slidej

name

slidej

description

Use this skill whenever the user wants to create PowerPoint presentations with animations, transitions, and precise element control from JSON — or reverse-engineer an existing .pptx into structured JSON. SlideJ is a CLI that generates .pptx from JSON and parses .pptx back to JSON, enabling a full round-trip workflow. Trigger when: user wants animated slides, mentions 'slidej', needs to convert a .pptx to JSON for reading or editing, wants element-level animation control (fadeIn, flyIn, zoom, spin, wipe, etc.), or needs a programmatic slide generation pipeline. Also trigger when the user uploads a .pptx and wants to understand its structure, modify it, or recreate it with changes.

SlideJ — Agent Guide

Quick Start

# JSON -> PPTX
slidej generate input.json -o output.pptx
slidej gen input.json -o output.pptx          # alias

# PPTX -> JSON
slidej parse input.pptx -o output.json
slidej parse input.pptx                       # stdout
slidej parse input.pptx --no-images -o out.json

# Templates
slidej template list                          # list all
slidej template info <name>                   # show style guide
slidej template use <name> -o deck.json       # export for editing
slidej template save input.json <name> -d "Description" -t "tag1,tag2"
slidej template remove <name>

# Helpers
slidej schema                                 # print JSON schema
slidej example -o example.json                # demo deck

Templates

Template	Style	Best for
title-slide	Dark hero, centered	Title screens, section dividers
pitch-deck	Professional dark-to-light	Pitches, proposals
report	Clean corporate, tables	Reports, dashboards
minimal	Whitespace, typography	Academic, text-heavy
dark-modern	Dark UI, gradient accents	Tech, SaaS demos
sunset-wave	Warm gradients, organic	Creative, storytelling
candy-pop	Bold pop-art on white	Events, campaigns
ocean-aurora	Deep cool-tone, glow	Tech showcases, premium
neon-garden	Neon-on-black	Creative agencies, entertainment

---

JSON Structure

Root

{
  "width": 13.333,
  "height": 7.5,
  "meta": { "title": "Title", "author": "Author" },
  "theme": {
    "colors": { "accent1": "4472C4", "accent2": "ED7D31" },
    "majorFont": "Calibri Light",
    "minorFont": "Calibri"
  },
  "slides": [...]
}

Slide

{
  "background": "1A1A2E",
  "transition": "fade",
  "elements": [...]
}

Background: hex string "1A1A2E" or gradient object:

{
  "type": "gradient",
  "stops": [
    { "position": 0, "color": "0B0B1F" },
    { "position": 100, "color": "162447" }
  ],
  "angle": 135
}

Transition: "fade" | "push" | "wipe" | "split" | "cover" | "cut" | "dissolve" | "random", or object { "type": "fade", "speed": "med", "advanceAfter": 3000 }.

---

Elements

All elements must have position: { x, y, w, h } in inches.

Slide size: 13.333" wide x 7.5" tall. Safe margin: 0.5" on each side.

Rules

• Colors are bare hex without #: use "FF0000" not "#FF0000".
• Font sizes are in points. Text is not auto-sized — reduce fontSize or enlarge box if text overflows.
• Image src paths are resolved relative to the JSON file's directory.
• Use "\n" inside any text string for line breaks.

Text

{
  "type": "text",
  "text": "Hello World",
  "position": { "x": 1, "y": 1, "w": 10, "h": 1.5 },
  "fontSize": 36,
  "bold": true,
  "color": "FFFFFF",
  "fontFamily": "Calibri Light",
  "align": "center",
  "vertAlign": "middle"
}

Multi-paragraph (each item is a separate paragraph):

"text": [
  { "text": "Heading", "fontSize": 28, "bold": true, "color": "FFFFFF" },
  { "text": "Subtitle", "fontSize": 16, "color": "AAAAAA" }
]

Mixed runs in one paragraph:

"text": [
  {
    "align": "center",
    "runs": [
      { "text": "Bold part ", "bold": true, "color": "FF0000" },
      { "text": "normal part", "color": "333333" }
    ]
  }
]

Bullet list:

"text": [
  { "text": "First point", "bullet": true },
  { "text": "Second point", "bullet": true }
]

Optional: fill, line, shadow, rotation, margin, lineSpacing, italic, underline, strike.

Shape

{
  "type": "shape",
  "shapeType": "roundRect",
  "position": { "x": 1, "y": 1, "w": 4, "h": 3 },
  "fill": "4472C4",
  "line": { "color": "333333", "width": 2 },
  "text": "Label",
  "fontSize": 18,
  "color": "FFFFFF",
  "align": "center",
  "vertAlign": "middle"
}

Shape types: rect, roundRect, ellipse, triangle, diamond, pentagon, hexagon, octagon, star5, star6, rightArrow, leftArrow, upArrow, downArrow, line, cloud, heart, lightningBolt, callout1, callout2, chevron, donut, blockArc, arc, pie, plaque, can, parallelogram, trapezoid.

Fill can be gradient:

"fill": {
  "type": "gradient",
  "stops": [
    { "position": 0, "color": "4472C4" },
    { "position": 100, "color": "2E5CA8" }
  ],
  "angle": 135
}

Optional: noFill (outline only), adjust (geometry tweaks), shadow, rotation.

Image

{
  "type": "image",
  "src": "assets/photo.png",
  "position": { "x": 2, "y": 2, "w": 5, "h": 3 }
}

Optional: hyperlink, crop: { left, top, right, bottom }, line, rotation.

Table

{
  "type": "table",
  "position": { "x": 0.5, "y": 2, "w": 12, "h": 4 },
  "headerRow": true,
  "fontSize": 14,
  "rows": [
    ["Column A", "Column B", "Column C"],
    ["Data 1", "100", "OK"]
  ]
}

Styled cells: { "text": "Header", "bold": true, "fill": "4472C4", "color": "FFFFFF", "align": "center" }.

Tables do NOT support animations.

Group

Groups wrap multiple elements into a single unit. Children use absolute coordinates (not relative to the group).

{
  "type": "group",
  "position": { "x": 0, "y": 0, "w": 8, "h": 8 },
  "rotation": 0,
  "children": [
    { "type": "shape", "shapeType": "ellipse", "position": { "x": 0, "y": 0, "w": 8, "h": 8 }, "fill": "FAFAFA" },
    { "type": "shape", "shapeType": "ellipse", "position": { "x": 3.8, "y": 0, "w": 0.4, "h": 0.4 }, "fill": "FF0000" }
  ],
  "animations": [
    { "type": "fadeIn", "duration": 500, "trigger": "afterPrevious", "order": 0 },
    { "type": "spin", "degrees": 90, "duration": 800, "trigger": "afterPrevious", "order": 1 }
  ]
}

Key points:

• rotation on the group sets the initial rotation (degrees). This is a static base angle.
• Animations on the group apply to the entire unit — all children move/fade/spin together.
• Group rotation + spin animation compose: you can set different base rotation across slides and add the same spin to create a continuous rotation effect (e.g. 0, 72, 144... base + spin 72 each time).
• Children inside a group cannot have their own animations — only the group itself animates.

---

Animations

Add "animations": [...] to any text, shape, image, or group element.

"animations": [
  { "type": "fadeIn", "duration": 500, "trigger": "afterPrevious", "delay": 0 }
]

Triggers (how animations are sequenced)

Trigger	Behavior
onClick	Plays on mouse click (default). Starts a new click group.
withPrevious	Plays at the same time as the previous animation.
afterPrevious	Plays after the previous animation finishes.

The first afterPrevious animation on a slide auto-plays on slide entry — no click needed. This is the standard way to make things appear automatically.

All animation types

Entrance (element appears):

Type	Required fields	Description
appear	—	Instant appearance
fadeIn	—	Opacity 0 -> 100%
flyIn	direction	Fly in from a direction
wipeIn	direction	Wipe reveal from a direction
zoomIn	—	Scale from 0% to 100%
splitIn	—	Barn-door reveal
bounceIn	—	Scale with overshoot
floatIn	—	Fade + vertical drift up
swivel	—	Fade + horizontal unfold
dissolveIn	—	Dissolve effect

Exit (element disappears):

Type	Required fields	Description
fadeOut	—	Opacity 100% -> 0
flyOut	direction	Fly out to a direction
wipeOut	direction	Wipe out to a direction
zoomOut	—	Scale from 100% to 0%
floatOut	—	Fade + drift away
dissolveOut	—	Dissolve out

Emphasis (element is already visible):

Type	Required fields	Description
pulse	scale (default 110)	Pulse size briefly
spin	degrees (default 360)	Rotate in place
growShrink	scale	Scale up/down
colorChange	color	Animate fill to new color
transparency	opacity	Animate to opacity %
teeter	degrees	Rock back and forth
blink	—	Quick hide/show

Motion:

Type	Required fields	Description
motionPath	points array or path+direction+distance	Move along a path

Direction values (for flyIn/Out, wipeIn/Out)

top, bottom, left, right, topLeft, topRight, bottomLeft, bottomRight

---

Animation Patterns

Pattern 1: Staggered entrance (elements appear one after another)

Use afterPrevious with increasing delay on each element:

// Element 1 — auto-plays on slide entry (first afterPrevious = auto-play)
{ "type": "fadeIn", "duration": 500, "trigger": "afterPrevious" }

// Element 2 — starts after element 1 finishes, plus 200ms pause
{ "type": "fadeIn", "duration": 500, "trigger": "afterPrevious", "delay": 200 }

// Element 3 — starts after element 2 finishes, plus 200ms pause
{ "type": "fadeIn", "duration": 500, "trigger": "afterPrevious", "delay": 200 }

Pattern 2: Simultaneous entrance (multiple elements at once)

Use withPrevious on elements that should appear together:

// Element 1
{ "type": "fadeIn", "duration": 500, "trigger": "afterPrevious" }

// Element 2 — plays at the same time as Element 1
{ "type": "fadeIn", "duration": 500, "trigger": "withPrevious" }

Pattern 3: Auto-play sequence on slide entry

All afterPrevious — the entire chain plays automatically when the slide appears:

// Title fades in automatically
{ "type": "fadeIn", "duration": 800, "trigger": "afterPrevious" }

// Subtitle fades in after title, with a 300ms gap
{ "type": "fadeIn", "duration": 600, "trigger": "afterPrevious", "delay": 300 }

// Divider line wipes in after subtitle
{ "type": "wipeIn", "direction": "right", "duration": 400, "trigger": "afterPrevious", "delay": 200 }

// Content cards fly in one by one
{ "type": "flyIn", "direction": "bottom", "duration": 600, "trigger": "afterPrevious", "delay": 200 }
{ "type": "flyIn", "direction": "bottom", "duration": 600, "trigger": "afterPrevious", "delay": 200 }

Pattern 4: Multiple animations on one element

An element can have multiple animations that play in sequence. Use order to control sequence:

"animations": [
  { "type": "fadeIn", "duration": 300, "trigger": "afterPrevious", "order": 0 },
  { "type": "spin", "degrees": 72, "duration": 900, "trigger": "afterPrevious", "order": 1 }
]

Pattern 5: Rotating wheel across slides

Use a group with a base rotation that changes per slide + a spin animation:

// Slide 2: rotation 0, spin +72
{ "type": "group", "rotation": 0, "animations": [
    { "type": "fadeIn", "duration": 300, "trigger": "afterPrevious", "order": 0 },
    { "type": "spin", "degrees": 72, "duration": 900, "trigger": "afterPrevious", "order": 1 }
]}

// Slide 3: rotation 72, spin +72
{ "type": "group", "rotation": 72, "animations": [
    { "type": "fadeIn", "duration": 300, "trigger": "afterPrevious", "order": 0 },
    { "type": "spin", "degrees": 72, "duration": 900, "trigger": "afterPrevious", "order": 1 }
]}

// Slide 4: rotation 144, spin +72
{ "type": "group", "rotation": 144, "animations": [...same...] }

Each slide starts where the previous left off (base rotation = previous base + spin degrees).

Pattern 6: Click-to-reveal (interactive)

Use onClick for elements that should appear only on click:

// Visible immediately
{ "type": "fadeIn", "duration": 500, "trigger": "afterPrevious" }

// Appears on first click
{ "type": "fadeIn", "duration": 500, "trigger": "onClick" }

// Appears on second click
{ "type": "flyIn", "direction": "left", "duration": 600, "trigger": "onClick" }

---

Layout Reference

Slide: 13.333" x 7.5". Safe area: x=0.5 to x=12.833, y=0.5 to y=7.0.

Y=0.4–0.5    Title area         (h ~ 1.0–1.5)
Y=1.8–2.0    Content start      (h ~ 4.0)
Y=6.0–6.5    Footer / source    (h ~ 0.5)

Common column layouts

Layout	Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
2-col	x=0.5, w=5.9	x=6.8, w=5.9	—
3-col	x=0.5, w=3.8	x=4.7, w=3.8	x=8.9, w=3.8
4-col	x=0.5, w=2.83	x=3.67, w=2.83	x=6.83, w=2.83

Gap between columns: ~0.4".

Centering N items horizontally

Formula: given itemW, gap, and N items:

• totalW = N * itemW + (N-1) * gap
• startX = (13.333 - totalW) / 2
• Each item: x = startX + i * (itemW + gap)

Placing items in a circle

For N items on a circle of radius R centered at (cx, cy), item size s:

• angle_i = i * (360 / N) - 90 (start from top)
• x = cx + R * cos(angle_i) - s/2
• y = cy + R * sin(angle_i) - s/2

---

Components (high-level)

These expand into primitive groups automatically. Use position and optional animations.

progressBar

{ "type": "progressBar", "position": { "x": 1, "y": 1, "w": 5, "h": 0.5 },
  "value": 72, "color": "4472C4", "trackColor": "E6E6E6", "showLabel": true }

progressRing

{ "type": "progressRing", "position": { "x": 1, "y": 1, "w": 2, "h": 2 },
  "value": 65, "color": "70AD47", "trackColor": "E6E6E6", "thickness": 0.16, "showLabel": true }

barChart

{ "type": "barChart", "position": { "x": 1, "y": 3, "w": 6, "h": 3 },
  "data": [40, 70, 55, 90], "labels": ["Q1", "Q2", "Q3", "Q4"],
  "colors": ["4472C4", "5B9BD5", "70AD47", "ED7D31"], "showValues": true, "axis": true }

kpiCard

{ "type": "kpiCard", "position": { "x": 1, "y": 1, "w": 3, "h": 1.5 },
  "value": "$1.2M", "label": "Revenue", "delta": "+12%", "accent": "5B9BD5" }

ratingStars

{ "type": "ratingStars", "position": { "x": 1, "y": 1, "w": 4, "h": 0.9 },
  "rating": 4, "max": 5, "color": "FFC000", "emptyColor": "D9D9D9" }

timeline

{ "type": "timeline", "position": { "x": 1, "y": 1.5, "w": 11, "h": 2 },
  "items": [{ "label": "2021", "sub": "Founded" }, { "label": "2022", "sub": "Seed" }],
  "dotColor": "4472C4", "lineColor": "CCCCCC" }

processFlow

{ "type": "processFlow", "position": { "x": 1, "y": 5, "w": 6, "h": 0.8 },
  "steps": ["Plan", "Build", "Test", "Ship"],
  "colors": ["4472C4", "5B9BD5", "70AD47", "ED7D31"], "shape": "chevron" }

---

Complete Example: Title Slide + Content Slide

{
  "width": 13.333, "height": 7.5,
  "meta": { "title": "Demo", "author": "Agent" },
  "theme": {
    "colors": { "accent1": "4472C4", "accent2": "ED7D31" },
    "majorFont": "Calibri Light", "minorFont": "Calibri"
  },
  "slides": [
    {
      "background": { "type": "gradient", "stops": [{ "position": 0, "color": "0B0B1F" }, { "position": 100, "color": "162447" }], "angle": 135 },
      "transition": "fade",
      "elements": [
        {
          "type": "text", "text": "Presentation Title",
          "position": { "x": 0.8, "y": 2.5, "w": 11.7, "h": 1.2 },
          "fontSize": 48, "bold": true, "color": "FFFFFF", "align": "center", "fontFamily": "Calibri Light",
          "animations": [{ "type": "fadeIn", "duration": 800, "trigger": "afterPrevious" }]
        },
        {
          "type": "text", "text": "Subtitle goes here",
          "position": { "x": 2, "y": 3.8, "w": 9.3, "h": 0.6 },
          "fontSize": 20, "color": "8899BB", "align": "center", "fontFamily": "Calibri Light",
          "animations": [{ "type": "fadeIn", "duration": 600, "trigger": "afterPrevious", "delay": 300 }]
        },
        {
          "type": "shape", "shapeType": "rect",
          "position": { "x": 4.3, "y": 4.6, "w": 4.7, "h": 0.022 },
          "fill": "4472C4",
          "animations": [{ "type": "wipeIn", "direction": "right", "duration": 500, "trigger": "afterPrevious", "delay": 200 }]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "background": "FFFFFF",
      "transition": "fade",
      "elements": [
        {
          "type": "text", "text": "Section Title",
          "position": { "x": 0.5, "y": 0.4, "w": 12.3, "h": 1 },
          "fontSize": 36, "bold": true, "color": "2D3436", "align": "center",
          "animations": [{ "type": "fadeIn", "duration": 500, "trigger": "afterPrevious" }]
        },
        {
          "type": "shape", "shapeType": "roundRect",
          "position": { "x": 0.5, "y": 1.8, "w": 3.8, "h": 2.5 },
          "fill": "4472C4",
          "text": [
            { "text": "Card 1", "fontSize": 20, "bold": true, "color": "FFFFFF" },
            { "text": "Description here", "fontSize": 14, "color": "CCDDFF" }
          ],
          "align": "center", "vertAlign": "middle",
          "animations": [{ "type": "flyIn", "direction": "bottom", "duration": 600, "trigger": "afterPrevious", "delay": 200 }]
        },
        {
          "type": "shape", "shapeType": "roundRect",
          "position": { "x": 4.7, "y": 1.8, "w": 3.8, "h": 2.5 },
          "fill": "ED7D31",
          "text": [
            { "text": "Card 2", "fontSize": 20, "bold": true, "color": "FFFFFF" },
            { "text": "More details", "fontSize": 14, "color": "FFE0C0" }
          ],
          "align": "center", "vertAlign": "middle",
          "animations": [{ "type": "flyIn", "direction": "bottom", "duration": 600, "trigger": "afterPrevious", "delay": 200 }]
        },
        {
          "type": "shape", "shapeType": "roundRect",
          "position": { "x": 8.9, "y": 1.8, "w": 3.8, "h": 2.5 },
          "fill": "70AD47",
          "text": [
            { "text": "Card 3", "fontSize": 20, "bold": true, "color": "FFFFFF" },
            { "text": "Third point", "fontSize": 14, "color": "D4EFCC" }
          ],
          "align": "center", "vertAlign": "middle",
          "animations": [{ "type": "flyIn", "direction": "bottom", "duration": 600, "trigger": "afterPrevious", "delay": 200 }]
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

---

Workflow: Modify Existing PPTX

slidej parse original.pptx --no-images -o deck.json   # Step 1: parse
# Edit deck.json (remove `id`, `name`, `srcBase64` fields if present)
slidej generate deck.json -o updated.pptx              # Step 2: regenerate

Workflow: Create from Template

slidej template list                                   # browse
slidej template info pitch-deck                        # see style guide
slidej template use pitch-deck -o deck.json            # export
# Edit deck.json
slidej generate deck.json -o presentation.pptx         # generate