deck-assembler

name	deck-assembler
description	Assemble a coherent USC Beamer talk from the reusable Yue Zhao intro module and one or more existing paper decks in this repo. Use when the user wants a merged deck with light bridge slides, trimmed duplicate wrappers, and one throughline, without regenerating each paper talk from scratch.

Deck Assembler

Read references/assembly-patterns.md first. Read references/continuity-checks.md before finalizing any merged deck.

This skill assembles a combined talk from existing slide assets in this repo. It is for stitching and continuity, not for generating new paper decks from papers/, and not for rewriting each paper's technical content from scratch.

When more than one paper talk is merged, default to a long-form combined talk unless the user explicitly asks for a tighter or shorter merged deck.

Workspace Contract

This skill is repo-specific. Treat these paths as relative to the workspace root:

• README.md
• theme/
• templates/
• decks/

Before generating anything, verify that the workspace contains at least:

• README.md
• templates/demo.tex
• templates/paper-deck-base.tex
• theme/beamerthemeuscmoloch.sty
• at least one existing decks/<paper-slug>/<paper-slug>-deck.tex

Useful optional sources:

• templates/modules/yzhao-intro-slides.tex
• templates/modules/yzhao-intro-facts.md
• decks/<paper-slug>/presenter-map.md

If the contract is not satisfied, stop and ask the user instead of improvising a different layout.

Default Outputs

Generate these artifacts by default:

• decks/<talk-slug>/<talk-slug>-deck.tex
• decks/<talk-slug>/assembly-map.md

Create decks/<talk-slug>/modules/ only when the source decks are standalone documents and you need talk-local frame-block extracts for maintainability.

Compile the merged deck by default if the local LaTeX toolchain works. Output PDFs can remain local artifacts.

Workflow

1. Verify the workspace contract and identify the inputs:
   • whether the merged deck should include templates/modules/yzhao-intro-slides.tex
   • which existing paper decks under decks/ will be merged
   • the desired <talk-slug>, or derive one only if the user does not care
2. Define one master throughline before moving slides:
   • one audience
   • one title or talk topic
   • one sentence for why these parts belong together
   • one role for each inserted paper segment
   • whether the user wants a shortened merged talk or a long-form merged talk
   • if the user does not specify, choose long-form
3. Inspect each source deck only enough to map:
   • title or roadmap wrappers
   • local section structure
   • core technical frames worth preserving
   • local macros, colors, packages, and \graphicspath entries required for those frames
4. Follow the assembly patterns in references/assembly-patterns.md to choose a light-touch merged structure.
5. Keep each paper's technical content stable. Prefer these low-risk moves before deeper edits:
   • remove duplicate title pages
   • add one quick talk-overview slide after the intro module when multiple talk segments will follow
   • remove duplicate roadmaps or near-duplicate problem framing only if the user wants a tighter merged talk
   • remove standalone Questions? endings or references appendices only when the merged deck has its own master ending or merged references appendix
   • add one bridge slide before a paper segment
   • add one synthesis or closing frame only if the combined talk needs it
6. Because source paper decks are usually full standalone documents, never \input an entire source deck directly into the merged deck. Extract the needed frame blocks into the merged deck or into talk-local module files under decks/<talk-slug>/modules/.
7. Build one master deck under decks/<talk-slug>/ using templates/paper-deck-base.tex or a copied existing deck preamble as the styling base.
8. Lift only the required source-deck dependencies into the master deck:
   • macros needed by imported frames
   • package imports not already covered by the base deck
   • \graphicspath entries for the reused figures
   • local bibliography files only if the merged deck still projects citations

• missing macros or packages
• broken figure paths
• style drift caused by copied local definitions
• repeated slides or repeated framing that make the talk feel stitched together

Operating Rules

• This skill assembles from existing decks and modules. If the user only has a paper source under papers/, use $paper-to-beamer first.
• Preserve the source decks. Do not destructively rewrite or delete the original paper decks just to make the merged deck work.
• Treat templates/modules/yzhao-intro-slides.tex as the reusable intro insert when the user wants a personal or lab opening.
• Use one master title page, one master roadmap if needed, and one master closing direction for the merged deck.
• When multiple paper talks are merged, add a quick Talk Overview slide after the intro module by default so the audience knows what will happen in the combined talk.
• Multiple-talk assembly defaults to long-form mode. Preserve the main and supporting content of each source talk unless the user explicitly asks for a shorter merged deck.
• Even in long-form mode, trim duplicate title pages first before touching core technical frames.
• Add only enough bridge content to reduce fragmentation. The merged deck should not become a second full narrative layered on top of the papers.
• Make each inserted paper serve a clear role in the combined talk, such as benchmark anchor, systems case study, safety example, or deployment example.
• Keep one narrative voice and one audience assumption across the merged deck, even if the source decks were written separately.
• Prefer light retitling, wrapper removal, and bridge slides over rewriting the technical content of the paper frames.
• When multiple paper decks repeat the same motivation or background, keep the strongest version once and shorten the repeats.
• Keep visual style unified through the master preamble rather than letting each imported segment bring its own chrome.
• Record any source-sensitive decisions in assembly-map.md, especially omitted wrappers and any compatibility imports.
• This skill assembles merged decks only. It does not regenerate intro slides, regenerate paper talks from source, or automatically update presenter maps for the source paper decks.