In this work, we define the essential elements of the bracket figure and encode these elements in a novel plain-text format, which serves as the input for BracketMaker's graphics engine. We then describe the logic behind BracketMaker's primary function, translating this 5 "bracket notation" to a publication-quality vector image within an interactive workspace. Next, we introduce our Auto-Bracket tool, which performs retrosynthetic analysis using standard NCL chemistry to generate and rank possible ligation orders for a set of segments. This tool can be used in conjunction with Aligator to rapidly identify the most feasible routes toward a given protein. We conclude with our perspective on the current scope of CPS and assess the path 10 toward a major goal in the field, the synthesis of all 65 subunits of a mirror-image D-ribosome.