Orca Note Whiteboard (Excalidraw)

This skill provides the syntax, structural rules, and design principles for creating semantically rich and visually appealing whiteboards in Orca Note using the Excalidraw JSON format.

Excalidraw JSON Schema

Whiteboards are defined within whiteboard code blocks.

Core Structure

{
  "elements": [],
  "files": {}
}

Common Element Types

Type	Description	Key Fields
`rectangle`	Standard rectangle	`x, y, width, height, strokeColor, backgroundColor, roundness, boundElements`
`ellipse`	Circle or oval	`x, y, width, height, strokeColor, backgroundColor, boundElements`
`arrow`	Line or connector	`points` (relative to `x,y`), `startArrowhead`, `endArrowhead`, `startBinding`, `endBinding`, `elbowed` (true for elbow arrows)
`line`	Simple line	`points`
`text`	Text label	`text`, `fontSize`, `fontFamily` (5: Hand-drawn, 6: Sans, 8: Monospace), `containerId` (ID of the shape this text belongs to), `x, y, width, height, strokeColor, backgroundColor`, `textAlign`, `verticalAlign`
`embeddable`	Embedded Orca Note block	`customData: { "blockId": "ID" }`, `x, y, width, height, strokeColor, backgroundColor, roundness`

Labeling Shapes with Text

To place text inside a shape (like a rectangle or ellipse):

Create the Shape: Give it a unique id.
Create a Text Element:
- Set its containerId to the shape's id.
- Set x and y to the container's x and y.
- Set width and height to fit within the shape's dimensions.
- Set textAlign and verticalAlign to center the text.
Link back: Add the text element's ID to the shape's boundElements array: { "type": "text", "id": "text_id" }.

Arrow Types

Straight Arrow: Standard line. No elbowed field.
Elbow Arrow: Set elbowed: true. This creates a right-angled connector.

Arrowheads (`startArrowhead` / `endArrowhead`)

null: No arrowhead.
"arrow", "bar", "dot", "triangle".

Arrow Connection / Connecting Two Elements

To link two shapes (e.g., A and B) via an arrow:

On the Arrow: Define startBinding: { "elementId": "A", "fixedPoint": [1, 0.5] } and endBinding: { "elementId": "B", "fixedPoint": [0, 0.5] }.
On the Shapes: Add { "id": "arrow_id", "type": "arrow" } to the boundElements array of both Shape A and Shape B.

fixedPoint is a tuple of [x, y] where x and y are between 0 and 1, representing the relative position on the shape's boundary (0,0 is top-left, 1,1 is bottom-right). For example:

fixedPoint: [1, 0.5] means the arrow starts at the middle of the right edge of Shape A.
fixedPoint: [0, 0.5] means the arrow ends at the middle of the left edge of Shape B.

Example Connection with Text labels:

{
  "elements": [
    {
      "id": "shape-a",
      "type": "rectangle",
      "x": 100, "y": 100, "width": 100, "height": 50,
      "boundElements": [
        { "id": "text-a", "type": "text" },
        { "id": "link-1", "type": "arrow" }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "text-a",
      "type": "text",
      "x": 100, "y": 100, "width": 50, "height": 20,
      "fontFamily": 6,
      "fontSize": 16,
      "text": "Start",
      "textAlign": "center",
      "verticalAlign": "middle",
      "containerId": "shape-a"
    },
    {
      "id": "shape-b",
      "type": "ellipse",
      "x": 400, "y": 100, "width": 100, "height": 50,
      "boundElements": [
        { "id": "text-b", "type": "text" },
        { "id": "link-1", "type": "arrow" }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "text-b",
      "type": "text",
      "x": 400, "y": 100, "width": 50, "height": 20,
      "fontFamily": 6,
      "fontSize": 16,
      "text": "End",
      "textAlign": "center",
      "verticalAlign": "middle",
      "containerId": "shape-b"
    },
    {
      "id": "link-1",
      "type": "arrow",
      "x": 200, "y": 125,
      "points": [[0, 0], [200, 0]],
      "startBinding": { "elementId": "shape-a", "fixedPoint": [1, 0.5] },
      "endBinding": { "elementId": "shape-b", "fixedPoint": [0, 0.5] },
      "endArrowhead": "triangle",
      "elbowed": true
    }
  ]
}

Embedding Orca Note Blocks

To reference and display an existing Orca Note block inside a whiteboard, use the embeddable type. Note that embedded blocks have no associated text element for labeling.

Implementation

type: embeddable
customData: Must contain blockId mapping to the target block's ID (number).
validated: Must be true.
link: String of value "go to".

Example

{
  "id": "block-1",
  "type": "embeddable",
  "x": 100,
  "y": 100,
  "width": 300,
  "height": 200,
  "customData": {
    "blockId": 88234
  },
  "validated": true,
  "link": "go to"
}

Layout Guidance

Good layout uses Proximity to imply relationship and White Space to denote separation.

1. Mind Map

Structure: A central "Root" node with radial or hierarchical branching.
Visual Grouping:
- Keep sub-topics within 50-100 pixels of their parent.
- Leave at least 200 pixels between major branches to avoid overlap.
- Hierarchy: Use larger font sizes (e.g., fontSize: 28) for the root and smaller (e.g., fontSize: 16) for leaf nodes.
Example Pattern:
- Center: Rectangle (backgroundColor: "#1d3557", text: "Goal", strokeColor: "#ffffff").
- Branches: Curved arrows linking to smaller rectangles with thinner strokes.

2. Relationship Map (Clue Wall)

Structure: A non-linear web of interconnected entities (blocks, notes, images).
Visual Grouping:
- Cluster Mapping: Place semantically similar elements (e.g., all "Evidence" blocks) in a tight spatial cluster.
- Guttering: Ensure unrelated clusters are separated by a "dead zone" of at least 300 pixels.
- Connector Contrast: Use strokeStyle: "solid" for direct evidence and "dashed" for speculative links.
Visual Hierarchy: Highlight key "anchor" blocks by giving them a strokeWidth: 4 or a distinct backgroundColor.

Styling & Color Themes

Color and style should be used semantically to reduce cognitive load.

1. Font Sizes

Choose ONLY from the following 4 font sizes:

fontSize: 16 (Small)
fontSize: 20 (Medium)
fontSize: 28 (Large)
fontSize: 36 (Extra Large)

1. Style Variations

Professional:
- roughness: 0, fontFamily: 6, roundness: null (sharp corners) or type: 2.
- Best for: Technical diagrams, architecture, formal reports.
Hand-drawn:
- roughness: 1.5, fontFamily: 5, roundness: { type: 3 }.
- Best for: Brainstorming, user journey maps, creative storytelling.

2. Semantic Color Palettes

Assign colors based on the role of the element:

Role	Professional Palette	Hand-drawn Palette
Core Concept	Deep Blue (#003049)	Vibrant Red (#e63946)
Support Info	Light Gray (#e0e0e0)	Pale Blue (#a8dadc)
Positive/Success	Forest Green (#2a9d8f)	Mint Green (#f1faee)
Warning/Risk	Amber (#ffb703)	Orange (#f4a261)
Action Items	Indigo (#4cc9f0)	Purple (#7209b7)

Post-Generation Validation

After generating the whiteboard code block, you MUST perform a self-validation check to ensure the JSON is syntactically correct and semantically valid.

Validation Checklist

JSON Integrity: Ensure the output is a valid JSON object wrapped in a whiteboard code block.
Unique IDs: Verify that every element in the elements array has a unique id.
Text Containers: For every text element with a containerId, verify that:
- The containerId matches the id of an existing shape.
- The shape's boundElements array includes the text element's ID.
Arrow Bindings: For every arrow element with startBinding or endBinding:
- The elementId in the binding exists in the elements array.
- The fixedPoint is an array of two numbers between 0 and 1 (e.g., [0.5, 0.5]).
- The target shape's boundElements includes the arrow element's ID.
Embeddable Blocks: Verify that every embeddable element has:
- customData.blockId (a number).
- validated: true.
- link: "go to".
Styles: Ensure only the allowed fontSize (16, 20, 28, 36) and fontFamily (5, 6, 8) are used.

If any check fails, correct the JSON before providing the final response.

Examples

1. Mind Map (Hand-drawn Hierarchical)

{
  "elements": [
    {
      "id": "m1", "type": "rectangle", "x": 500, "y": 300, "width": 150, "height": 60,
      "backgroundColor": "#e63946", "roughness": 1.5, "roundness": { "type": 3 },
      "boundElements": [{ "id": "t1", "type": "text" }, { "id": "a1", "type": "arrow" }]
    },
    { "id": "t1", "type": "text", "x": 500, "y": 300, "width": 150, "height": 60, "text": "Project Goal", "fontFamily": 5, "fontSize": 20, "textAlign": "center", "verticalAlign": "middle", "containerId": "m1", "strokeColor": "#ffffff" },
    {
      "id": "c1", "type": "rectangle", "x": 750, "y": 200, "width": 120, "height": 50,
      "backgroundColor": "#a8dadc", "roughness": 1.5, "roundness": { "type": 3 },
      "boundElements": [{ "id": "t2", "type": "text" }, { "id": "a1", "type": "arrow" }]
    },
    { "id": "t2", "type": "text", "x": 750, "y": 200, "width": 120, "height": 50, "text": "Task A", "fontFamily": 5, "fontSize": 16, "textAlign": "center", "verticalAlign": "middle", "containerId": "c1" },
    {
      "id": "a1", "type": "arrow", "x": 650, "y": 330, "points": [[0, 0], [100, -105]],
      "startBinding": { "elementId": "m1", "fixedPoint": [1, 0.5] },
      "endBinding": { "elementId": "c1", "fixedPoint": [0, 0.5] },
      "elbowed": true, "roughness": 1.5
    }
  ]
}

2. Relationship Map (Professional Clue Wall with Embeds)

{
  "elements": [
    { "id": "clue-1", "type": "embeddable", "x": 100, "y": 100, "width": 250, "height": 180, "customData": { "blockId": 5501 }, "strokeColor": "#003049", "strokeWidth": 2, "validated": true, "link": "go to" },
    { "id": "clue-2", "type": "embeddable", "x": 100, "y": 350, "width": 250, "height": 180, "customData": { "blockId": 5502 }, "strokeColor": "#003049", "validated": true, "link": "go to" },
    { "id": "label-cat1", "type": "text", "x": 100, "y": 50, "text": "CATEGORY: SOURCES", "fontFamily": 6, "fontSize": 20, "strokeColor": "#003049" },

    { "id": "clue-3", "type": "embeddable", "x": 600, "y": 100, "width": 250, "height": 180, "customData": { "blockId": 7701 }, "strokeColor": "#2a9d8f", "validated": true, "link": "go to" },
    { "id": "label-cat2", "type": "text", "x": 600, "y": 50, "text": "CATEGORY: FINDINGS", "fontFamily": 6, "fontSize": 20, "strokeColor": "#2a9d8f" },

    { "id": "link-1", "type": "arrow", "x": 350, "y": 190, "points": [[0,0], [250, 0]], "strokeStyle": "dashed", "strokeColor": "#ffb703" }
  ]
}

orcanote-whiteboard