nsk@Block

The \nskBlock command is the foundational element in Neural Sketch, providing a highly customizable primitive shape used extensively for constructing diagrams.

\nskBlock[<key=value,...>]

Overview

The \nskBlock command generates fundamental geometric primitives, such as rectangles, circles, diamonds, trapezoids, and more, leveraging the TikZ shapes.geometric library. It is designed for simplicity while offering extensive customization via a concise key-value interface.

By default, a block appears as a rectangle filled with a neutral color (nskLightGray), bordered by a slightly darker outline (nskDarkGray), and optionally labeled using integrated text anchors.

Basic Usage

Here’s a minimal example demonstrating the simplest usage:

\nskBlock[]

Customized Example

For advanced use cases, you can specify options to adjust styling, positioning, and labeling:

\nskBlock[
  id=myBlock,
  fill=nskBlue!50,
  border-color=nskDarkGray,
  text-north={Block A},
  last-pos={right=2cm}
]

Available Keys

Identity

• id (string): Assigns a unique identifier to the block, useful for referencing positions later.

\nskBlock[id=blockA]

Shape and Dimensions

• shape (string, default=rectangle): Sets the geometric shape of the block (rectangle, circle, diamond, trapezium, etc.).

\nskBlock[shape=circle]

• width, height (dimension, default=1cm): Specifies the minimum width and height of the block.

\nskBlock[width=2cm, height=1.5cm]

• border-radius (dimension, default=2.5mm): Sets the corner radius for rectangular shapes.

\nskBlock[border-radius=4mm]

Colors and Styling

• fill (color, default=nskLightGray): Defines the fill color.

\nskBlock[fill=nskOrange!40]

• border-color (color, default=nskDarkGray): Sets the border color.

\nskBlock[border-color=nskRed]

• border-size (dimension, default=0.4mm): Adjusts the thickness of the block border.

\nskBlock[border-size=0.6mm]

Positioning

• last-pos (coordinate, default={}): Positions the current block relative to the previous block.

\nskBlock[last-pos={below=1cm}]

• last-pos-s (coordinate, default={}): Similar to last-pos but allows silent overrides without warnings.

\nskBlock[last-pos-s={right=0.5cm}]

Text Anchors

These keys define text labels attached to specific block anchor points:

• text-north, text-south, text-east, text-west, text-center (string, default={}): Adds text anchored to the specified side or center.

\nskBlock[text-north={Layer 1}]

Technical Details

Internally, \nskBlock:

• Sets user-defined keys and processes any position overrides (last-pos, last-pos-s).
• Auto-generates a unique ID if none is provided.
• Maintains a history of block positions and IDs for subsequent referencing.
• Provides debugging information when needed.

Example: Position Chaining

\nskBlock allows intuitive chaining of positions:

\nskBlock[id=A, text-center={A}]
\nskBlock[last-pos={right=of A}, text-center={B}]
\nskBlock[last-pos={below=of B}, text-center={C}]

Advanced Tips

• Leverage Neural Sketch’s curated palette and color mixing syntax for visual clarity:

\nskBlock[fill=nskBlue!30!nskGreen]

• Combine custom shapes with annotations for detailed diagrams:

\nskBlock[
  shape=diamond,
  fill=nskMagenta!20,
  text-center={Decision},
  last-pos={below=2cm}
]

See Also

• Basic Styles for default styling details.
• Palette for detailed color information.
• Notation & Conventions for standardized usage guidelines.

Reference