PPTX to Beamer

Overview

Use this skill to turn a .pptx file into a Beamer project with extracted assets and a validation pass. The bundled scripts are designed for deterministic conversion of common slide content, while the workflow leaves room for agent judgment on theme choice and hard-to-map visual elements.

When To Use It

• The user wants a PowerPoint deck reconstructed as a LaTeX Beamer document.
• The task requires extracting text hierarchy, slide titles, bullet nesting, or embedded images from .pptx.
• The user wants a compilable starting point rather than manual copy/paste.
• The deck contains some complexity such as mixed formatting, tables, or decorative shapes that need fallback handling.

Quick Start

1. Convert the deck:

bash
python3 scripts/pptx_to_beamer.py INPUT.pptx \
  --output build/presentation.tex \
  --assets-dir build/assets \
  --theme auto

1. Validate the generated .tex:

bash
python3 scripts/check_beamer_tex.py build/presentation.tex

1. If LaTeX is installed, compile as an additional verification step:

bash
pdflatex -interaction=nonstopmode -halt-on-error -output-directory build build/presentation.tex

Workflow

1. Gather Constraints

• Ask for a specific Beamer theme only when the user has a real preference or branding constraint.
• If the user does not specify a theme, use --theme auto. The converter will infer a professional default from slide density and available theme metadata.
• Preserve the deck’s slide order unless the user explicitly asks for reorganization.

2. Convert Deterministically First

Run scripts/pptx_to_beamer.py before making manual edits. It handles:

• Slide titles to \begin{frame}{...}
• Bullet lists and nesting to itemize or enumerate
• Inline formatting such as bold, italic, and underlined runs
• Embedded images extracted from the .pptx archive into a local assets directory
• Basic tables converted into tabular

3. Apply Agentic Reasoning

The converter produces a strong draft, but the agent should still inspect the result and make judgment calls:

• Theme selection: Prefer metropolis for sparse, image-forward, or modern decks. Prefer Madrid for denser, corporate, or text-heavy decks. Use an explicit user choice over any inferred choice.
• Contextual formatting: Keep inline emphasis when it clarifies meaning. If a slide uses formatting purely decoratively, simplify when needed to keep the Beamer source readable.
• Complex shapes and diagrams: Do not invent TikZ reconstructions unless the user asks. Instead, preserve nearby text, add a short LaTeX comment noting the omitted object, and, when possible, export the visual as an image fallback.
• Tables: Preserve table content and basic structure. If a table is too wide or visually intricate, wrap it in \resizebox{\textwidth}{!}{...} or convert it into a simpler bullet summary only if the user approves.

For mapping details and fallback rules, read references/mapping-guide.md.

4. Validate and Repair

Always run scripts/check_beamer_tex.py after generation. The validator checks:

• Unmatched \begin{...} and \end{...} pairs
• Unbalanced braces
• Missing image files referenced by \includegraphics
• Optional pdflatex or latexmk compilation when available

If validation fails:

• Escape invalid LaTeX characters such as %, &, _, #, {, and }.
• Fix or remove broken image references.
• Replace unsupported constructs with plain text or comments rather than leaving invalid LaTeX behind.

5. Verify Output Quality

Before handing off:

• Spot-check title slides, dense bullet slides, and any slide with media.
• Make sure nested bullets are represented with nested list environments.
• Confirm extracted image paths are relative to the generated .tex file.
• Call out any manual approximations made for diagrams, SmartArt, or decorative shapes.

Resources

scripts/pptx_to_beamer.py

Primary converter. Reads the PPTX zip package directly with Python standard library modules and writes:

• A Beamer .tex file
• An extracted assets directory for images
• A conversion summary on stdout

scripts/check_beamer_tex.py

Validation helper for syntax, environment pairing, image references, and optional LaTeX compilation.

references/mapping-guide.md

Concise mapping rules for text, lists, formatting, tables, images, and non-1:1 PowerPoint objects.

references/discussion-post-template.md

Ready-to-post draft containing a summary, sample usage, and reflection. Use this when the user asks to publish or share the skill work.