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Basic Memory Images

Free

Generate visual content for PRs and changelogs.

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Free · Opens the source repo

What Basic Memory Images does

Basic Memory Images is a skill designed to facilitate the generation of visual content for pull requests (PRs) and changelogs in software development projects. This tool is particularly useful for teams using GitHub, as it automates the creation of images that visually represent the intent and changes made in a PR. By utilizing the content from the PR body, the skill creates a variety of editorial visuals, such as posters, photographs, or tableaux, which serve to enhance the documentation and communication of changes within a project.

The skill operates in two primary modes: PR Mode and Changelog Mode. In PR Mode, it extracts the PR body using GitHub's API and generates a corresponding infographic that visually summarizes the changes. Users can specify an optional visual theme, and if none is provided, the skill intelligently selects a style based on the PR number and content. This ensures that repeated images maintain a unique visual identity, avoiding redundancy in documentation.

In Changelog Mode, the skill assists in compiling an evidence pack that informs the visual representation of changes. It requires users to gather relevant information, such as merged PR diffs and key file changes, before drafting a prompt for the image generation. This structured approach ensures that the resulting visuals are not only aesthetically pleasing but also accurately reflect the impact of the changes made.

Overall, Basic Memory Images is tailored for developers and designers looking to enhance their project documentation through compelling visuals. By automating the creation of these images, it saves time and ensures consistency across project communications, making it a valuable addition to any development workflow.

When to use it

Use this skill when you need to generate visual representations of changes in PRs or to summarize updates in changelogs.

When not to use it

This skill is not suitable for projects that do not utilize GitHub or for teams that prefer not to include visuals in their documentation.

What you can build with it

Generating PR Infographics

Automatically create visually appealing infographics for your pull requests, enhancing clarity and communication.

Summarizing Changelog Updates

Compile and visualize changes made in your project over a specified period, making it easier to track progress.

Customizing Visual Themes

Select from a variety of visual themes to ensure your generated images align with your project's branding.

How to install Basic Memory Images

View source

1. Install with the skills CLI

npx skills add basicmachines-co/basic-memory/infographics --agent claude-code

2. Or install it manually

Download the skill folder and drop it into ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or .claude/skills/ to scope it to one repo. Restart Claude Code so it picks up the new skill.

Anthropic's agentic coding CLI, and the reference implementation of Agent Skills. Drop a skill folder into ~/.claude/skills and Claude Code loads it automatically whenever a task matches the skill's description. Claude Code docs

Inside SKILL.md

Written by basicmachines-co

Basic Memory Images

Generate repository visuals with evidence-grounded content and canonical output paths. The file and marker names still say "infographic" for compatibility, but PR generation is image-first: scene, poster, painting, photograph, cover, tableau, staged artifact, or another editorial visual moment that describes the intent of the PR. PR images are non-gating BM Bossbot artifacts; changelog and release-summary images are manual evidence-pack workflows.

Output Contract

  • Base output directory: docs/assets/infographics/
  • PR image: docs/assets/infographics/pr-<number>.webp
  • Changelog image: docs/assets/infographics/changelog.webp
  • Weekly image:
    • This is always a 2-Week Retro window: previous ISO week through current ISO week (start-week = current-week - 1, end-week = current-week).
    • Same year window: docs/assets/infographics/<year>-w<start-week>-w<end-week>.webp
    • Cross-year window: docs/assets/infographics/<start-year>-w<start-week>-<end-year>-w<end-week>.webp

PR Mode

PR mode uses the BM Bossbot summary block as source material. Do not hand-write claims that are not present in the PR body.

  1. Fetch the PR body:
gh pr view <number> --json body --jq '.body // ""' > /tmp/bm-pr-body.md
  1. Generate the canonical asset:
uv run --script scripts/generate_pr_infographic.py \
  --pr-number <number> \
  --pr-body-file /tmp/bm-pr-body.md \
  --theme "<optional visual theme>" \
  --provenance-output /tmp/bm-infographic-provenance.md \
  --output docs/assets/infographics/pr-<number>.webp

If the PR body contains a managed image theme block, the script reads it automatically:

<!-- BM_INFOGRAPHIC_THEME:start -->
<theme>
<!-- BM_INFOGRAPHIC_THEME:end -->

Before spending an image call, test the prompt path locally:

uv run --script scripts/generate_pr_infographic.py \
  --pr-number <number> \
  --pr-body-file /tmp/bm-pr-body.md \
  --theme "<optional visual theme>" \
  --output docs/assets/infographics/pr-<number>.webp \
  --print-prompt

--dry-run is an alias for --print-prompt; both print the final prompt and exit without calling OpenAI.

When no theme is supplied, the script selects a deterministic BM visual direction from the style pool below based on the PR number and Bossbot summary. This keeps repeated PR images from collapsing into the same generic visual.

When the image is generated, also write provenance with --provenance-output <path>. BM Bossbot publishes that managed block into the PR body with these markers:

<!-- BM_INFOGRAPHIC_PROVENANCE:start -->
...
<!-- BM_INFOGRAPHIC_PROVENANCE:end -->

The provenance block records the generated asset path, image model, size, quality, image mode, theme source, and selected visual direction. It intentionally does not dump the full generated prompt into the PR body. Treat this block as debugging and creative provenance only; it is not a merge gate.

The PR image is visual support only. The authoritative merge gate is the GitHub commit status named BM Bossbot Approval.

Changelog Mode

Build an evidence pack before writing a prompt:

  • diff truth source: merged PR diffs, merge commits, or local reconstructed diffs
  • changed-file orientation: git diff --stat plus key file reads
  • impact ledger: before/after outcomes tied to actual changes
  • discard list: misleading titles, reverted work, rename-only churn, speculative TODOs
  • chosen image form: poster, scene, tableau, cover, painting, photograph, staged artifact, or another editorial visual moment
  • chosen BM style category: exactly one category from the selection pool below

Read these references before drafting the prompt:

  • references/prompt-blueprint.md
  • references/style-balance.md

Read the current CHANGELOG.md entries and include the latest meaningful changes.

Style And Category Selection

Select exactly one BM style category per image based on semantic fit. The visual language should be recognizable and tasteful, while staying business-readable.

Create an image-first visual form that communicates the change: poster, scene, tableau, cover image, painting, photograph, staged artifact, or another editorial visual moment. Maps, diagrams, dossiers, charts, and labels can appear as props inside the scene, but do not make a text-heavy infographic.

BM category pool:

  • computer science college textbooks: SICP-style diagrams, algorithms lectures, compiler pipelines, automata, database systems, type theory, operating systems
  • classic literature subjects: sea voyages, gothic manors, Dickensian city maps, Austen social graphs, library marginalia, travel journals
  • fantasy/D&D-inspired: quest maps, dungeon keys, guild ledgers, spellbooks, bestiaries, tavern notice boards; no copyrighted settings
  • Music: Metal, Hard Rock, Punk, techno, soul, reggae bands; no pop music, no direct band logos, album covers, or musician likenesses
  • sci-fi: Star Wars inspired knockoff, Spaceballs-adjacent space opera, fleet routes, mission consoles, contraband manifests; avoid copyrighted characters, logos, or named fictional universes
  • Conan the barbarian-inspired sword-and-sorcery: ruined temples, desert routes, battle standards, ancient maps; no named character likenesses
  • Comic books: issue covers, splash pages, action-panel maps, caption boxes, halftone energy, clean sound-effect typography
  • French new wave movies: poster style, stark typography, city route maps, jump-cut sequencing, high-contrast editorial photography cues
  • WWII propaganda posters: home-front public-information poster language, logistics arrows, ration charts, mobilization maps, bold simplified figures; no real-world party symbols, hate imagery, dehumanizing slogans, or false historical claims
  • Italian movie posters: hand-painted drama, bold credits, expressive color, route-map collage, 1960s or 1970s cinema energy; no direct film titles or actor likenesses
  • Shakespeare: stage maps, acts and scenes, dramatis personae, royal courts, backstage cue sheets
  • Greek mythology: temple diagrams, constellation routes, hero's journey maps, oracle tablets, labyrinths, ship routes
  • noir detective boards: case files, red-string maps, typed evidence labels, precinct wall charts
  • NASA mission-control dashboards: launch timelines, telemetry maps, orbital routes, status boards
  • space exploration and astronomy: celestial atlases, observatory charts, star-field maps, orbital mechanics diagrams, planetary survey routes, telescope annotations, mission trajectories, deep-space timelines
  • paintings: abstract painting, classical landscape, Remington-inspired western action painting, Rembrandt-inspired chiaroscuro, historical mural, stormy seascape, allegorical editorial painting
  • classic black-and-white photography: documentary field report, newsroom archive print, editorial photo essay, street photography, high-contrast darkroom print, contact sheet, civic infrastructure photograph
  • 80's action movies: practical explosions, smoky backlit warehouses, neon city streets, helicopter searchlights, mission dossiers, heroic silhouettes, high-stakes countdowns, painted ensemble posters; no direct actor likenesses, real film titles, franchise marks, or catchphrases
  • alchemy manuscripts: transformation diagrams, annotated symbols, recipe-like process maps, illuminated margins
  • brutalist civic planning: transit maps, concrete signage, zoning blocks, infrastructure diagrams

Selection rules:

  • Pick one category only; do not create mixed mashups.
  • Pick the most appropriate image form. Prefer an actual scene, poster, painting, photograph, tableau, or cover over a text-heavy infographic.
  • Match metaphor to content, but do not overthink it. The category is a creative catalyst, not a semantic constraint.
  • Use a polished editorial rendering direction: smooth anti-aliased text, high contrast, clean edges, readable labels.
  • Make the category drive the composition through a readable staged moment, editorial composition, symbolic environment, route, artifact, or visual metaphor.
  • Keep the structure literal enough to aid understanding, but not so heavy that it obscures engineering meaning.
  • Give the image generator creative latitude on layout, structure, color palette, and visual metaphors. Be precise about what content to show, loose about how to show it.
  • Do not use copyrighted characters, logos, or named fictional universes. Use genre cues, knockoffs, and original compositions instead.

Content-First Aesthetic Contract

The meaning must be readable and clearly hierarchical. Everything else is creative territory: image form, layout, visual metaphors, decorative elements, color choices, and category-specific visual language.

Hierarchy:

  1. Meaning: what shipped, what changed, and why it matters must be clear.
  2. If the image uses text, labels, sections, or evidence bullets, they must be legible.
  3. The selected category's visual DNA should drive the composition as a poster, scene, painting, photograph, tableau, cover, or symbolic object arrangement.
  4. Do not play it safe. A visually striking image that someone wants to look at beats a correct but boring one.

Hard rules:

  • Content sections and labels must be readable when present. Text cannot be obscured by decorations.
  • Do not use lore-heavy copy that competes with engineering or business meaning.
  • Every prompt must include a clear image-first composition cue: a staged scene, poster composition, painting, photograph, symbolic tableau, hero object, mission room, dossier, artifact, route, or visual metaphor.
  • Do not over-prescribe exact coordinates or panel geometry; give a composition backbone and let the model compose around it.

Generation

  1. Write the final prompt to a temporary markdown file.
  2. Generate with the shared image helper:
uv run --script scripts/generate_infographic.py \
  --prompt-file /tmp/bm-infographic-prompt.md \
  --output docs/assets/infographics/<name>.webp
  1. Verify the image exists and is readable before reporting success.

Quality Bar

  • Tell a concrete before/after value story, not vague improvement claims.
  • Stay understandable for both engineers and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Use plain-language section titles and labels when text is present.
  • Include clear visual hierarchy: title, staged focal point, symbolic scene, evidence props, or hero object.
  • Avoid invented facts; only use provided source material.
  • Favor shipped outcomes over intermediate or reverted work.
  • Preserve readability with high contrast, non-tiny labels, and uncluttered layout.

Frequently asked questions about Basic Memory Images

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