PPTX creation, editing, and analysis

Execution Rules

• ALL code execution MUST use the code_interpreter tool. Do NOT use the shell tool.
• Generate the COMPLETE presentation and upload to S3 in a SINGLE code_interpreter call. Do NOT split into multiple calls.
• Before calling code_interpreter, call artifact_path(filename="presentation.pptx") to get the S3 bucket and key.
• After completion, report the artifact_ref to the user.
• If code_interpreter fails with an error, do NOT retry automatically. Report the error to the user and ask for clarification or guidance. Do not make multiple retry attempts without user input.

Workflow

1. Call artifact_path(filename="presentation.pptx") — returns { s3_uri, bucket, key, artifact_ref }
2. Copy the actual s3_uri string value from the artifact_path result and hardcode it as a string literal in your code_interpreter script. Do NOT use variable references — the code_interpreter runs in an isolated sandbox and cannot access the agent's tool results.
3. Call code_interpreter ONCE with a single script that does everything: create the presentation, save it, and upload to S3.

!pip install python-pptx

from pptx import Presentation
import boto3

# IMPORTANT: Replace with the ACTUAL s3_uri value returned by artifact_path
S3_URI = "s3://my-bucket/user123/proj456/artifacts/art_abc123/presentation.pptx"  # ← paste the actual s3_uri here

# Parse S3 URI into bucket and key
BUCKET, KEY = S3_URI.replace("s3://", "").split("/", 1)

# Build entire presentation
pres = Presentation()
# ... all presentation content ...
pres.save('./output.pptx')

# Upload to S3
s3 = boto3.client('s3')
with open('./output.pptx', 'rb') as f:
    s3.upload_fileobj(
        f, BUCKET, KEY,
        ExtraArgs={'ContentType': 'application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.presentation'}
    )

4. Report the artifact_ref to the user

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Quick Reference

Task	Approach
Read/analyze content	Download from S3 → markitdown or python-pptx in code_interpreter
Create new presentation	Read python-pptx.md, use code_interpreter
Edit existing presentation	Read editing.md, unpack → edit XML → repack in code_interpreter

Charts

When the user requests charts or visualizations, always attempt to embed charts directly using python-pptx first. Only use the chart skill if direct embedding is not possible or the chart type is unsupported by python-pptx.

from pptx.util import Inches
from pptx.chart.data import ChartData
from pptx import chart as pptx_chart

chart_data = ChartData()
chart_data.categories = ['Q1', 'Q2', 'Q3', 'Q4']
chart_data.add_series('Revenue', (100, 120, 140, 160))

slide.shapes.add_chart(
    pptx_chart.XL_CHART_TYPE.BAR_CLUSTERED,
    Inches(1), Inches(1.5), Inches(8), Inches(3.5),
    chart_data
)

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Reading Content

Read .pptx files by downloading from the given S3 path and using tools in code_interpreter.

!pip install "markitdown[pptx]"

import boto3

s3 = boto3.client('s3')
s3.download_file(bucket, key, 'presentation.pptx')

# Text extraction
import subprocess
result = subprocess.run(['python', '-m', 'markitdown', 'presentation.pptx'], capture_output=True, text=True)
print(result.stdout)

# Visual overview (thumbnail grid)
import subprocess
subprocess.run(['python', 'scripts/thumbnail.py', 'presentation.pptx'])

# Raw XML inspection
subprocess.run(['python', 'scripts/office/unpack.py', 'presentation.pptx', 'unpacked/'])

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Creating from Scratch

Read python-pptx.md for full details.

Use when no template or reference presentation is available.

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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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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. If swapping your colors into a completely different presentation would still "work," you haven't made specific enough choices.
• Dominance over equality: One color should dominate (60-70% visual weight), with 1-2 supporting tones and one sharp accent. Never give all colors equal weight.
• Dark/light contrast: Dark backgrounds for title + conclusion slides, light for content ("sandwich" structure). Or commit to dark throughout for a premium feel.
• Commit to a visual motif: Pick ONE distinctive element and repeat it — rounded image frames, icons in colored circles, thick single-side borders. Carry it across every slide.

Color Palettes

Choose colors that match your topic — don't default to generic blue. Use these palettes as inspiration:

Theme	Primary	Secondary	Accent
Midnight Executive	1E2761 (navy)	CADCFC (ice blue)	FFFFFF (white)
Forest & Moss	2C5F2D (forest)	97BC62 (moss)	F5F5F5 (cream)
Coral Energy	F96167 (coral)	F9E795 (gold)	2F3C7E (navy)
Warm Terracotta	B85042 (terracotta)	E7E8D1 (sand)	A7BEAE (sage)
Ocean Gradient	065A82 (deep blue)	1C7293 (teal)	21295C (midnight)
Charcoal Minimal	36454F (charcoal)	F2F2F2 (off-white)	212121 (black)
Teal Trust	028090 (teal)	00A896 (seafoam)	02C39A (mint)
Berry & Cream	6D2E46 (berry)	A26769 (dusty rose)	ECE2D0 (cream)
Sage Calm	84B59F (sage)	69A297 (eucalyptus)	50808E (slate)
Cherry Bold	990011 (cherry)	FCF6F5 (off-white)	2F3C7E (navy)

For Each Slide

Every slide needs a visual element — image, chart, icon, or shape. Text-only slides are forgettable.

Layout options:

• Two-column (text left, illustration on right)
• Icon + text rows (icon in colored circle, bold header, description below)
• 2x2 or 2x3 grid (image on one side, grid of content blocks on other)
• Half-bleed image (full left or right side) with content overlay

Data display:

• Large stat callouts (big numbers 60-72pt with small labels below)
• Comparison columns (before/after, pros/cons, side-by-side options)
• Timeline or process flow (numbered steps, arrows)

Visual polish:

• Icons in small colored circles next to section headers
• Italic accent text for key stats or taglines

Images

Presentations are visual — use real images to make slides compelling.

Tool selection:

• If image___search_image is available in your tool list, use it to find relevant images before calling code_interpreter.
• If image___search_image is NOT available, use generate_image to create custom images that fit each slide's message.

Workflow:

1. Before code_interpreter, plan which slides need images and call image___search_image (or generate_image if unavailable) for each topic.
2. Collect the returned image URLs.
3. Inside code_interpreter, download each URL and embed with add_picture().

import requests
from io import BytesIO
from pptx.util import Inches

# Download image from URL (obtained via image___search_image or generate_image)
resp = requests.get(image_url)
slide.shapes.add_picture(BytesIO(resp.content), Inches(5.2), Inches(1.2), Inches(4.5), Inches(3))

Guidelines:

• Use images on slides with image_right, image_left, or image_center layouts
• Match image content to the slide's topic — generic stock photos weaken the message
• Max 1 image per slide — multiple images per slide cause clutter
• Max 8 images per presentation — too many slows download and increases file size
• Always specify both width and height, or use aspect ratio preservation (see python-pptx.md)
• If image___search_image returns no good results, use generate_image as fallback
• For data-heavy slides, prefer charts over images

Typography

Choose an interesting font pairing — don't default to Arial. Pick a header font with personality and pair it with a clean body font.

Header Font	Body Font
Georgia	Calibri
Arial Black	Arial
Calibri	Calibri Light
Cambria	Calibri
Trebuchet MS	Calibri
Impact	Arial
Palatino	Garamond
Consolas	Calibri

Element	Size
Slide title	36-44pt bold
Section header	20-24pt bold
Body text	14-16pt
Captions	10-12pt muted

Spacing

• 0.5" minimum margins
• 0.3-0.5" between content blocks
• Leave breathing room—don't fill every inch

Avoid (Common Mistakes)

• Don't repeat the same layout — vary columns, cards, and callouts across slides
• Don't center body text — left-align paragraphs and lists; center only titles
• Don't skimp on size contrast — titles need 36pt+ to stand out from 14-16pt body
• Don't default to blue — pick colors that reflect the specific topic
• Don't mix spacing randomly — choose 0.3" or 0.5" gaps and use consistently
• Don't style one slide and leave the rest plain — commit fully or keep it simple throughout
• Don't create text-only slides — add images, icons, charts, or visual elements; avoid plain title + bullets
• Don't forget text box padding — when aligning lines or shapes with text edges, set margin: 0 on the text box or offset the shape to account for padding
• Don't use low-contrast elements — icons AND text need strong contrast against the background; avoid light text on light backgrounds or dark text on dark backgrounds
• NEVER use accent lines under titles — these are a hallmark of AI-generated slides; use whitespace or background color instead
• Max 6 bullet points per slide — more than 6 makes slides dense and hard to read

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Layout Reference

All positions in Inches(x, y, width, height). Slide size: 10" x 5.625" (16:9)

Position Table

Layout	Title	Content	Image/Special
title_slide	(0.5, 2, 9, 1)	subtitle: (0.5, 3.2, 9, 0.6)	bg: primaryColor
default	(0.5, 0.3, 9, 0.8)	(0.5, 1.3, 9, 4)	-
two_column	(0.5, 0.3, 9, 0.8)	L:(0.5, 1.3, 4.3, 4) R:(5.2, 1.3, 4.3, 4)	-
image_right	(0.5, 0.3, 9, 0.8)	(0.5, 1.3, 4.5, 4)	img:(5.2, 1.2, 4.5, 3)
image_left	(0.5, 0.3, 9, 0.8)	(5.2, 1.3, 4.5, 4)	img:(0.3, 1.2, 4.5, 3)
image_center	(0.5, 0.3, 9, 0.8)	caption below	img:(2.5, 1.2, 5, 3)
comparison	(0.5, 0.3, 9, 0.8)	table:(0.5, 1.3, 9, 3.5)	-
quote	-	quote:(1, 1.5, 8, 3)	bg:(245,245,245), "\u201C" at (0.5, 0.8)
end	(0.5, 2, 9, 1) centered	-	bg: primaryColor

Layout Details

• title_slide: Dark background (primaryColor), white text, centered title (44pt) + subtitle (24pt)
• default: Standard content slide with title (32pt) and bullet points (20pt)
• two_column: Title + two equal columns. Use for pros/cons, comparisons, before/after
• image_right/left: Content on one side, image on other
• image_center: Large centered image with title above and optional caption below
• comparison: Table layout — header row with primaryColor background and white text, data rows with white background
• quote: Light gray background, large quote mark "\u201C" (120pt, gray), quote text centered
• end: Same style as title_slide, "Thank You" (48pt) or custom closing message

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Design Tokens

Default design token values when no specific theme is chosen:

Token	Value
Primary (titles/headers)	RGBColor(0, 51, 102) — Navy blue
White	RGBColor(255, 255, 255)
Light gray (placeholder bg)	RGBColor(230, 230, 230)
Medium gray (secondary text)	RGBColor(128, 128, 128)
Quote bg	RGBColor(245, 245, 245)
Title slide main	Pt(44)
Title slide subtitle	Pt(24)
Slide titles	Pt(32)
Body text	Pt(20)
Attribution	Pt(8)
Bullet spacing	space_before = Pt(12)

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QA (Required)

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

Your first render is almost never correct. Approach QA as a bug hunt, not a confirmation step. If you found zero issues on first inspection, you weren't looking hard enough.

Content QA

!pip install "markitdown[pptx]"

import subprocess
result = subprocess.run(['python', '-m', 'markitdown', 'output.pptx'], capture_output=True, text=True)
print(result.stdout)

Check for missing content, typos, wrong order.

When using templates, check for leftover placeholder text:

import subprocess
result = subprocess.run(['python', '-m', 'markitdown', 'output.pptx'], capture_output=True, text=True)
import re
matches = re.findall(r'(?i)(xxxx|lorem|ipsum|this.*(page|slide).*layout)', result.stdout)
print(matches)

If matches are found, fix them before declaring success.

Structural QA

Run the structural QA script to check layout issues programmatically:

import subprocess
result = subprocess.run(['python', 'scripts/structural_qa.py', 'output.pptx'], capture_output=True, text=True)
print(result.stdout)

This checks for:

• Overlapping elements (bounding box intersection)
• Insufficient margin from slide edges (< 0.5")
• Elements too close (< 0.3" gaps)
• Estimated text overflow (text volume vs box size)
• Leftover placeholder content (xxxx, lorem, ipsum, etc.)

Verification Loop

1. Generate slides → Convert to images → Inspect
2. List issues found (if none found, look again more critically)
3. Fix issues
4. Re-verify affected slides — one fix often creates another problem
5. Repeat until a full pass reveals no new issues

Do not declare success until you've completed at least one fix-and-verify cycle.

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Dependencies

All dependencies should be installed within code_interpreter:

!pip install "markitdown[pptx]"
!pip install python-pptx
!pip install Pillow
!pip install lxml