teachingai/pencil-mcp-get-variables

Tools

This skill is designed to call the Pencil MCP tool:

• get_variables

If your client namespaces MCP tools, it may appear as mcp__pencil__get_variables.

When to use this skill

Intent Recognition (CRITICAL)

Even if a trigger phrase matches, you must verify the user's intent:

1. Is the user explicitly asking to use "Pencil"?
2. Is the current conversation context clearly about "Pencil" design tasks?

If the answer is NO, do NOT use this skill. (e.g., "Get variables" might refer to environment variables or code variables).

CRITICAL PREREQUISITE: You must ONLY use this skill when the user EXPLICITLY mentions "Pencil".

ALWAYS use this skill when:

• You need to know the available Design Tokens (Colors, Typography, Spacing) in Pencil.
• You want to use semantic names (e.g., primary-color) instead of hardcoded hex codes.
• You are checking the current theme.

Trigger phrases include:

• "Get Pencil variables" (获取 Pencil 变量)
• "Read Pencil design tokens" (读取 Pencil 设计令牌)
• "Check Pencil colors" (检查 Pencil 颜色)
• "List Pencil theme values" (列出 Pencil 主题值)

Input Parameters

• filePath (string, optional): Path to the .pen file.

How to use this skill

1. Call Tool: get_variables().
2. Analyze Output: The result is a list/map of variable definitions.
3. Apply: Use the variable IDs or names in batch_design operations (e.g., fill: { type: "var", id: "var_123" }).

Examples

1. Simple: Get All Variables

Retrieve all variables defined in the current document.

{}

2. Medium: Get from Specific File

Read variables from a different design file (e.g., a shared library).

{
  "filePath": "/Users/design/system/tokens.pen"
}

3. Complex: Theme Audit (Conceptual)

Same as simple, but used when auditing themes.

{}

Keywords

English keywords: get variables, read tokens, design system, theme values, color palette, typography tokens

Chinese keywords (中文关键词): 获取变量, 读取令牌, 设计系统, 主题值, 调色板, 字体令牌