordinates, latitude, longitude, locations, markers	references/map-guide.md	Leaflet.js
function, f(x), equation, plot, calculus, sine, cosine, polynomial	references/plotly-guide.md	Plotly.js
network, nodes, edges, graph, dependencies, concept map, knowledge graph	references/vis-network-guide.md	vis-network
flowchart, workflow, process, state machine, UML, sequence diagram	references/mermaid-guide.md	Mermaid.js
venn, sets, overlap, intersection, union, categories	references/venn-guide.md	Custom
chart, bar, line, pie, doughnut, radar, statistics, data	references/chartjs-guide.md	Chart.js
bubble, priority, matrix, quadrant, impact vs effort, risk vs value	references/bubble-guide.md	Chart.js
causal, feedback, loop, systems thinking, reinforcing, balancing	references/causal-loop-guide.md	vis-network
comparison, table, ratings, stars, side-by-side, features	references/comparison-table-guide.md	Custom
animation, celebration, particles, confetti, effects	references/celebration-guide.md	p5.js
custom, simulation, physics, interactive, bouncing, movement, p5.js	references/p5-guide.md	p5.js

Decision Tree

Has dates/timeline/chronological events?
  → YES: timeline-guide.md

Has geographic coordinates/locations?
  → YES: map-guide.md

Mathematical function f(x) or equation?
  → YES: plotly-guide.md

Nodes and edges/network relationships?
  → YES: vis-network-guide.md (or causal-loop-guide.md if systems thinking)

Flowchart/workflow/process diagram?
  → YES: mermaid-guide.md

Sets with overlaps (2-4 categories)?
  → YES: venn-guide.md

Priority matrix/2x2 quadrant/multi-dimensional?
  → YES: bubble-guide.md

Standard chart (bar/line/pie/radar)?
  → YES: chartjs-guide.md

Comparison table with ratings/stars?
  → YES: comparison-table-guide.md

Celebration/particles/visual feedback?
  → YES: celebration-guide.md

Custom simulation/animation/physics?
  → YES: p5-guide.md

Step 2: Load the Matched Guide

Once you identify the best generator, read the corresponding guide file from the references/ directory and follow its workflow.

Example:

• User asks for "a timeline showing the history of Unix"
• Match: timeline keyword → Load references/timeline-guide.md
• Follow the timeline-guide.md workflow

Step 3: Execute Generator Workflow

Each guide contains:

1. Library-specific requirements
2. Directory structure to create
3. Step-by-step implementation workflow
4. Code templates and patterns
5. Best practices for that visualization type

Handling Ambiguous Requests

If the request could match multiple generators:

1. Read references/routing-criteria.md for detailed scoring methodology
2. Score top 3 candidates using the 0-100 scale
3. Present options to user with reasoning:

   Based on your request, I recommend:
   1. [Generator A] (Score: 85) - Best for [reason]
   2. [Generator B] (Score: 70) - Alternative if you need [feature]
   3. [Generator C] (Score: 55) - Possible if [condition]
   
   Which would you prefer?
   

4. Proceed with user's selection

Common Ambiguities

Ambiguous Term	Clarification Needed
"graph"	Chart (ChartJS) or Network graph (vis-network)?
"diagram"	Structural (Mermaid), Network (vis-network), or Custom (p5)?
"map"	Geographic (Leaflet) or Concept map (vis-network)?
"visualization"	What type of data? What interaction needed?

Available Generators

Primary Generators

Generator	Library	Best For
p5-guide	p5.js	Custom simulations, physics, animations
chartjs-guide	Chart.js	Bar, line, pie, doughnut, radar charts
timeline-guide	vis-timeline	Chronological events, history, schedules
map-guide	Leaflet.js	Geographic data, locations, routes
vis-network-guide	vis-network	Network graphs, dependencies, concept maps
mermaid-guide	Mermaid.js	Flowcharts, workflows, UML diagrams
plotly-guide	Plotly.js	Mathematical function plots
venn-guide	Custom	Set relationships (2-4 sets)
bubble-guide	Chart.js	Priority matrices, multi-dimensional data
causal-loop-guide	vis-network	Systems thinking, feedback loops
comparison-table-guide	Custom	Side-by-side comparisons with ratings
celebration-guide	p5.js	Particle effects, visual feedback

Shared Standards

All MicroSims follow these standards regardless of generator:

Directory Structure:

docs/sims/<microsim-name>/
├── main.html       # Main visualization file
├── index.md        # Documentation page
├── *.js or *.css   # Supporting files
└── metadata.json   # Dublin Core metadata (optional)

Integration:

• Embedded via iframe in MkDocs pages
• Width-responsive design
• Non-scrolling iframe container
• Standard height: drawHeight + controlHeight + 2px

Quality Checklist:

• Runs without errors in modern browsers
• Responsive to container width
• Controls respond immediately
• Educational purpose is clear
• Code is well-commented

Examples

Example 1: Timeline Request

User: "Create a timeline showing key events in computer history" Routing: Keywords "timeline", "events", "history" → references/timeline-guide.md Action: Read timeline-guide.md and follow its workflow

Example 2: Chart Request

User: "Make a bar chart comparing programming language popularity" Routing: Keywords "bar chart", "comparing" → references/chartjs-guide.md Action: Read chartjs-guide.md and follow its workflow

Example 3: Custom Simulation

User: "Build an interactive bouncing ball simulation" Routing: Keywords "interactive", "bouncing", "simulation" → references/p5-guide.md Action: Read p5-guide.md and follow its workflow

Example 4: Ambiguous Request

User: "Create a graph of our project dependencies" Routing: "graph" + "dependencies" suggests network → references/vis-network-guide.md Action: Read vis-network-guide.md (but clarify if user meant a chart)

Reference Files

For detailed information, consult:

• references/routing-criteria.md - Complete scoring methodology for all generators
• references/<generator>-guide.md - Specific implementation guide for each generator
• assets/templates/ - Shared templates and patterns

Step 4: Auto-Standardization

IMPORTANT: After creating the MicroSim files, automatically run standardization to ensure quality and documentation standards are met.

Why Auto-Standardize?

• Eliminates manual follow-up work
• Ensures consistent quality across all MicroSims
• Adds metadata.json, lesson plans, and references automatically
• Calculates and records quality_score in index.md

Standardization Process

After the generator guide workflow completes (files created in docs/sims/<microsim-name>/):

1. Read the standardization guide: Load ../microsim-utils/references/standardization.md
2. Run the standardization checklist on the newly created MicroSim directory
3. Implement all fixes automatically (skip user confirmation since this is a new MicroSim)
4. Generate quality_score and add to index.md frontmatter

What Standardization Adds

The standardization process will add these elements if missing:

• metadata.json - Dublin Core metadata for discoverability
• YAML frontmatter - title, description, quality_score, image paths
• Iframe examples - Copy-paste code for embedding
• Fullscreen button - Link to view MicroSim fullscreen
• Lesson Plan section - Learning objectives, activities, assessment
• References section - Related resources and documentation

Workflow Integration

[User Request]
    → [Route to Guide]
    → [Generate MicroSim Files]
    → [Auto-Standardize] ← NEW STEP
    → [Update mkdocs.yml]
    → [Done]

This eliminates the need to manually run microsim-utils standardization after every MicroSim creation.

mkdocs.yml Integration

After creating and standardizing a MicroSim, add it to the site navigation:

nav:
  - MicroSims:
    - List of MicroSims: sims/index.md
    - Existing Sim: sims/existing-sim/index.md
    - New MicroSim: sims/new-microsim-name/index.md  # Add here