/static-forge — scaffold a new render-engine creative template + skill

Codifies the procedure used to add comparison_table / /spreadsheet-statics to the ExampleBrand render-engine (2026-06-02). Every template in that engine (strikethrough, listicle, annotated_callout, pov_overlay, caption_overlay, comparison_table) was built on the identical scaffold; this mechanizes the boilerplate so the only work left is the artwork inside compose(). It also prevents the recurring footgun where a new skill is created but never symlinked into .claude/skills/, so /<skill> silently doesn't resolve.

Engine: scripts/static_forge.py (stdlib only). Default is dry-run; `--apply` mutates.

Two kinds

• `--kind static` (default) — a new typography/data template (like comparison_table).

Creates engine/templates/<name>.py with a working stub compose(), registers it, writes an example spec, scaffolds the skill, symlinks it, and runs a smoke-render that passes immediately. You then replace the stub artwork.

• `--kind slideshow` — a carousel/slideshow copy-format variant. Reuses the existing

caption_overlay template (NO engine edit) — scaffolds only the skill + slideshow example spec + symlink. Use when the new format is a copy formula, not new draw code.

Usage

# preview (writes nothing)
python3 ~/Desktop/GLOBAL/AllSkills/static-forge/scripts/static_forge.py \
  --name comparison_table --skill spreadsheet-statics --title "Spreadsheet Statics" --date 2026-06-02

# build it for real, and run the smoke-render
python3 ~/Desktop/GLOBAL/AllSkills/static-forge/scripts/static_forge.py \
  --name comparison_table --skill spreadsheet-statics --title "Spreadsheet Statics" \
  --date 2026-06-02 --apply --render

Args: --name (snake_case engine template module, required) · --skill (kebab slug, default = name with _→-) · --kind static|slideshow · --title · --desc (skill frontmatter description) · --engine (default ~/Desktop/ECOMMERCE/ExampleBrand/Creative/Skills/render-engine) · --date YYYY-MM-DD (stamped into scaffolded files — pass it, the script can't read the clock) · --apply · --render (run the smoke-render after apply, static only).

What apply writes (static kind)

1. engine/templates/<name>.py — stub compose() (bg + logo + subhead + headline + proof) that renders cleanly out of the box, with TODO markers for the real layout.
2. engine/registry.py — adds the import + TEMPLATES entry (idempotent; skips if already present).
3. specs/<skill>-example.json — stub content matching the stub schema.
4. Creative/Skills/<skill>/SKILL.md (+ reference/ + examples/) — sibling-shaped skill doc with the render command pre-filled and TODOs for the format-specific bits.
5. <project>/.claude/skills/<skill> → ../../Creative/Skills/<skill> — the registration symlink.
6. Prints (or --render runs) the smoke-render across square_only.

Guards

• Dry-run default. Nothing is written without --apply.
• No clobbering. Refuses to overwrite an existing template, spec, SKILL.md, or symlink path — reports and moves on.
• Idempotent registry patch. Re-running won't double-register a template.
• Engine pre-flight. Bails if engine/registry.py isn't found at --engine.

After it runs

The scaffold is the start, not the finish. Tell the user to:

1. Replace the stub compose() in engine/templates/<name>.py with the real artwork (study the reference creative; reuse render.py primitives + the two-pass auto-fit from comparison_table.py).
2. Fill the TODOs in the new SKILL.md (description, content schema, format notes).
3. Drop reference creatives into reference/ and verified renders into examples/.
4. Reload the Claude Code session so /<skill> resolves.

This skill builds the scaffold and smoke-tests it; it does NOT design the creative or run a real batch (that's the follow-up task).