# Pptx > Creates, edits, and analyses PowerPoint presentations with layouts, speaker notes, and design elements. Use when working with .pptx files, creating presentations from topics, modifying slides, or extracting content. Triggers: 'create presentation from topic', 'slide deck from document', 'powerpoint from scratch'. - **Type:** Skill - **Install:** `agentstack add skill-costa-marcello-skillkit-pptx` - **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior - **Seller:** [costa-marcello](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/costa-marcello) - **Installs:** 0 - **Category:** [Agent Skills](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/agent-skills) - **Latest version:** 0.1.0 - **License:** MIT - **Upstream author:** [costa-marcello](https://github.com/costa-marcello) - **Source:** https://github.com/costa-marcello/skillkit/tree/main/skills/pptx ## Install ```sh agentstack add skill-costa-marcello-skillkit-pptx ``` Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent. ## About # PPTX creation, editing, and analysis A .pptx file is a ZIP archive containing XML files and other resources. This skill provides different workflows for creating, editing, and analysing presentations. ## Creating from Topic (Content-First) For generating complete decks from a topic, document, or brief, use the content-first workflow built on the **Pyramid Principle** (conclusion, reasons, evidence): 1. **Intake**: Use questionnaire at `references/content-workflow/INTAKE.md` 2. **Follow 9-stage workflow**: `references/content-workflow/WORKFLOW.md` 3. **Score with rubric** (must reach 75+): `references/content-workflow/RUBRIC.md` ### Content-First Reference Files | File | Purpose | |------|---------| | `INTAKE.md` | Questionnaire to gather requirements | | `WORKFLOW.md` | 9-stage content generation process | | `TEMPLATES.md` | Slide layout templates | | `VIS-GUIDE.md` | Chart and visualisation selection | | `STYLE-GUIDE.md` | WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, typography | | `RUBRIC.md` | Quality scoring (10 dimensions, 75+ to pass) | | `CHECKLIST.md` | Pre-delivery verification | | `ORCHESTRATION_OVERVIEW.md` | High-level orchestration map across the 9 stages | | `ORCHESTRATION_PPTX.md` | Slide-build orchestration (HTML, layout, packaging) | | `ORCHESTRATION_DATA_CHARTS.md` | Chart and data-visual orchestration (chartkit) | | `EXAMPLES.md` | Sample presentations | ### Chart Generation For data-driven charts, use chartkit: ```bash python scripts/chartkit.py \ --data data.csv \ --type line \ --x date \ --y sales profit \ --out output/assets \ --filename kpi_trend.png \ --title "Monthly KPIs" ``` Creates: `kpi_trend.png` line chart in output/assets Supported chart types: `line`, `area`, `bar`, `barh`, `scatter`, `hist`, `waterfall` ## Reading and analysing content ### Text extraction To read text contents, convert the document to markdown: ```bash python -m markitdown path-to-file.pptx ``` Outputs: Markdown text content from all slides ### Raw XML access Raw XML access is needed for: comments, speaker notes, slide layouts, animations, design elements, and complex formatting. Unpack the presentation and read its raw XML contents. ```bash python ooxml/scripts/unpack.py presentation.pptx unpacked/ ``` Creates: Directory with extracted XML files and media **Note**: The unpack.py script is at `skills/pptx/ooxml/scripts/unpack.py` relative to the project root. If the script is not at this path, use `find . -name "unpack.py"` to locate it. #### 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 colour extraction **When given an example design to emulate**: Analyse the presentation's typography and colours first: 1. **Read theme file**: Check `ppt/theme/theme1.xml` for colours (``) and fonts (``) 2. **Sample slide content**: Examine `ppt/slides/slide1.xml` for actual font usage (``) and colours 3. **Search for patterns**: Use grep to find colour (``, ``) and font references across all XML files ## Creating a new presentation without a template Use the **html2pptx** workflow to convert HTML slides to PowerPoint with accurate positioning. ### Design Approach Before creating any presentation, analyse the content and choose appropriate design elements: 1. **Identify the subject matter**: What is this presentation about? What tone, industry, or mood does it suggest? 2. **Check for branding**: If the user mentions a company or organisation, use their brand colours and identity 3. **Match palette to content**: Select colours that reflect the subject 4. **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 colour - Check readability: WCAG 2.1 AA contrast (>= 4.5:1 for body, >= 3:1 for large text), body text >= 18pt, headings >= 28pt, clean alignment - Repeat patterns, spacing, and visual language across slides #### Design Resources For colour palettes and visual design elements, read: - `references/color-palettes.md` - 18 curated colour schemes - `references/design-elements.md` - Geometric patterns, typography, layouts ### 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. Use flexbox with unequal column widths (e.g., 40%/60% split) - **Full-slide layout**: Let the featured content take up the entire slide for maximum readability - **Do not vertically stack**: Do not place charts/tables below text in a single column -- this causes poor readability and layout issues ### Workflow 1. Read [`references/html2pptx-guide.md`](references/html2pptx-guide.md) completely from start to finish before proceeding 2. Create an HTML file for each slide with proper dimensions (e.g., 720pt x 405pt for 16:9) - Use ``, ``-``, ``, `` for all text content - Use `class="placeholder"` for areas where charts/tables will be added (render with grey background for visibility) - Rasterise gradients and icons as PNG images first using Sharp, then reference in HTML - For slides with charts/tables/images, use either full-slide layout or two-column layout 3. Create and run a JavaScript file using the [`html2pptx.js`](scripts/html2pptx.js) library to convert HTML slides to PowerPoint and save the presentation - Use the `html2pptx()` function to process each HTML file - Add charts and tables to placeholder areas using PptxGenJS API - Save the presentation using `pptx.writeFile()` 4. **Visual validation**: Generate thumbnails and inspect for layout issues ```bash python scripts/thumbnail.py output.pptx workspace/thumbnails --cols 4 ``` Creates: `workspace/thumbnails.jpg` grid for visual validation - Read and examine the thumbnail image for: - **Text cutoff**: Text being cut off by header bars, shapes, or slide edges - **Text overlap**: Text overlapping with other text or shapes - **Positioning issues**: Content too close to slide boundaries or other elements - **Contrast issues**: Insufficient contrast between text and backgrounds - If issues found, adjust HTML margins/spacing/colours and regenerate the presentation - Repeat until all slides are visually correct ## Editing an existing presentation Work with the raw Office Open XML (OOXML) format: unpack the .pptx file, edit the XML content, and repack it. ### Workflow 1. Read [`references/ooxml-reference.md`](references/ooxml-reference.md) (~500 lines) completely from start to finish before any editing 2. Unpack the presentation: ```bash python ooxml/scripts/unpack.py presentation.pptx unpacked/ ``` 3. Edit the XML files (primarily `ppt/slides/slide{N}.xml` and related files) 4. Validate immediately after each edit: ```bash python ooxml/scripts/validate.py unpacked/ --original presentation.pptx ``` 5. Pack the final presentation: ```bash python ooxml/scripts/pack.py unpacked/ output.pptx ``` ## Creating a presentation using a template Read [`references/template-workflow.md`](references/template-workflow.md) completely from start to finish. It covers the full 7-step process: 1. Extract template text and create visual thumbnail grid 2. Analyse template and save inventory to a file 3. Create presentation outline based on template inventory 4. Duplicate, reorder, and delete slides using `rearrange.py` 5. Extract all text using `inventory.py` 6. Generate replacement text and save to JSON 7. Apply replacements using `replace.py` ## Creating Thumbnail Grids ```bash python scripts/thumbnail.py template.pptx [output_prefix] ``` Creates: `thumbnails.jpg` (or `output_prefix.jpg` if specified) **Features**: - Creates: `thumbnails.jpg` (or `thumbnails-1.jpg`, `thumbnails-2.jpg`, etc. for large decks) - Default: 5 columns, max 30 slides per grid (5x6) - 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 ```bash # 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 Individual Images For cases where you need individual slide images rather than a grid: ```bash # Step 1: Convert PPTX to PDF soffice --headless --convert-to pdf template.pptx # Step 2: Convert PDF pages to JPEG images pdftoppm -jpeg -r 150 template.pdf slide ``` Creates: `slide-1.jpg`, `slide-2.jpg`, etc. Options: `-r 150` (DPI), `-jpeg` or `-png` (format), `-f N -l N` (page range) ## Code Style Guidelines When generating code for PPTX operations, write concise code. Avoid verbose variable names, redundant operations, and unnecessary print statements. ## Dependencies Required dependencies (should already be installed): | Package | Install (pip) | Install (npm) | Purpose | |---------|--------------|---------------|---------| | markitdown | `pip install "markitdown[pptx]"` | -- | Text extraction from presentations | | pptxgenjs | -- | `npm install -g pptxgenjs` | Creating presentations via html2pptx | | playwright | -- | `npm install -g playwright` | HTML rendering in html2pptx | | react-icons | -- | `npm install -g react-icons react react-dom` | Icons | | sharp | -- | `npm install -g sharp` | SVG rasterisation and image processing | | defusedxml | `pip install defusedxml` | -- | Secure XML parsing | | LibreOffice | System package: `brew install libreoffice` (macOS) or `apt-get install libreoffice` (Linux) | -- | PDF conversion | | Poppler | System package: `brew install poppler` (macOS) or `apt-get install poppler-utils` (Linux) | -- | PDF to image conversion via pdftoppm | ## Source & license This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code. - **Author:** [costa-marcello](https://github.com/costa-marcello) - **Source:** [costa-marcello/skillkit](https://github.com/costa-marcello/skillkit) - **License:** MIT Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above. ## Pricing - **Free** — Free ## Security capabilities Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access: - **Network access:** no - **Filesystem access:** no - **Shell / process execution:** no - **Environment & secrets:** no - **Dynamic code execution:** no *"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.* ## Versions - **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source. ## Links - Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-costa-marcello-skillkit-pptx - Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/costa-marcello - Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse --- Listed on AgentStack — the marketplace for AI agent skills and MCP servers. Every listing is security-reviewed. Creators keep 70%.