pptx-from-layouts

Generate consultant-quality PowerPoint decks from markdown outlines — using your template's actual slide layouts, not text overlays.

The Problem

Most PowerPoint generation tools treat templates as backgrounds to overlay text on. They:

• Duplicate decorative slides and add text boxes on top
• Fight with background designs and watermarks
• Ignore the template's carefully designed slide layouts
• Produce amateur-looking results

The Solution

pptx-from-layouts understands PowerPoint's architecture. It:

• Profiles your template's slide master layouts
• Maps your semantic content to appropriate layouts
• Places content in proper placeholders
• Preserves your template's professional design

Quick Start

Installation

# Copy to your Claude Code skills directory
cp -r .claude/skills/pptx-from-layouts ~/.claude/skills/

Generate a Presentation

python ~/.claude/skills/pptx-from-layouts/scripts/generate.py \
  outline.md -o presentation.pptx --template your-template.pptx

Profile a New Template

python ~/.claude/skills/pptx-from-layouts/scripts/profile.py \
  corporate-template.pptx --generate-config

Outline Format

Write markdown with visual type declarations:

# Slide 1: Project Overview
**Visual: hero-statement**
Transforming operations through digital innovation

---

# Slide 2: Our Approach
**Visual: process-3-phase**

[Column 1: Discover]
- Stakeholder interviews
- Competitive audit

[Column 2: Define]
- Workshop facilitation
- Strategic framework

[Column 3: Deliver]
- Implementation
- Training & handover

---

# Slide 3: Investment Summary
**Visual: table**

| Category | Investment |
|----------|------------|
| Research | $50,000 |
| Design | $75,000 |
| **Total** | **$125,000** |

Visual Types

Type	Use When
hero-statement	Single punchy tagline
process-N-phase	Sequential steps (2-5)
comparison-N	Side-by-side options
cards-N	Discrete parallel items
table	Tabular data
timeline-horizontal	Date-based sequences
quote-hero	Powerful quote

See full reference →

Features

• Semantic Layout Selection — Visual types map to appropriate template layouts
• Typography Markers — {blue}, {bold}, {question} for rich formatting
• Template Profiling — Works with any well-designed PPTX template
• Edit Mode — Surgical changes to existing decks
• Validation — Built-in quality checks

Workflows

Scenario	Command
New presentation from outline	generate.py outline.md -o deck.pptx
Use corporate template	profile.py template.pptx then generate
Fix typos in existing deck	edit.py deck.pptx --replace '{"old":"2025","new":"2026"}'
Reorder slides	edit.py deck.pptx --reorder "0,2,1,3,4"

Mode Decision

Change Type	Action
New presentation	generate.py
Typos/values (< 30% slides)	edit.py
Reorder slides	edit.py --reorder
Layout changes	Regenerate
Add/remove slides	Regenerate
> 30% slide changes	Regenerate

Example Output

See examples/q1-strategy/ for a complete example:

• outline.md — Input markdown outline
• output.pptx — Generated presentation
• thumbnail.jpg — Visual preview

Why This Skill?

We tested 32 PowerPoint generation skills. Most use an "inventory/replace" approach that overlays text on template slides — which breaks with many professional templates.

pptx-from-layouts takes a different approach: it uses your template's slide master layouts properly, placing content in actual placeholders instead of fighting the design.

Skill	Score	Approach	Limitation
pptx-from-layouts	95	Slide master layouts	This repo
pptx-jjuidev	94	Template inventory/replace	Assumes text placeholders exist
anthropics-pptx	90.6	Template inventory/replace	Same limitation
elite-powerpoint-designer	90	HTML to PPTX	Creates from scratch, no template reuse
pptx-samhvw8	88	Template inventory/replace	Same limitation
k-dense-pptx	85	Direct python-pptx	Low-level, no semantic understanding
python-pptx	82	Library wrapper	Manual slide construction
powerpoint-igorwarzocha	80	Mixed approach	Incomplete implementation

The 7 alternatives above scored 80+/100 and are included in alternatives/ for comparison. See detailed analysis →

Requirements

• Python 3.10+
• python-pptx (pip install python-pptx)
• Claude Code (for skill integration)

License

MIT — See LICENSE for details.