bio-data-visualization-multipanel-figures
Compose multi-panel publication figures with patchwork, cowplot, gridExtra (R), or matplotlib GridSpec/subfigures (Python) including shared axes/legends/guides collection, panel labels in Nature/Cell convention, and journal-spec sizing. Covers patchwork ≥1.2.0 axes='collect' feature, Type-42 font embedding, and the cairo_pdf save path. Use when composing 2+ subpanels into a single figure for journal submission.
npx skills add BioTender-max/awesome-bio-agent-skills --skill multipanel-figures --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
## Version Compatibility Reference examples tested with: patchwork 1.2+ (axes='collect' requires this version, released 2024-01-05), cowplot 1.1+, ggplot2 3.5+, matplotlib 3.8+ (subfigures stable since 3.4). Before using code patterns, verify installed versions match. If versions differ: - R: `packageVersion('<pkg>')` then `?function_name` - Python: `pip show <package>` then `help(module.function)` If code throws ImportError, AttributeError, or TypeError, introspect the installed package and adapt the example to match the actual API rather than retrying. # Multi-Panel Figures **"Combine plots into a multi-panel figure"** -> Arrange individual plots into a single composed figure with consistent sizing, shared legends/axes, and panel labels (a, b, c) in the Nature/Cell convention. The decision space: which composition library (patchwork most modern in R; matplotlib subfigures in Python), how to share legends and axes, and how to size at journal specifications. - R: `patchwork` (modern; supports axes/guides collection since 1.2), `cowplot` (older; align_plots), `gridExtra` (basic grid arrange) - Python: `matplotlib.gridspec.GridSpec`, `fig.subfigures()` (matplotlib 3.4+) ## The Single
- Version Compatibility
- patchwork -- Modern R Composition
- patchwork Operators
- cowplot -- Alternative with Alignment Focus
- matplotlib GridSpec (Python)
- matplotlib Subfigures
- Journal Sizing
- Panel Labels — Nature/Cell Convention
- Per-Method Failure Modes
- patchwork axes='collect' silently ignored
- Default ggsave produces non-portable PDF
- Figure dimensions in inches when mm intended
- Panel labels not aligned to panel content
- cowplot align='v' fails on plots of different widths
What does the bio-data-visualization-multipanel-figures skill do?
Compose multi-panel publication figures with patchwork, cowplot, gridExtra (R), or matplotlib GridSpec/subfigures (Python) including shared axes/legends/guides collection, panel labels in Nature/Cell convention, and journal-spec sizing. Covers patchwork ≥1.2.0 axes='collect' feature, Type-42 font embedding, and the cairo_pdf save path. Use when composing 2+ subpanels into a single figure for journal submission.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add BioTender-max/awesome-bio-agent-skills --skill multipanel-figures --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From BioTender-max/awesome-bio-agent-skills, a repository with 135 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.