From 7c30ac21412ca2539cca033aa6f705911817d3e8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: teknium1 <teknium1@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 8 Mar 2026 18:09:44 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] fix: overhaul ascii-art skill with working sources (#662)
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Major issues fixed:
- Removed dead APIs: artii.herokuapp.com (404 since Heroku free tier
  ended 2022), patorjk.com TAAG AJAX endpoint (404)
- Removed unusable sources: emojicombos.com (3.3MB JS blob, not
  curl-accessible), asciiart.eu (art loads via JavaScript only)

New working sources added:
- asciified API (asciified.thelicato.io): free text-to-ASCII REST API,
  250+ FIGlet fonts, returns plain text, no auth — perfect remote
  alternative when pyfiglet isn't installed
- ascii.co.uk: classic ASCII art archive, art in <pre> tags,
  extractable with simple curl + Python parsing
- qrenco.de: QR codes as ASCII art via curl
- wttr.in: weather and moon phase as ASCII art via curl

Also fixed: Tool 6 no longer relies on web_extract inside
execute_code (which was the original #662 bug). All web lookups
now use terminal curl which is universally available.
---
 skills/creative/ascii-art/SKILL.md | 176 +++++++++++++++++------------
 1 file changed, 103 insertions(+), 73 deletions(-)

diff --git a/skills/creative/ascii-art/SKILL.md b/skills/creative/ascii-art/SKILL.md
index 594036b9..1afe7ffc 100644
--- a/skills/creative/ascii-art/SKILL.md
+++ b/skills/creative/ascii-art/SKILL.md
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ---
 name: ascii-art
-description: Generate ASCII art using pyfiglet (571 fonts), cowsay, boxes, toilet, image-to-ascii conversion, and search curated art from emojicombos.com and asciiart.eu (11,000+ artworks). Falls back to LLM-generated art.
-version: 3.1.0
+description: Generate ASCII art using pyfiglet (571 fonts), cowsay, boxes, toilet, image-to-ascii, remote APIs (asciified, ascii.co.uk), and LLM fallback. No API keys required.
+version: 4.0.0
 author: 0xbyt4, Hermes Agent
 license: MIT
 dependencies: []
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@ metadata:
 
 # ASCII Art Skill
 
-Multiple tools for different ASCII art needs. All tools are local CLI programs — no API keys required.
+Multiple tools for different ASCII art needs. All tools are local CLI programs or free REST APIs — no API keys required.
 
-## Tool 1: Text Banners (pyfiglet)
+## Tool 1: Text Banners (pyfiglet — local)
 
 Render text as large ASCII art banners. 571 built-in fonts.
 
@@ -53,7 +53,35 @@ python3 -m pyfiglet --list_fonts             # List all 571 fonts
 - Short text (1-8 chars) works best with detailed fonts like `doom` or `block`
 - Long text works better with compact fonts like `small` or `mini`
 
-## Tool 2: Cowsay (Message Art)
+## Tool 2: Text Banners (asciified API — remote, no install)
+
+Free REST API that converts text to ASCII art. 250+ FIGlet fonts. Returns plain text directly — no parsing needed. Use this when pyfiglet is not installed or as a quick alternative.
+
+### Usage (via terminal curl)
+
+```bash
+# Basic text banner (default font)
+curl -s "https://asciified.thelicato.io/api/v2/ascii?text=Hello+World"
+
+# With a specific font
+curl -s "https://asciified.thelicato.io/api/v2/ascii?text=Hello&font=Slant"
+curl -s "https://asciified.thelicato.io/api/v2/ascii?text=Hello&font=Doom"
+curl -s "https://asciified.thelicato.io/api/v2/ascii?text=Hello&font=Star+Wars"
+curl -s "https://asciified.thelicato.io/api/v2/ascii?text=Hello&font=3-D"
+curl -s "https://asciified.thelicato.io/api/v2/ascii?text=Hello&font=Banner3"
+
+# List all available fonts (returns JSON array)
+curl -s "https://asciified.thelicato.io/api/v2/fonts"
+```
+
+### Tips
+
+- URL-encode spaces as `+` in the text parameter
+- The response is plain text ASCII art — no JSON wrapping, ready to display
+- Font names are case-sensitive; use the fonts endpoint to get exact names
+- Works from any terminal with curl — no Python or pip needed
+
+## Tool 3: Cowsay (Message Art)
 
 Classic tool that wraps text in a speech bubble with an ASCII character.
 
@@ -97,7 +125,7 @@ cowsay -e "OO" "Msg"   # Custom eyes
 cowsay -T "U " "Msg"   # Custom tongue
 ```
 
-## Tool 3: Boxes (Decorative Borders)
+## Tool 4: Boxes (Decorative Borders)
 
 Draw decorative ASCII art borders/frames around any text. 70+ built-in designs.
 
@@ -124,13 +152,15 @@ echo "Hello World" | boxes -a c               # Center text
 boxes -l                                       # List all 70+ designs
 ```
 
-### Combine with pyfiglet
+### Combine with pyfiglet or asciified
 
 ```bash
 python3 -m pyfiglet "HERMES" -f slant | boxes -d stone
+# Or without pyfiglet installed:
+curl -s "https://asciified.thelicato.io/api/v2/ascii?text=HERMES&font=Slant" | boxes -d stone
 ```
 
-## Tool 4: TOIlet (Colored Text Art)
+## Tool 5: TOIlet (Colored Text Art)
 
 Like pyfiglet but with ANSI color effects and visual filters. Great for terminal eye candy.
 
@@ -160,14 +190,14 @@ toilet -F list                          # List available filters
 
 **Note**: toilet outputs ANSI escape codes for colors — works in terminals but may not render in all contexts (e.g., plain text files, some chat platforms).
 
-## Tool 5: Image to ASCII Art
+## Tool 6: Image to ASCII Art
 
 Convert images (PNG, JPEG, GIF, WEBP) to ASCII art.
 
 ### Option A: ascii-image-converter (recommended, modern)
 
 ```bash
-# Install via snap or Go
+# Install
 sudo snap install ascii-image-converter
 # OR: go install github.com/TheZoraiz/ascii-image-converter@latest
 ```
@@ -190,63 +220,77 @@ jp2a --width=80 image.jpg
 jp2a --colors image.jpg              # Colorized
 ```
 
-## Tool 6: Search Pre-Made ASCII Art (Web APIs)
+## Tool 7: Search Pre-Made ASCII Art
 
-Search curated ASCII art databases via `web_extract`. No API keys needed.
+Search curated ASCII art from the web. Use `terminal` with `curl`.
 
-### Source A: emojicombos.com (recommended first)
+### Source A: ascii.co.uk (recommended for pre-made art)
 
-Huge collection of ASCII art, dot art, kaomoji, and emoji combos. Modern, meme-aware, user-submitted content. Great for pop culture, animals, objects, aesthetics.
+Large collection of classic ASCII art organized by subject. Art is inside HTML `<pre>` tags. Fetch the page with curl, then extract art with a small Python snippet.
 
-**URL pattern:** `https://emojicombos.com/{term}-ascii-art`
+**URL pattern:** `https://ascii.co.uk/art/{subject}`
 
+**Step 1 — Fetch the page:**
+
+```bash
+curl -s 'https://ascii.co.uk/art/cat' -o /tmp/ascii_art.html
 ```
-web_extract(urls=["https://emojicombos.com/cat-ascii-art"])
-web_extract(urls=["https://emojicombos.com/rocket-ascii-art"])
-web_extract(urls=["https://emojicombos.com/dragon-ascii-art"])
-web_extract(urls=["https://emojicombos.com/skull-ascii-art"])
-web_extract(urls=["https://emojicombos.com/heart-ascii-art"])
+
+**Step 2 — Extract art from pre tags:**
+
+```python
+import re, html
+with open('/tmp/ascii_art.html') as f:
+    text = f.read()
+arts = re.findall(r'<pre[^>]*>(.*?)</pre>', text, re.DOTALL)
+for art in arts:
+    clean = re.sub(r'<[^>]+>', '', art)
+    clean = html.unescape(clean).strip()
+    if len(clean) > 30:
+        print(clean)
+        print('\n---\n')
 ```
 
+**Available subjects** (use as URL path):
+- Animals: `cat`, `dog`, `horse`, `bird`, `fish`, `dragon`, `snake`, `rabbit`, `elephant`, `dolphin`, `butterfly`, `owl`, `wolf`, `bear`, `penguin`, `turtle`
+- Objects: `car`, `ship`, `airplane`, `rocket`, `guitar`, `computer`, `coffee`, `beer`, `cake`, `house`, `castle`, `sword`, `crown`, `key`
+- Nature: `tree`, `flower`, `sun`, `moon`, `star`, `mountain`, `ocean`, `rainbow`
+- Characters: `skull`, `robot`, `angel`, `wizard`, `pirate`, `ninja`, `alien`
+- Holidays: `christmas`, `halloween`, `valentine`
+
 **Tips:**
-- Use hyphenated search terms: `hello-kitty-ascii-art`, `star-wars-ascii-art`
-- Returns a mix of classic ASCII, Braille dot art, and kaomoji — pick the best style for the user
-- Includes modern meme art and pop culture references
-- Great for kaomoji/emoticons too: `https://emojicombos.com/cat-kaomoji`
+- Preserve artist signatures/initials — important etiquette
+- Multiple art pieces per page — pick the best one for the user
+- Works reliably via curl, no JavaScript needed
 
-### Source B: asciiart.eu (classic archive)
+### Source B: GitHub Octocat API (fun easter egg)
 
-11,000+ classic ASCII artworks organized by category. More traditional/vintage art.
-
-**Browse by category** (use as URL paths):
-- `animals/cats`, `animals/dogs`, `animals/birds`, `animals/horses`
-- `animals/dolphins`, `animals/dragons`, `animals/insects`
-- `space/rockets`, `space/stars`, `space/planets`
-- `vehicles/cars`, `vehicles/ships`, `vehicles/airplanes`
-- `food-and-drinks/coffee`, `food-and-drinks/beer`
-- `computers/computers`, `electronics/robots`
-- `art-and-design/hearts`, `art-and-design/skulls`
-- `plants/flowers`, `plants/trees`
-- `mythology/dragons`, `mythology/unicorns`
-
-```
-web_extract(urls=["https://www.asciiart.eu/animals/cats"])
-web_extract(urls=["https://www.asciiart.eu/search?q=rocket"])
-```
-
-**Tips:**
-- Preserve artist initials/signatures (e.g., `jgs`, `hjw`) — this is important etiquette
-- Better for classic/vintage ASCII art style
-
-### Source C: GitHub Octocat API (fun easter egg)
-
-Returns a random GitHub Octocat with a quote. No auth needed.
+Returns a random GitHub Octocat with a wise quote. No auth needed.
 
 ```bash
 curl -s https://api.github.com/octocat
 ```
 
-## Tool 7: LLM-Generated Custom Art (Fallback)
+## Tool 8: Fun ASCII Utilities (via curl)
+
+These free services return ASCII art directly — great for fun extras.
+
+### QR Codes as ASCII Art
+
+```bash
+curl -s "qrenco.de/Hello+World"
+curl -s "qrenco.de/https://example.com"
+```
+
+### Weather as ASCII Art
+
+```bash
+curl -s "wttr.in/London"          # Full weather report with ASCII graphics
+curl -s "wttr.in/Moon"            # Moon phase in ASCII art
+curl -s "v2.wttr.in/London"       # Detailed version
+```
+
+## Tool 9: LLM-Generated Custom Art (Fallback)
 
 When tools above don't have what's needed, generate ASCII art directly using these Unicode characters:
 
@@ -264,28 +308,14 @@ When tools above don't have what's needed, generate ASCII art directly using the
 - Max height: 15 lines for banners, 25 for scenes
 - Monospace only: output must render correctly in fixed-width fonts
 
-## Fun Extras
-
-### Star Wars in ASCII (via telnet)
-
-```bash
-telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl
-```
-
-### Useful Resources
-
-- [asciiart.eu](https://www.asciiart.eu/) — 11,000+ artworks, searchable
-- [patorjk.com/software/taag](http://patorjk.com/software/taag/) — Web-based text-to-ASCII with font preview
-- [asciiflow.com](http://asciiflow.com/) — Interactive ASCII diagram editor (browser)
-- [awesome-ascii-art](https://github.com/moul/awesome-ascii-art) — Curated resource list
-
 ## Decision Flow
 
-1. **Text as a banner** → pyfiglet (or toilet for colored output)
+1. **Text as a banner** → pyfiglet if installed, otherwise asciified API via curl
 2. **Wrap a message in fun character art** → cowsay
-3. **Add decorative border/frame** → boxes (can combine with pyfiglet)
-4. **Art of a thing** (cat, rocket, dragon) → emojicombos.com first, then asciiart.eu
-5. **Kaomoji / emoticons** → emojicombos.com (`{term}-kaomoji`)
-6. **Convert an image to ASCII** → ascii-image-converter or jp2a
-7. **Something custom/creative** → LLM generation with Unicode palette
-8. **Any tool not installed** → install it, or fall back to next option
+3. **Add decorative border/frame** → boxes (can combine with pyfiglet/asciified)
+4. **Art of a specific thing** (cat, rocket, dragon) → ascii.co.uk via curl + parsing
+5. **Convert an image to ASCII** → ascii-image-converter or jp2a
+6. **QR code** → qrenco.de via curl
+7. **Weather/moon art** → wttr.in via curl
+8. **Something custom/creative** → LLM generation with Unicode palette
+9. **Any tool not installed** → install it, or fall back to next option