PPTX Skill (Localized for WorkBuddy)#

Original: anthropics/skills Localized for WorkBuddy by 非宜

Quick Reference#

TaskGuideRead/analyze contentpython -m markitdown presentation.pptxEdit or create from templateRead editing.mdCreate from scratchRead pptxgenjs.md

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Reading Content#

bash

# Text extraction
python -m markitdown presentation.pptx

# Visual overview (requires LibreOffice + Poppler)
python scripts/thumbnail.py presentation.pptx

# Raw XML
python scripts/office/unpack.py presentation.pptx unpacked/

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Editing Workflow#

Read editing.md for full details.

1. Analyze template with thumbnail.py
2. Unpack → manipulate slides → edit content → clean → pack

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Creating from Scratch#

Read pptxgenjs.md for full details.

Use when no template or reference presentation is available. Uses pptxgenjs (Node.js) to programmatically generate .pptx files.

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Design Ideas#

Don't create boring slides. Plain bullets on a white background won't impress anyone. Consider ideas from this list for each slide.

Before Starting#

• Pick a bold, content-informed color palette: The palette should feel designed for THIS topic.
• Dominance over equality: One color should dominate (60-70% visual weight), with 1-2 supporting tones and one sharp accent.
• Dark/light contrast: Dark backgrounds for title + conclusion slides, light for content. Or commit to dark throughout for a premium feel.
• Commit to a visual motif: Pick ONE distinctive element and repeat it.

Color Palettes#

ThemePrimarySecondaryAccentMidnight Executive1E2761 (navy)CADCFC (ice blue)FFFFFF (white)Forest & Moss2C5F2D (forest)97BC62 (moss)F5F5F5 (cream)Coral EnergyF96167 (coral)F9E795 (gold)2F3C7E (navy)Warm TerracottaB85042 (terracotta)E7E8D1 (sand)A7BEAE (sage)Ocean Gradient065A82 (deep blue)1C7293 (teal)21295C (midnight)Charcoal Minimal36454F (charcoal)F2F2F2 (off-white)212121 (black)

Typography#

Header FontBody FontGeorgiaCalibriArial BlackArialCalibriCalibri LightCambriaCalibriTrebuchet MSCalibriElementSizeSlide title36-44pt boldSection header20-24pt boldBody text14-16ptCaptions10-12pt muted

Avoid (Common Mistakes)#

• Don't repeat the same layout across slides
• Don't center body text — left-align paragraphs and lists; center only titles
• Don't default to blue — pick colors that reflect the specific topic
• Don't create text-only slides — add images, icons, charts, or visual elements
• NEVER use accent lines under titles — use whitespace or background color instead

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QA (Required)#

Assume there are problems. Your job is to find them.

Content QA#

bash

python -m markitdown output.pptx

Check for missing content, typos, wrong order.

When using templates, check for leftover placeholder text:

bash

python -m markitdown output.pptx | grep -iE "xxxx|lorem|ipsum|this.*(page|slide).*layout"

Visual QA#

Convert slides to images, then inspect visually:

bash

# Convert to PDF first (requires LibreOffice)
python scripts/office/soffice.py --headless --convert-to pdf output.pptx

# Convert PDF to JPEG images (requires Poppler - pdftoppm)
pdftoppm -jpeg -r 150 output.pdf slide

This creates slide-01.jpg, slide-02.jpg, etc.

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Dependencies#

Install these once (managed under ~/.workbuddy/binaries/):

bash

# Python: text extraction
pip install "markitdown[pptx]" Pillow defusedxml

# Node.js: create presentations from scratch
npm install -g pptxgenjs

# Optional (for visual QA):
# - LibreOffice (soffice) for PDF conversion
# - Poppler (pdftoppm) for PDF-to-image conversion

Windows Note: soffice.py in this localized version skips the AF_UNIX socket shim (Linux-only). It simply runs soffice directly via subprocess.run. Make sure LibreOffice is installed and soffice is in your PATH, or set the SOFFICE_PATH environment variable to the full path of soffice.exe.

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Localization Notes (vs. upstream)#

1. scripts/office/soffice.py — Removed AF_UNIX / LD_PRELOAD shim logic. Windows never blocks AF_UNIX, so the script just delegates to soffice directly.
2. scripts/office/unpack.py / pack.py — Use defusedxml.minidom (same as upstream). No changes needed.
3. Node.js path — Use the managed Node path: C:\Users\Administrator\.workbuddy\binaries\node\versions\node-v20.18.0-win-x64\node.exe and the managed npm global prefix for pptxgenjs.
4. pdftoppm — On Windows, install Poppler for Windows or use png output from LibreOffice directly as a fallback.

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Scripts Overview#

ScriptPurposescripts/office/unpack.pyExtract and pretty-print PPTXscripts/add_slide.pyDuplicate slide or create from layoutscripts/clean.pyRemove orphaned filesscripts/office/pack.pyRepack with validationscripts/thumbnail.pyCreate visual grid of slidesscripts/office/soffice.pyRun LibreOffice (Windows-compatible)