MSD Card

Under Construction

The MSD card and its documentation are under active development. This system was the original basis for LCARdS and is under refactoring to fit better with the rest of the system. Features and stability should improve over time.

custom:lcards-msd

Master Systems Display — a zoomable SVG canvas on which you position any Home Assistant card as an overlay. Lines (routes) connect anchors across the canvas. Supports rules-based automation of both overlay styles and base SVG filters.

---

Quick Start

type: custom:lcards-msd-card
msd:
  base_svg:
    source: builtin:ncc-1701-a-blue
  anchors:
    bridge: [520, 380]
    engineering: [620, 520]
  overlays:
    - id: bridge-status
      type: control
      anchor: bridge
      size: [180, 80]
      card:
        type: custom:lcards-button
        entity: light.bridge
        preset: lozenge
    - id: engineering-line
      type: line
      route: auto
      from: bridge
      to: engineering

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Top-Level Options

Option	Type	Description
type	string	custom:lcards-msd (required)
msd	object	Full MSD configuration (required)
id	string	Card ID for rule targeting
tags	list	Tags for rule targeting
rules	list	Rules for dynamic overlay styling — see Rules Engine
data_sources	object	data source definitions — see Data Sources

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msd Object

Option	Type	Description
base_svg	object	SVG source and filters (required)
view_box	string / array	"auto" or [minX, minY, width, height]
anchors	object	Named [x, y] anchor points for overlay placement
overlays	list	Control and line overlays — see below
routing	object	Global line routing settings
debug	object	Debug visualisation options

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base_svg Object

Field	Type	Description
source	string	SVG source — builtin:<name>, /local/path.svg, or none
filter_preset	string	Named filter preset — see table below
filters	list	Additional CSS/SVG filters — see Base SVG Filters

Filter Presets

Filter presets apply a CSS filter combination to the base SVG to shift the visual weight, letting overlays stand out:

Preset	Opacity	Effect
dimmed	0.5	Moderate de-emphasis, brightness 0.8
subtle	0.6	Gentle — slight blur + 20% desaturate
backdrop	0.3	Heavy dimming, 3 px blur, brightness 0.6
faded	0.4	Washed-out — 50% desaturate, contrast 0.7
red-alert	1.0	Brightened with +10° hue rotation — a deliberate shift that warms the SVG palette slightly; combine with rules-based card colour changes for a full alert look
monochrome	0.6	Full greyscale, contrast 0.8
none	—	Remove all filters

base_svg:
  source: builtin:ncc-1701-a-blue
  filter_preset: dimmed

Rules can change filter_preset dynamically — see the rules example below.

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anchors Object

Named points used for overlay placement and line routing. Values are [x, y] in SVG user units (matching the SVG viewBox). Percentages are also accepted.

anchors:
  bridge: [520, 380]
  engineering: [620, 520]
  sickbay: ["40%", "55%"]   # Percentage of viewBox dimensions

---

Overlay Types

Control Overlay

Embeds any HA card at a position on the canvas.

Field	Type	Description
id	string	Overlay ID — required; used for rule targeting
type	string	control
anchor	string	Anchor name to centre on
position	array	Explicit [x, y] position (overrides anchor)
size	array	[width, height] in px
card	object	Any HA card config
visible	boolean	Show/hide overlay (true by default)
z_index	number	Stacking order (higher = in front)
tags	list	Tags for rule targeting

- id: engine-status
  type: control
  anchor: engineering
  size: [200, 90]
  z_index: 10
  card:
    type: custom:lcards-button
    entity: sensor.warp_core_status
    preset: lozenge

Line Overlay

Routes a line between two anchors on the canvas.

Field	Type	Description
id	string	Line ID (required)
type	string	line
from	string	Source anchor name
to	string	Target anchor name
route	string	Routing algorithm — see table below
waypoints	list	Intermediate [x, y] points or anchor names
route_hint	string	Initial segment direction: xy (horizontal first) or yx
corner_style	string	miter, round, or bevel
corner_radius	number	Radius for round corners in px
route_channels	list	Channel IDs this line routes through
clearance	number	Min clearance around obstacles in px

Routing Algorithms

route value	Description
auto	System decides (recommended)
direct	Straight line
manhattan	L-shaped (single bend)
smart	Intelligent multi-bend pathfinding
grid	A* on pixel grid
manual	Explicit waypoints list

- id: power-line
  type: line
  from: engineering
  to: bridge
  route: manhattan
  route_hint: yx
  corner_style: round
  corner_radius: 6

---

routing Object

Global defaults that apply to all lines unless overridden per-line:

Field	Type	Default	Description
default_mode	string	manhattan	Default routing mode
clearance	number	0	Global obstacle clearance in px
auto_upgrade_simple_lines	boolean	true	Auto-upgrade to smart routing when needed

---

debug Object

Visualisation aids — useful while building your layout:

Field	Type	Default	Description
enabled	boolean	false	Enable debug overlays
show_anchors	boolean	false	Show anchor points as circles
show_grid	boolean	false	Show routing grid
show_routing	boolean	false	Show line routing paths

debug:
  enabled: true
  show_anchors: true

---

Rules Engine Integration

The MSD card integrates with the global Rules Engine to dynamically restyle overlays and change the base SVG filter:

rules:
  - id: warp-alert
    when:
      entity: sensor.warp_core_temp
      above: 95
    apply:
      base_svg:
        filter_preset: red-alert
        transition: 500          # Crossfade in ms
      overlays:
        engine-status:
          style:
            color: "var(--lcards-alert-red)"
      animations:
        - overlay: engine-status
          preset: pulse
          loop: true

See Rules Engine for the full condition and apply reference.

---

Annotated Example

An MSD card with three anchors, a control overlay, a line, and a rule that changes the base SVG filter on alert:

type: custom:lcards-msd-card
msd:
  base_svg:
    source: builtin:ncc-1701-a-blue
    filter_preset: dimmed

  anchors:
    bridge: [520, 380]
    engineering: [620, 520]
    sickbay: [410, 460]

  overlays:
    - id: bridge-card
      type: control
      anchor: bridge
      size: [180, 80]
      tags: [status-displays]
      card:
        type: custom:lcards-button
        entity: sensor.bridge_status
        preset: lozenge
        text:
          name:
            content: Bridge
        tap_action:
          action: more-info

    - id: power-line
      type: line
      from: engineering
      to: bridge
      route: manhattan
      route_hint: yx
      corner_style: round
      corner_radius: 6

  routing:
    default_mode: manhattan
    clearance: 10

  debug:
    enabled: false
    show_anchors: false

rules:
  - id: reactor-alert
    when:
      entity: sensor.reactor_temp
      above: 90
    apply:
      base_svg:
        filter_preset: red-alert
        transition: 500
      overlays:
        bridge-card:
          style:
            color: "var(--lcards-alert-red)"
      animations:
        - tag: status-displays
          preset: pulse
          loop: true

---