pptx-generator

name	pptx-generator
x-heading-requires	["documents"]
description	Generate and edit presentation slides as PPTX files. Also create LinkedIn carousels and manage reusable slide layouts. TRIGGERS - Use this skill when user says: - "create slides for [brand]" / "generate presentation for [brand]" / "make slides for [brand]" - "create a carousel for [brand]" / "linkedin carousel" / "make a carousel about [topic]" - "edit this pptx" / "update the slides" / "modify this presentation" - "create a new layout" / "add a layout to the cookbook" / "make a [type] layout template" - "edit the [name] layout" / "update the cookbook" / "improve the [name] template" - Any request mentioning slides, presentations, carousels, PPTX, or layouts with a brand name Creates .pptx files compatible with PowerPoint, Google Slides, and Keynote. Creates PDF carousels for LinkedIn (square 1:1 format).
argument-hint	[brand] [topic]
allowed-tools	Bash(python3:*), Read
model	sonnet
metadata	{"author":"Misha Hanin","email":"[e-mail]","version":"1.1"}
x-heading-orchestration	{"parallel_safe":true,"shared_state":[],"triggers":["create slides","generate presentation","linkedin carousel","edit pptx"]}
x-heading-capability	{"what":"Generates and edits on-brand presentation slides as PPTX files (PowerPoint/Slides/Keynote compatible), builds square LinkedIn carousels exported to PDF, and manages the reusable cookbook layouts.\n","how":"Run /pptx-generator <brand> <topic>. Reads the brand config and cookbook layouts, presents a slide plan, then generates in batches of 5 max and combines into one file in the brand's output directory.\n","when":"Use for editable branded decks, carousels, or layout work. For non-slide visuals use /design; for a quick markdown-driven internal deck use /marp.\n"}
x-heading-routing	{"category":"Design","triggers":["create slides","generate presentation","linkedin carousel","edit pptx"],"exclusions":["Non-slide design -> /design"],"compound":"No","router":"auto"}

PPTX Slide Generator

Generate professional, on-brand presentation slides using python-pptx. This skill supports:

• Slide Generation - Create presentations for any brand in brands/
• Carousel Generation - Create LinkedIn carousels (square format, exports to PDF)
• Slide Editing - Modify existing PPTX files
• Layout Management - Create, edit, update cookbook layouts

IMPORTANT: All skill resources are in .claude/skills/pptx-generator/. Always use Glob patterns starting with .claude/skills/pptx-generator/ to find files.

---

CRITICAL: Batch Generation Rules

NEVER generate more than 5 slides at once.

Rule	Details
Max slides per batch	5 (can be 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5)
After each batch	STOP and validate output
Validation required	Check: no duplicate titles, proper spacing, correct colors
Continue when	Validation passes
After ALL batches	COMBINE into single file and DELETE part files

CRITICAL: Always clean up part files after combining. The user should only see ONE final PPTX file.

---

PREREQUISITE: Brand Check

Before generating slides, check if any brands exist.

Glob: .claude/skills/pptx-generator/brands/*/brand.json

If NO brands found (only template/ exists): STOP and ask the user to create a brand first. See references/brand-setup.md for the full brand creation workflow.

---

Skill Modes

Mode 1: Generate Presentation Slides

User wants presentation slides (16:9) created using a brand's styling. Follow the workflow below. Layouts in: cookbook/*.py

Mode 2: Generate LinkedIn Carousels

User wants a LinkedIn carousel (square 1:1 format) for social media. See references/carousel-workflow.md for the full carousel workflow.

Mode 3: Manage Cookbook Layouts

User wants to create, edit, or improve layout templates. See references/layout-crud.md for layout CRUD operations.

---

Mode 1: Generate Presentation Slides

Step 1: Brand Discovery

1. List available brands:

   Glob: .claude/skills/pptx-generator/brands/*/brand.json
   

2. Read the brand configuration files:

   Read: .claude/skills/pptx-generator/brands/{brand-name}/brand.json
   Read: .claude/skills/pptx-generator/brands/{brand-name}/config.json
   

3. Read supporting markdown files for context:

   Glob: .claude/skills/pptx-generator/brands/{brand-name}/*.md
   

4. Extract from brand files:

   • From brand.json: Colors (hex without #), fonts, asset paths
   • From config.json: Output directory, slides per batch, naming convention
   • From markdown: Voice, tone, vocabulary, visual principles

If brand not found, list available brands and ask user to choose.

Step 2: Layout Discovery & Selection

MANDATORY: Read ALL layout frontmatters before selecting any layout.

Glob: .claude/skills/pptx-generator/cookbook/*.py

For each .py file, read the first 40 lines to extract the # /// layout frontmatter block. Build a map of each layout's purpose, best_for, avoid_when, and max_* limits.

Read references/layout-guide.md for the complete layout selection guide including:

• Visual-First selection decision tree (CRITICAL)
• Variety enforcement rules (content-slide <25%, visual layouts 50%+)
• Content type to best layout mapping table

Key rule: Default to VISUAL layouts. Content-slide is the LAST RESORT, not the default.

Step 3: Slide Planning (ALWAYS DO THIS)

Before generating ANY slides, create a written plan.

Create a slide plan table:

| # | Layout | Title | Key Content | Notes |
|---|--------|-------|-------------|-------|
| 1 | title-slide | [Title] | [Subtitle, author] | Opening slide |
| 2 | content-slide | [Title] | [3-4 bullet points] | Main concepts |
| 3 | stats-slide | [Title] | [2-3 metrics] | Impact data |

Planning checklist:

• No duplicate titles across slides
• Logical flow from slide to slide
• Appropriate layout for each content type
• Content fits the chosen layout
• Batches are logically grouped (5 slides max each)
• VARIETY CHECK: Content-slide used <25% of total slides
• VARIETY CHECK: No more than 2-3 consecutive slides with same layout
• VARIETY CHECK: Visual layouts (cards, stats, columns, hero) are 50%+ of slides

After planning, briefly present the plan before generating.

Step 4: Content Adaptation

Presentation Text Formatting Rules

Element	Rule	Example
Titles	No trailing periods or commas	"Why AI Matters" not "Why AI Matters."
Subtitles	No trailing punctuation	"The future of coding"
Bullet points	No trailing periods (unless full sentences)	"Faster development"
Headlines	Minimal punctuation, no ellipsis	"What's Next"
Stats/Numbers	Clean format, no trailing punctuation	"50%"
CTAs	No trailing punctuation	"Get Started"

Exception: Full sentence descriptions or quotes may use appropriate punctuation.

Brand Value Mapping

Map brand.json values to layout placeholders:

Layout Placeholder	brand.json Path
BRAND_BG	colors.background
BRAND_BG_ALT	colors.background_alt
BRAND_TEXT	colors.text
BRAND_TEXT_SECONDARY	colors.text_secondary
BRAND_ACCENT	colors.accent
BRAND_ACCENT_SECONDARY	colors.accent_secondary
BRAND_ACCENT_TERTIARY	colors.accent_tertiary
BRAND_CODE_BG	colors.code_bg
BRAND_CARD_BG	colors.card_bg
BRAND_CARD_BG_ALT	colors.card_bg_alt
BRAND_HEADING_FONT	fonts.heading
BRAND_BODY_FONT	fonts.body
BRAND_CODE_FONT	fonts.code

Note: All color values in brand.json are hex WITHOUT the # prefix.

Step 5: Generate, Validate & Combine

Read references/generation-workflow.md for the complete batch generation, validation, and combining workflow.

Key rules (always apply):

• Output lands in the DATA overlay, never the engine -- resolve $DECK_DIR (get_outputs_dir()/content/decks/{brand}) before any heredoc and save there (see references/generation-workflow.md § Execution Methods). A bare output/{brand} resolves into the engine tree.
• Max 5 slides per batch -- stop and validate after each
• EVERY slide MUST have background explicitly set -- slide.background.fill.solid() + slide.background.fill.fore_color.rgb = hex_to_rgb(BRAND_BG) -- this prevents white slides on dark brands
• Combining batches also requires background setting -- add_slide() defaults to white
• Use heredoc or .tmp/ directory -- never create Python files in the repo root
• Clean up part files -- user should only see ONE final PPTX
• Validate after every batch -- check for white backgrounds, duplicate titles, spacing, overflow, wrong colors

---

Reference Files

File	When to Read
references/layout-guide.md	Layout selection, variety rules, decision tree
references/generation-workflow.md	Batch generation, validation, combining
references/brand-setup.md	Creating a new brand configuration
references/carousel-workflow.md	LinkedIn carousel generation (Mode 2)
references/layout-crud.md	Creating/editing/deleting layouts (Mode 3)
references/technical-reference.md	python-pptx imports, chart types, dimensions, editing PPTX

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Quick Checklist

Slide Generation:

• Read brand.json, config.json, brand markdown files
• Read ALL cookbook layout frontmatters (references/layout-guide.md)
• Create slide plan table -- check variety rules
• Present plan, then generate (max 5 per batch)
• Set background on EVERY slide -- validate after each batch
• Combine batches, clean up part files (references/generation-workflow.md)

Layout Creation:

• Study existing layouts, design production-ready quality
• Add detailed TOML frontmatter (name, best_for, avoid_when, instructions, limits)
• Test the new layout