PPT Generator

Overview

Generate professional .pptx files using python-pptx. Accept input as natural language ("make a 10-slide deck about AI safety") or structured Markdown outlines.

Workflow

1. Parse input — extract topic, slide count, style hints from user's natural language or Markdown outline
2. Design outline — plan each slide: layout type, title, content summary
3. Present outline to user — show a numbered slide list for confirmation before writing code
4. Generate script — write a self-contained Python script using python-pptx
5. Execute and verify — run the script, confirm the .pptx file was created

Never skip step 3. Always get user approval on the outline before writing code.

Typography Rules

These are mandatory defaults. Only deviate if the user explicitly overrides.

Margins: left/right 1.5 inch, top/bottom 1.2 inch (when using manual text boxes). For built-in layouts, leave at defaults.

Color Themes

Four preset themes. Default is "Professional Blue". User can switch by name.

Slide Types

Title Slide

Centered title, subtitle, author/date. Use PPT_LAYOUT_TITLE (layout index 0).

Content Slide (Bullet List)

Title at top, bullet points in body. Use PPT_LAYOUT_BODY (layout index 1) or manual text box for multi-level lists.

Two-Column

Title, two text columns side by side. Use manual text boxes positioned at 0.5" and 5.0" horizontally.

Image + Text

Title, image on one side, text on the other. Use add_picture() with manual placement.

Table Slide

Title + table. Use add_table(rows, cols).

Ending Slide

Centered "Thank You" or "Q&A" with contact info. Same layout as title slide.

Code Patterns

Bootstrap every script like this:

from pptx import Presentation
from pptx.util import Inches, Pt, Emu
from pptx.dml.color import RGBColor
from pptx.enum.text import PP_ALIGN, MSO_ANCHOR
import os

prs = Presentation()
prs.slide_width = Inches(13.333)  # 16:9 widescreen
prs.slide_height = Inches(7.5)

# Theme colors (Professional Blue)
PRIMARY = RGBColor(0x1a, 0x1a, 0x2e)
SECONDARY = RGBColor(0x16, 0x21, 0x3e)
ACCENT = RGBColor(0x0f, 0x34, 0x60)
BG = RGBColor(0xff, 0xff, 0xff)

# Helper: add a text box
def add_textbox(slide, left, top, width, height, text, font_size=Pt(14),
                bold=False, color=RGBColor(0x33, 0x33, 0x33), alignment=PP_ALIGN.LEFT):
    txBox = slide.shapes.add_textbox(Inches(left), Inches(top),
                                      Inches(width), Inches(height))
    tf = txBox.text_frame
    tf.word_wrap = True
    p = tf.paragraphs[0]
    p.text = text
    p.font.size = font_size
    p.font.bold = bold
    p.font.color.rgb = color
    p.alignment = alignment
    return tf

# Helper: add bullet points from a list
def add_bullet_list(slide, left, top, width, height, items, font_size=Pt(14)):
    txBox = slide.shapes.add_textbox(Inches(left), Inches(top),
                                      Inches(width), Inches(height))
    tf = txBox.text_frame
    tf.word_wrap = True
    for i, item in enumerate(items):
        if i == 0:
            p = tf.paragraphs[0]
        else:
            p = tf.add_paragraph()
        p.text = item
        p.font.size = font_size
        p.font.color.rgb = RGBColor(0x33, 0x33, 0x33)
        p.level = 0
        p.space_after = Pt(6)
    return tf

Title slide:

slide = prs.slides.add_slide(prs.slide_layouts[6])  # blank layout
add_textbox(slide, 1.5, 2.0, 10, 1.5, "Presentation Title",
            Pt(36), True, PRIMARY, PP_ALIGN.CENTER)
add_textbox(slide, 1.5, 3.5, 10, 0.8, "Subtitle or Author",
            Pt(18), False, RGBColor(0x55, 0x55, 0x55), PP_ALIGN.CENTER)
add_textbox(slide, 1.5, 4.5, 10, 0.5, "2024-01-15",
            Pt(11), False, RGBColor(0x88, 0x88, 0x88), PP_ALIGN.CENTER)

Content slide with bullets:

slide = prs.slides.add_slide(prs.slide_layouts[6])
add_textbox(slide, 0.8, 0.4, 10, 0.8, "Slide Title", Pt(32), True, PRIMARY)
items = ["Point one: key insight", "Point two: supporting detail", "Point three: takeaway"]
add_bullet_list(slide, 1.0, 1.5, 11, 4.5, items)

Save the file:

output_path = os.path.expanduser("~/Desktop/presentation.pptx")
prs.save(output_path)
print(f"Saved to {output_path}")

Input Formats

Natural Language

User says: "做一个关于时间管理的5页PPT"
→ Claude designs the outline, presents it, then generates.

Markdown Outline

User provides:

# 时间管理
## 1. 为什么需要时间管理
- 提高效率
- 减少压力
## 2. 四象限法则
- 重要紧急
- 重要不紧急
...

→ Claude maps each ## heading to a slide, each bullet to a list item, and generates.

Common Mistakes

Reference Files

• reference/python-pptx-api.md — Full python-pptx API quick reference
• scripts/ppt_helpers.py — Ready-to-import helper functions for common slide patterns