What is Neural Sketch

Philosophy

The neural-sketch package is built upon two fundamental principles:

1. An opinionated default configuration that ensures crisp, publication-ready diagrams with minimal effort.
2. A highly customizable key–value system that allows users to fine-tune every aspect of their diagrams when needed.

This dual approach enables a seamless transition from rapid, out-of-the-box usage to precise, tailored diagram design, empowering researchers and authors to focus on communicating ideas rather than wrestling with verbose $\TeX$ or TikZ boilerplate.

Designed for AI & Beyond

While neural-sketch particularly excels in AI and machine-learning contexts—where neural network architectures, algorithmic flowcharts, and structured diagrams are essential—it is equally useful for a broad range of schematic and technical illustrations.

The package is built with modern $\LaTeX3$ paradigms and leverages the expl3 programming layer, making it robust, internally coherent, and extensible. This means you can either rely on its curated design for professional-quality figures or adapt its internals for specialized use cases.

Focus on Efficiency & Consistency

Unlike traditional TikZ workflows, which often require repetitive styling adjustments across figures and projects, neural-sketch enforces a consistent visual language by offering:

• Predefined, well-balanced color palettes
• Stylized shape defaults for diagrams that are immediately conference-ready
• Automatic handling of bridging arcs and overlapping paths for improved clarity
• Smart utilities that accelerate complex diagramming tasks
• Autocompletion and snippets (coming soon)—boost efficiency further with built-in code completion and code snippets

Customization is non-intrusive yet powerful—whether you're tweaking a color scheme, redefining block styles, or implementing entirely new elements.

Focused on Authoring Experience

Beyond its technical capabilities, Neural Sketch is designed with the authoring experience in mind. It eliminates friction in diagram creation, providing an intuitive workflow that helps you iterate faster (for subsequent paper's resubmissions) without ever leaving your diagrams behind. It helps decoupling the journal or conference design requirements from your illustration ideas.

By seamlessly blending automation, predefined aesthetics, and deep customizability, it ensures that every diagram remains coherent, expressive, and publication-ready—whether you're sketching a quick concept or refining a figure for a top-tier conference paper.