bodybuildr

Build cool infographics in R by building the body row by row.

bodybuildr solves the annoying part of infographic work: layout. Instead of fighting with absolute positioning, you stack flexible rows with consistent lanes, gaps, and padding. Each row can be text, a plot, an image, or a custom grob, and the whole thing exports cleanly to PDF.

The name is the point: you build the body one row at a time.

Why bodybuildr?

• Compose complex infographics by stacking rows on a canvas.
• Mix text, ggplot2 objects, images, and grobs in the same row.
• Control spacing with layout styles (lanes, gaps, margins) and box styles.
• Export to PDF with predictable sizing using grid units.

Install

If the package is on CRAN:

install.packages("bodybuildr")

If you are installing from GitHub:

# install.packages("remotes")
remotes::install_github("sunstone-bioinformatics/bodybuildr")

Quick start

library(bodybuildr)

# Build a banner
banner <- str_banner_row(
  image_path = "path/to/logo.png",
  title = "Project Title",
  subtitle = "Short, punchy summary"
)

# Add a subtitle band
subtitle <- str_subtitle_row(
  label = "Key Findings",
  layout_style = subtitle_layout_style(
    outer_margin = grid::unit(10, "pt"),
    bottom_margin = grid::unit(6, "pt")
  ),
  text_style = text_style(color = "white", size = 14, face = "bold")
)

# Build a 3-column row with per-panel styling
row <- str_n_panel_row(
  items = list(
    "Left panel text",
    "Middle panel text",
    text_box(
      "Right panel text",
      text_style = text_style(color = "#111827", size = 11),
      box_style = box_style(
        fill = "#F9FAFB",
        padding = grid::unit(c(6, 10, 6, 10), "pt")
      )
    )
  ),
  column_style = column_layout_style(
    column_gap = grid::unit(8, "pt"),
    outer_margin = grid::unit(6, "pt"),
    bottom_margin = grid::unit(6, "pt")
  )
)

# Assemble the canvas row by row
canvas <- new_canvas()
canvas <- canvas_add_row(canvas, banner,   grid::unit(1.6, "in"))
canvas <- canvas_add_row(canvas, subtitle, grid::unit(0.9, "in"))
canvas <- canvas_add_row(canvas, row,      grid::unit(3.0, "in"))

# Export
export_pdf(canvas, file = "infographic.pdf")

Core building blocks

Row builders: - str_banner_row() for a logo + title/subtitle banner - str_subtitle_row() for a full-width subtitle band - str_n_panel_row() for 1..n columns - str_three_panel_row() for A | (B over C) layouts

Styling helpers: - text_style() and box_style() to control typography and boxes - column_layout_style(), subtitle_layout_style(), and three_panel_layout_style() to control spacing, lanes, and backgrounds

Canvas helpers: - new_canvas() and canvas_add_row() to stack rows - export_pdf() to write a final PDF

Notes

• Uses grid units (grid::unit) for sizing; keep units consistent.
• ggplot2 support is optional; install it if you want to render plots in rows.