name	pptx
description	Presentation creation, editing, and analysis. When Claude needs to work with presentations (.pptx files) for: (1) Creating new presentations, (2) Modifying or editing content, (3) Working with layouts, (4) Adding comments or speaker notes, or any other presentation tasks

PPTX creation, editing, and analysis

Overview

A user may ask you to create, edit, or analyze the contents of a .pptx file. A .pptx file is essentially a ZIP archive containing XML files and other resources that you can read or edit. You have different tools and workflows available for different tasks.

Reading and analyzing content

Text extraction

If you just need to read the text contents of a presentation, you should convert the document to markdown:

# Convert document to markdown
python -m markitdown path-to-file.pptx

Raw XML access

You need raw XML access for: comments, speaker notes, slide layouts, animations, design elements, and complex formatting. For any of these features, you'll need to unpack a presentation and read its raw XML contents.

Unpacking a file

python scripts/unpack.py <office_file> <output_dir>

Note: The unpack.py script is located at skills/pptx/scripts/unpack.py relative to the project root.

Key file structures

ppt/presentation.xml - Main presentation metadata and slide references
ppt/slides/slide{N}.xml - Individual slide contents (slide1.xml, slide2.xml, etc.)
ppt/notesSlides/notesSlide{N}.xml - Speaker notes for each slide
ppt/comments/modernComment_*.xml - Comments for specific slides
ppt/slideLayouts/ - Layout templates for slides
ppt/slideMasters/ - Master slide templates
ppt/theme/ - Theme and styling information
ppt/media/ - Images and other media files

Typography and color extraction

When given an example design to emulate: Always analyze the presentation's typography and colors first using the methods below:

Read theme file: Check ppt/theme/theme1.xml for colors (<a:clrScheme>) and fonts (<a:fontScheme>)
Sample slide content: Examine ppt/slides/slide1.xml for actual font usage (<a:rPr>) and colors
Search for patterns: Use grep to find color (<a:solidFill>, <a:srgbClr>) and font references across all XML files

Creating a new PowerPoint presentation without a template

When creating a new PowerPoint presentation from scratch, use the html2pptx workflow to convert HTML slides to PowerPoint with accurate positioning.

Design Principles

CRITICAL: Before creating any presentation, analyze the content and choose appropriate design elements:

Consider the subject matter: What is this presentation about? What tone, industry, or mood does it suggest?
Check for branding: If the user mentions a company/organization, consider their brand colors and identity
Match palette to content: Select colors that reflect the subject
State your approach: Explain your design choices before writing code

Requirements:

✅ State your content-informed design approach BEFORE writing code
✅ Use web-safe fonts only: Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, Georgia, Courier New, Verdana, Tahoma, Trebuchet MS, Impact
✅ Create clear visual hierarchy through size, weight, and color
✅ Ensure readability: strong contrast, appropriately sized text, clean alignment
✅ Be consistent: repeat patterns, spacing, and visual language across slides

Color Palette Selection

Choosing colors creatively:

Think beyond defaults: What colors genuinely match this specific topic? Avoid autopilot choices.
Consider multiple angles: Topic, industry, mood, energy level, target audience, brand identity (if mentioned)
Be adventurous: Try unexpected combinations - a healthcare presentation doesn't have to be green, finance doesn't have to be navy
Build your palette: Pick 3-5 colors that work together (dominant colors + supporting tones + accent)
Ensure contrast: Text must be clearly readable on backgrounds

Example color palettes (use these to spark creativity - choose one, adapt it, or create your own):

Classic Blue: Deep navy (#1C2833), slate gray (#2E4053), silver (#AAB7B8), off-white (#F4F6F6)
Teal & Coral: Teal (#5EA8A7), deep teal (#277884), coral (#FE4447), white (#FFFFFF)
Bold Red: Red (#C0392B), bright red (#E74C3C), orange (#F39C12), yellow (#F1C40F), green (#2ECC71)
Warm Blush: Mauve (#A49393), blush (#EED6D3), rose (#E8B4B8), cream (#FAF7F2)
Burgundy Luxury: Burgundy (#5D1D2E), crimson (#951233), rust (#C15937), gold (#997929)
Deep Purple & Emerald: Purple (#B165FB), dark blue (#181B24), emerald (#40695B), white (#FFFFFF)
Cream & Forest Green: Cream (#FFE1C7), forest green (#40695B), white (#FCFCFC)
Pink & Purple: Pink (#F8275B), coral (#FF574A), rose (#FF737D), purple (#3D2F68)
Lime & Plum: Lime (#C5DE82), plum (#7C3A5F), coral (#FD8C6E), blue-gray (#98ACB5)
Black & Gold: Gold (#BF9A4A), black (#000000), cream (#F4F6F6)
Sage & Terracotta: Sage (#87A96B), terracotta (#E07A5F), cream (#F4F1DE), charcoal (#2C2C2C)
Charcoal & Red: Charcoal (#292929), red (#E33737), light gray (#CCCBCB)
Vibrant Orange: Orange (#F96D00), light gray (#F2F2F2), charcoal (#222831)
Forest Green: Black (#191A19), green (#4E9F3D), dark green (#1E5128), white (#FFFFFF)
Retro Rainbow: Purple (#722880), pink (#D72D51), orange (#EB5C18), amber (#F08800), gold (#DEB600)
Vintage Earthy: Mustard (#E3B448), sage (#CBD18F), forest green (#3A6B35), cream (#F4F1DE)
Coastal Rose: Old rose (#AD7670), beaver (#B49886), eggshell (#F3ECDC), ash gray (#BFD5BE)
Orange & Turquoise: Light orange (#FC993E), grayish turquoise (#667C6F), white (#FCFCFC)

Visual Details Options

Geometric Patterns:

Diagonal section dividers instead of horizontal
Asymmetric column widths (30/70, 40/60, 25/75)
Rotated text headers at 90° or 270°
Circular/hexagonal frames for images
Triangular accent shapes in corners
Overlapping shapes for depth

Border & Frame Treatments:

Thick single-color borders (10-20pt) on one side only
Double-line borders with contrasting colors
Corner brackets instead of full frames
L-shaped borders (top+left or bottom+right)
Underline accents beneath headers (3-5pt thick)

Typography Treatments:

Extreme size contrast (72pt headlines vs 11pt body)
All-caps headers with wide letter spacing
Numbered sections in oversized display type
Monospace (Courier New) for data/stats/technical content
Condensed fonts (Arial Narrow) for dense information
Outlined text for emphasis

Chart & Data Styling:

Monochrome charts with single accent color for key data
Horizontal bar charts instead of vertical
Dot plots instead of bar charts
Minimal gridlines or none at all
Data labels directly on elements (no legends)
Oversized numbers for key metrics

Layout Innovations:

Full-bleed images with text overlays
Sidebar column (20-30% width) for navigation/context
Modular grid systems (3×3, 4×4 blocks)
Z-pattern or F-pattern content flow
Floating text boxes over colored shapes
Magazine-style multi-column layouts

Background Treatments:

Solid color blocks occupying 40-60% of slide
Gradient fills (vertical or diagonal only)
Split backgrounds (two colors, diagonal or vertical)
Edge-to-edge color bands
Negative space as a design element

Layout Tips

When creating slides with charts or tables:

Two-column layout (PREFERRED): Use a header spanning the full width, then two columns below - text/bullets in one column and the featured content in the other. This provides better balance and makes charts/tables more readable. Use flexbox with unequal column widths (e.g., 40%/60% split) to optimize space for each content type.
Full-slide layout: Let the featured content (chart/table) take up the entire slide for maximum impact and readability
NEVER vertically stack: Do not place charts/tables below text in a single column - this causes poor readability and layout issues

Workflow

IMPORTANT: Complete ALL steps for ALL slides BEFORE generating the PPTX. Do NOT regenerate slides after validation errors - fix and move forward.

MANDATORY - READ ENTIRE FILE: Read html2pptx.md completely from start to finish. NEVER set any range limits when reading this file. Read the full file content for detailed syntax, critical formatting rules, and best practices before proceeding with presentation creation.
MANDATORY - READ TEMPLATE: Read slide-template.html to understand the correct HTML structure.
- CRITICAL: Body dimensions MUST be in CSS: body { width: 720pt; height: 405pt; }
- DO NOT add inline style attributes to the <body> tag
- Pattern: Use this template structure for ALL slides, customizing only the content and additional styles
- Why: This eliminates dimension mismatch errors and ensures consistent structure

Generate or rasterize images (ONLY when they enhance the presentation):

IMPORTANT - Be Thoughtful About Images:

Only generate images when they genuinely improve the presentation
Consider: Did the user ask for visual elements? Would images help convey the message?
Quality over quantity: A few well-chosen images are better than many generic ones
Examples:
- ✅ User wants "cute and colorful presentation" → Generate themed images
- ✅ Technical/product presentation → Generate relevant visuals
- ❌ Data-driven slides → Skip images, focus on charts
- ❌ Text-heavy content → Skip images, they'd distract

Option A: Generate custom images with AI (when warranted):

# Step 1: Generate 2 variations automatically (uses gpt-image-1 with n=2)
generate_image("A modern tech company logo with circuit board design in blue and silver", "logo.png", size="1024x1024", quality="high")
# → Single API call creates logo_option1.png and logo_option2.png

# Step 2: ALWAYS review both variations
read_file("<workspace-directory>/logo_option1.png")
read_file("<workspace-directory>/logo_option2.png")

# Step 3: Analyze which is better and select
# - Which fits the presentation style better?
# - Which conveys the message more clearly?
# - Should you regenerate with a more specific prompt?

# Step 4: Keep the best option
run_command("cd <workspace-directory> && mv logo_option1.png logo.png")
# OR regenerate if neither is suitable

Model: Uses OpenAI's gpt-image-1 model
CRITICAL: ALWAYS view both options before selecting
Quality options: "low", "medium", "high", or "auto" (default: "auto")
Sizes: "1024x1024" (square), "1024x1792" (portrait), "1792x1024" (landscape)

Option B: Rasterize gradients and icons (for simple geometric patterns):

cd <workspace-directory>
# For gradients:
<skills-path>/pptx/scripts/run-html2pptx.sh <skills-path>/pptx/scripts/rasterize.js gradient output.png --colors "#667eea,#764ba2" --width 1000 --height 562 --angle 135

# For icons:
<skills-path>/pptx/scripts/run-html2pptx.sh <skills-path>/pptx/scripts/rasterize.js icon output.png --name FaHome --collection fa --color "#4472c4" --size 256

CRITICAL: DO NOT create custom Node.js scripts - always use the provided rasterize.js tool
Supported icon collections: fa, fa6, md, io, io5, bi, bs, hi, hi2, ai, gi, ti, go, fi, lu, ri

Check for user-provided files (optional):

Use list_files(<inputs-directory>) to see if user provided images or example PPTX files

Images: Copy user-provided images to workspace for use in slides

cp <inputs-directory>/logo.png <workspace-directory>/
cp <inputs-directory>/photo.jpg <workspace-directory>/

Template PPTX: Extract and analyze design

Step 4a: Unpack template

python <skills-path>/pptx/ooxml/scripts/unpack.py <inputs-directory>/template.pptx <workspace-directory>/template-unpacked/

Step 4b: View template visually (CRITICAL - DO NOT SKIP)

Option 1: View extracted media images (fastest)

# List extracted images (backgrounds, logos, design elements)
list_files("<workspace-directory>/template-unpacked/ppt/media")

# VIEW each image visually to understand design
read_file("<workspace-directory>/template-unpacked/ppt/media/image1.png")
read_file("<workspace-directory>/template-unpacked/ppt/media/image2.png")
# These show the actual backgrounds and design elements used in slides

Option 2: Render slide previews with Playwright (if media isn't enough)

# Generate PNG previews of each slide
<skills-path>/pptx/scripts/run-html2pptx.sh <skills-path>/pptx/scripts/view-pptx.js <workspace-directory>/template-unpacked <workspace-directory>/template-views

# Then view the slide previews
read_file("<workspace-directory>/template-views/slide1.png")
read_file("<workspace-directory>/template-views/slide2.png")

Step 4c: Analyze template design

# Read theme XML for colors and fonts
read_file("<workspace-directory>/template-unpacked/ppt/theme/theme1.xml")
# Extract: <a:srgbClr val="4472C4"/> → Color scheme
# Extract: <a:latin typeface="Calibri"/> → Font scheme

# Read slide XML for layout structure
read_file("<workspace-directory>/template-unpacked/ppt/slides/slide1.xml")
# Look for: <p:sp> elements (shapes/text boxes)
# Look for: <a:off x="..." y="..."/> (positions)
# Look for: <a:ext cx="..." cy="..."/> (dimensions)

Step 4d: Document design decisions Before creating slides, state:

Colors identified: List hex colors from theme
Fonts identified: List font families
Layout structure: Describe title position, content areas
Images to replicate: List background images or design elements
Design approach: How you'll replicate this in HTML

Create ALL HTML files - Write slide1.html, slide2.html, slide3.html, etc. for the ENTIRE presentation:
- CRITICAL: Follow the template structure from slide-template.html:
```
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<style>
body {
  width: 720pt;        /* REQUIRED in CSS */
  height: 405pt;       /* REQUIRED in CSS */
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
  /* Your custom styles here */
}
/* Your additional styles here */
</style>
</head>
<body>


</body>
</html>
```
- BODY DIMENSIONS: MUST be in CSS (not inline style on body tag)
- Use <p>, <h1>-<h6>, <ul>, <ol> for all text content
- Use class="placeholder" for areas where charts/tables will be added (render with gray background for visibility)
- Reference rasterized gradients/icons OR user-provided images with <img> tags or as background images
  - Example: <img src="logo.png" style="width: 80pt; height: 40pt;">
  - Example: background-image: url('photo.jpg'); background-size: cover; in CSS
- LAYOUT: For slides with charts/tables/images, use either full-slide layout or two-column layout for better readability
- SPACING: Leave at least 0.5" (36pt) margin at the bottom of each slide. Keep content compact - use smaller font sizes and tighter spacing if needed
- DO NOT STOP: Create ALL slides before proceeding to step 6
Generate the PowerPoint ONCE with ALL slides:
```
cd <workspace-directory>
<skills-path>/pptx/scripts/run-html2pptx.sh <skills-path>/pptx/scripts/generate-pptx.js output.pptx slide1.html slide2.html slide3.html slide4.html slide5.html
```
- List ALL slide files in order
- The script automatically detects layout (16:9, 4:3) from HTML dimensions
- Uses Playwright to render each HTML file
- Validates: no overflow, no CSS gradients, text in proper tags
- Generates PPTX using pptxgenjs
If validation errors prevent PPTX creation:
- Read the problematic slide file with read_file()
- Identify the specific issue (e.g., inline style on body tag)
- Use edit_file() to fix ONLY the problematic line
- DO NOT regenerate the entire file with write_file()
- Example fix:
```
# Fix body dimension conflict
edit_file(
  "workspace/slide1.html",
  old_string='<body style="width: 720pt; height: 405pt;">',
  new_string='<body>'
)
```
- Validation warnings (non-fatal): Note them but proceed - PPTX will still be created
RESPOND TO USER with the output file location
- Copy PPTX to outputs directory: cp <workspace-directory>/output.pptx <outputs-directory>/
- Provide download link: computer:///user-data/outputs/output.pptx

⚠️ Advanced: Manual XML Editing (Low-Level)

For most use cases, use "Editing and extending user-provided templates" below instead.

This workflow is for advanced low-level XML manipulation when the structured editing tools don't meet your needs.

Workflow

Understand Office Open XML (OOXML) format - refer to html2pptx.md for structure reference
Unpack the presentation: python scripts/unpack.py <office_file> <output_dir>
Edit the XML files directly (primarily ppt/slides/slide{N}.xml and related files)
CRITICAL: Validate immediately after each edit: python scripts/validate.py <dir> --original <file>
Pack the final presentation: python scripts/pack.py <input_directory> <office_file>

Note: This requires deep understanding of OOXML structure. Most editing tasks should use the structured workflow below.

⭐ Editing and Extending User-Provided Templates (PRIMARY METHOD)

This is the RECOMMENDED way to work with user-provided PPTX files.

When a user provides a PPTX template and asks you to create a presentation:

Duplicate and rearrange template slides to create the structure you need
Replace text while preserving all formatting (fonts, colors, bullets, alignment)
Automatically preserve backgrounds, images, and design elements
No HTML creation needed - work directly with native PPTX

Benefits:

✅ Template design automatically preserved
✅ Faster than HTML workflow (no conversion needed)
✅ No validation errors (native PPTX operations)
✅ True template editing and extension

Workflow

Step 1: Visual Inspection (CRITICAL - DO NOT SKIP)

First, visually understand the template structure:

# Create thumbnail grid to see all slides at once
python scripts/thumbnail.py <inputs-directory>/template.pptx <workspace-directory>/thumbnails

# View the thumbnail grid visually
read_file("<workspace-directory>/thumbnails-1.jpg")
# (If template has >30 slides, check thumbnails-2.jpg, thumbnails-3.jpg, etc.)

What to identify:

Which slides have which layouts (title slide, content layout, quote layout, closing slide)
How many slides are in the template
Which template slides can be reused for your content
Visual design elements (backgrounds, colors, structure)

Step 2: Extract template text for reference:

# Extract text to understand existing content
python -m markitdown <inputs-directory>/template.pptx > <workspace-directory>/template-content.md

# Read to understand template content (NEVER set range limits)
read_file("<workspace-directory>/template-content.md")

Step 3: Analyze template and save inventory to a file:

Visual Analysis: Review thumbnail grid(s) to understand slide layouts, design patterns, and visual structure

Create and save a template inventory file at template-inventory.md containing:

# Template Inventory Analysis
**Total Slides: [count]**
**IMPORTANT: Slides are 0-indexed (first slide = 0, last slide = count-1)**

## [Category Name]
- Slide 0: [Layout code if available] - Description/purpose
- Slide 1: [Layout code] - Description/purpose
- Slide 2: [Layout code] - Description/purpose
[... EVERY slide must be listed individually with its index ...]

Using the thumbnail grid: Reference the visual thumbnails to identify:
- Layout patterns (title slides, content layouts, section dividers)
- Image placeholder locations and counts
- Design consistency across slide groups
- Visual hierarchy and structure
This inventory file is REQUIRED for selecting appropriate templates in the next step

Step 4: Create presentation outline based on template inventory:

Review available templates from step 2.
Choose an intro or title template for the first slide. This should be one of the first templates.
Choose safe, text-based layouts for the other slides.
CRITICAL: Match layout structure to actual content:
- Single-column layouts: Use for unified narrative or single topic
- Two-column layouts: Use ONLY when you have exactly 2 distinct items/concepts
- Three-column layouts: Use ONLY when you have exactly 3 distinct items/concepts
- Image + text layouts: Use ONLY when you have actual images to insert
- Quote layouts: Use ONLY for actual quotes from people (with attribution), never for emphasis
- Never use layouts with more placeholders than you have content
- If you have 2 items, don't force them into a 3-column layout
- If you have 4+ items, consider breaking into multiple slides or using a list format
Count your actual content pieces BEFORE selecting the layout
Verify each placeholder in the chosen layout will be filled with meaningful content
Select one option representing the best layout for each content section.
Save outline.md with content AND template mapping that leverages available designs

Example template mapping:

# Template slides to use (0-based indexing)
# WARNING: Verify indices are within range! Template with 73 slides has indices 0-72
# Mapping: slide numbers from outline -> template slide indices
template_mapping = [
    0,   # Use slide 0 (Title/Cover)
    34,  # Use slide 34 (B1: Title and body)
    34,  # Use slide 34 again (duplicate for second B1)
    50,  # Use slide 50 (E1: Quote)
    54,  # Use slide 54 (F2: Closing + Text)
]

Step 5: Duplicate, reorder, and delete slides using rearrange.py:

Use the scripts/rearrange.py script to create a new presentation with slides in the desired order:

python scripts/rearrange.py <inputs-directory>/template.pptx <workspace-directory>/working.pptx 0,34,34,50,52

The script handles duplicating repeated slides, deleting unused slides, and reordering automatically
Slide indices are 0-based (first slide is 0, second is 1, etc.)
The same slide index can appear multiple times to duplicate that slide

Step 6: Extract ALL text using the inventory.py script:

Run inventory extraction:

python scripts/inventory.py <workspace-directory>/working.pptx <workspace-directory>/text-inventory.json

Read text-inventory.json: Read the entire text-inventory.json file to understand all shapes and their properties. NEVER set any range limits when reading this file.

The inventory JSON structure:

  {
    "slide-0": {
      "shape-0": {
        "placeholder_type": "TITLE",  // or null for non-placeholders
        "left": 1.5,                  // position in inches
        "top": 2.0,
        "width": 7.5,
        "height": 1.2,
        "paragraphs": [
          {
            "text": "Paragraph text",
            // Optional properties (only included when non-default):
            "bullet": true,           // explicit bullet detected
            "level": 0,               // only included when bullet is true
            "alignment": "CENTER",    // CENTER, RIGHT (not LEFT)
            "space_before": 10.0,     // space before paragraph in points
            "space_after": 6.0,       // space after paragraph in points
            "line_spacing": 22.4,     // line spacing in points
            "font_name": "Arial",     // from first run
            "font_size": 14.0,        // in points
            "bold": true,
            "italic": false,
            "underline": false,
            "color": "FF0000"         // RGB color
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  }

Key features:
- Slides: Named as "slide-0", "slide-1", etc.
- Shapes: Ordered by visual position (top-to-bottom, left-to-right) as "shape-0", "shape-1", etc.
- Placeholder types: TITLE, CENTER_TITLE, SUBTITLE, BODY, OBJECT, or null
- Default font size: default_font_size in points extracted from layout placeholders (when available)
- Slide numbers are filtered: Shapes with SLIDE_NUMBER placeholder type are automatically excluded from inventory
- Bullets: When bullet: true, level is always included (even if 0)
- Spacing: space_before, space_after, and line_spacing in points (only included when set)
- Colors: color for RGB (e.g., "FF0000"), theme_color for theme colors (e.g., "DARK_1")
- Properties: Only non-default values are included in the output

Step 7: Generate replacement text and save the data to a JSON file Based on the text inventory from the previous step:

CRITICAL: First verify which shapes exist in the inventory - only reference shapes that are actually present
VALIDATION: The replace.py script will validate that all shapes in your replacement JSON exist in the inventory
- If you reference a non-existent shape, you'll get an error showing available shapes
- If you reference a non-existent slide, you'll get an error indicating the slide doesn't exist
- All validation errors are shown at once before the script exits
IMPORTANT: The replace.py script uses inventory.py internally to identify ALL text shapes
AUTOMATIC CLEARING: ALL text shapes from the inventory will be cleared unless you provide "paragraphs" for them
Add a "paragraphs" field to shapes that need content (not "replacement_paragraphs")
Shapes without "paragraphs" in the replacement JSON will have their text cleared automatically
Paragraphs with bullets will be automatically left aligned. Don't set the alignment property on when "bullet": true
Generate appropriate replacement content for placeholder text
Use shape size to determine appropriate content length
CRITICAL: Include paragraph properties from the original inventory - don't just provide text
IMPORTANT: When bullet: true, do NOT include bullet symbols (•, -, *) in text - they're added automatically
ESSENTIAL FORMATTING RULES:
- Headers/titles should typically have "bold": true
- List items should have "bullet": true, "level": 0 (level is required when bullet is true)
- Preserve any alignment properties (e.g., "alignment": "CENTER" for centered text)
- Include font properties when different from default (e.g., "font_size": 14.0, "font_name": "Lora")
- Colors: Use "color": "FF0000" for RGB or "theme_color": "DARK_1" for theme colors
- The replacement script expects properly formatted paragraphs, not just text strings
- Overlapping shapes: Prefer shapes with larger default_font_size or more appropriate placeholder_type
Save the updated inventory with replacements to replacement-text.json
WARNING: Different template layouts have different shape counts - always check the actual inventory before creating replacements

Example paragraphs field showing proper formatting:

"paragraphs": [
  {
    "text": "New presentation title text",
    "alignment": "CENTER",
    "bold": true
  },
  {
    "text": "Section Header",
    "bold": true
  },
  {
    "text": "First bullet point without bullet symbol",
    "bullet": true,
    "level": 0
  },
  {
    "text": "Red colored text",
    "color": "FF0000"
  },
  {
    "text": "Theme colored text",
    "theme_color": "DARK_1"
  },
  {
    "text": "Regular paragraph text without special formatting"
  }
]

Shapes not listed in the replacement JSON are automatically cleared:

{
  "slide-0": {
    "shape-0": {
      "paragraphs": [...] // This shape gets new text
    }
    // shape-1 and shape-2 from inventory will be cleared automatically
  }
}

Common formatting patterns for presentations:

Title slides: Bold text, sometimes centered
Section headers within slides: Bold text
Bullet lists: Each item needs "bullet": true, "level": 0
Body text: Usually no special properties needed
Quotes: May have special alignment or font properties

Step 8: Apply replacements using the replace.py script

python scripts/replace.py <workspace-directory>/working.pptx <workspace-directory>/replacement-text.json <outputs-directory>/output.pptx

The script will:

First extract the inventory of ALL text shapes using functions from inventory.py
Validate that all shapes in the replacement JSON exist in the inventory
Clear text from ALL shapes identified in the inventory
Apply new text only to shapes with "paragraphs" defined in the replacement JSON
Preserve formatting by applying paragraph properties from the JSON
Handle bullets, alignment, font properties, and colors automatically
Save the updated presentation

Example validation errors:

ERROR: Invalid shapes in replacement JSON:
  - Shape 'shape-99' not found on 'slide-0'. Available shapes: shape-0, shape-1, shape-4
  - Slide 'slide-999' not found in inventory

ERROR: Replacement text made overflow worse in these shapes:
  - slide-0/shape-2: overflow worsened by 1.25" (was 0.00", now 1.25")

Creating Thumbnail Grids

To create visual thumbnail grids of PowerPoint slides for quick analysis and reference:

python scripts/thumbnail.py template.pptx [output_prefix]

Features:

Creates: thumbnails.jpg (or thumbnails-1.jpg, thumbnails-2.jpg, etc. for large decks)
Default: 5 columns, max 30 slides per grid (5×6)
Custom prefix: python scripts/thumbnail.py template.pptx my-grid
- Note: The output prefix should include the path if you want output in a specific directory (e.g., workspace/my-grid)
Adjust columns: --cols 4 (range: 3-6, affects slides per grid)
Grid limits: 3 cols = 12 slides/grid, 4 cols = 20, 5 cols = 30, 6 cols = 42
Slides are zero-indexed (Slide 0, Slide 1, etc.)

Use cases:

Template analysis: Quickly understand slide layouts and design patterns
Content review: Visual overview of entire presentation
Navigation reference: Find specific slides by their visual appearance
Quality check: Verify all slides are properly formatted

Examples:

# Basic usage
python scripts/thumbnail.py presentation.pptx

# Combine options: custom name, columns
python scripts/thumbnail.py template.pptx analysis --cols 4

Converting Slides to Images

To visually analyze PowerPoint slides, convert them to images using a two-step process:

Convert PPTX to PDF:

soffice --headless --convert-to pdf template.pptx

Convert PDF pages to JPEG images:
```
pdftoppm -jpeg -r 150 template.pdf slide
```
This creates files like slide-1.jpg, slide-2.jpg, etc.

Options:

-r 150: Sets resolution to 150 DPI (adjust for quality/size balance)
-jpeg: Output JPEG format (use -png for PNG if preferred)
-f N: First page to convert (e.g., -f 2 starts from page 2)
-l N: Last page to convert (e.g., -l 5 stops at page 5)
slide: Prefix for output files

Example for specific range:

pdftoppm -jpeg -r 150 -f 2 -l 5 template.pdf slide  # Converts only pages 2-5

Code Style Guidelines

IMPORTANT: When generating code for PPTX operations:

Write concise code
Avoid verbose variable names and redundant operations
Avoid unnecessary print statements

Dependencies

Required dependencies (should already be installed):

markitdown: pip install "markitdown[pptx]" (for text extraction from presentations)
pptxgenjs: npm install -g pptxgenjs (for creating presentations via html2pptx)
playwright: npm install -g playwright (for HTML rendering in html2pptx)
react-icons: npm install -g react-icons react react-dom (for icons)
sharp: npm install -g sharp (for SVG rasterization and image processing)
LibreOffice: sudo apt-get install libreoffice (for PDF conversion)
Poppler: sudo apt-get install poppler-utils (for pdftoppm to convert PDF to images)
defusedxml: pip install defusedxml (for secure XML parsing)

pptx

Install Skill

SKILL.md

PPTX creation, editing, and analysis

Overview

Reading and analyzing content

Text extraction

Raw XML access

Unpacking a file

Key file structures

Typography and color extraction

Creating a new PowerPoint presentation without a template

Design Principles

Color Palette Selection

Visual Details Options

Layout Tips

Workflow

⚠️ Advanced: Manual XML Editing (Low-Level)

Workflow

⭐ Editing and Extending User-Provided Templates (PRIMARY METHOD)

Workflow

Creating Thumbnail Grids

Converting Slides to Images

Code Style Guidelines

Dependencies