thesis-visual-layout-planner

Thesis Visual Layout Planner

Triggers & routing

• Trigger: figure planning, figure layout, thesis visual plan, layout rehearsal, text-figure mapping, mermaid sketches.
• Use when: The chapter structure is basically clear, but the figures have not yet been systematically arranged, or you are worried about losing control of the text-figure rhythm, figure density, and layout structure.
• Skip if: The thesis does not rely on figures to support the main line, or it is still in the early stage of pure structural restructuring.
• Network: none.
• Guardrail: Do not drag figures into being a last-minute patch; do not lay out first and then reverse-engineer the structure; figures should serve the main line rather than steal the main line.

Inputs

• Stable outline
• Markdown for each chapter
• Existing figures, experimental results, and system framework diagram materials

Outputs

• codex_md/figure_plan.md
• codex_md/mermaid/
• tmp_layout/
• tmp_layout2/

Load Order

Always read:

• references/overview.md
• references/visual_planning_checklist.md
• references/layout_failure_modes.md

Machine-readable contract:

• assets/visual_layout_contract.json

Workflow

1. First determine which figures each chapter truly needs
2. Distinguish: concept diagrams / flowcharts / architecture diagrams / experiment tables / result figures
3. Make sketches first, then do layout, then decide placement
4. Record the text-figure mapping relationships and the caption conventions