explaingit

lwq-star/ultraplot-figures

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

12PythonAudience · researcherComplexity · 3/5Setup · moderate

TLDR

A Codex AI skill that writes, revises, and checks Python scripts for reproducible scientific figures using UltraPlot.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((UltraPlot Figures))
    What it does
      Generate figures
      Revise scripts
      Check exported files
    Tech stack
      Python
      UltraPlot
      Matplotlib
    Use cases
      Publication ready figures
      Journal formatting checks
      Figure type suggestions
    Audience
      Researchers
      Codex users

Code map

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Turn a dataset into a publication ready scientific figure without writing the plotting code by hand.

USE CASE 2

Revise an existing plotting script to match a journal's figure requirements.

USE CASE 3

Get help deciding what type of figure best shows a scientific result you are unsure how to visualize.

What is it built with?

PythonUltraPlotMatplotlibNumPy

How does it compare?

lwq-star/ultraplot-figuresaim-uofa/reasonmatchairbone42/360-data-athlete
Stars121212
LanguagePythonPythonPython
Setup difficultymoderatehardhard
Complexity3/55/54/5
Audienceresearcherresearchergeneral

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Requires Codex with local skill support plus a Python 3.10+ environment with UltraPlot, Matplotlib, and NumPy installed.

In plain English

UltraPlot Figures is a skill for the Codex AI assistant that helps produce, edit, and check static scientific figures using a Python plotting library called UltraPlot. It only works inside a Codex Desktop or Codex CLI conversation that supports loading local skills. It is not a plotting program you install and import into your own Python code. Once installed, you tell Codex what data you have, what the figure should show, and what output files you need. Codex then writes an editable Python script, produces the figure, and checks that the exported files meet common requirements. It can also revise a plotting script you already have or inspect an existing PDF, TIFF, SVG, or PNG figure. The project exists because general AI assistants can write plotting code quickly, but code that runs is not the same as code that is reproducible, scientifically clear, or ready to submit to a journal. This skill adds a workflow on top of that: it suggests a suitable figure type based on your data and audience, produces runnable code that separates heavy data processing from the plotting itself, handles common needs like multi panel layouts, journal specific sizing, colorblind friendly colors, legends, maps, and specialized scientific chart types, and checks the finished output against your original request. To install it, you ask Codex to fetch the skill directly from its GitHub repository, or you download it yourself and place it in Codex's skills folder. You will also need Python 3.10 or newer with UltraPlot, Matplotlib, and NumPy available, plus a few extra libraries depending on the file types you are working with, such as Pillow for images or openpyxl for Excel files. The authors are explicit that any figure this skill produces still needs a human author to review it before it goes anywhere near a publication. It can check formatting and file settings, but it cannot judge whether the underlying data, methods, or conclusions are correct.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Use $ultraplot-figures on my dataset to suggest 1-3 suitable figure types and explain what each would show.
Prompt 2
Ask Codex to install the ultraplot-figures skill from https://github.com/lwq-star/ultraplot-figures and confirm it loaded.
Prompt 3
Have $ultraplot-figures revise my existing plotting script to add a multi-panel layout with journal sizing.
Prompt 4
Ask $ultraplot-figures to check an exported PDF figure's resolution, fonts, and file settings before submission.

Frequently asked questions

What is ultraplot-figures?

A Codex AI skill that writes, revises, and checks Python scripts for reproducible scientific figures using UltraPlot.

What language is ultraplot-figures written in?

Mainly Python. The stack also includes Python, UltraPlot, Matplotlib.

How hard is ultraplot-figures to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated moderate, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.

Who is ultraplot-figures for?

Mainly researcher.

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