Thesis Defense PPTX skill

---
name: thesis-defense-pptx
description: Create, polish, and quality-check editable undergraduate or graduate thesis defense PowerPoint decks from a local thesis PDF/LaTeX project and an existing PPTX template. Use when the user asks for a formal defense PPT, thesis presentation, academic答辩PPT, template-matched PPTX, or local PowerPoint deck generation with visual inspection.
---

# Thesis Defense PPTX

Use this skill for local, editable `.pptx` thesis defense decks that must follow a supplied university/lab/company PowerPoint template.

## Operating Principles

- Platform: Windows + Microsoft PowerPoint for COM-driven cloning, export, and overflow inspection. On macOS/Linux, use the python-pptx-only parts and skip COM-based quality gates.
- Treat the visual template as the source of truth. Preserve its cover, colors, fonts, navigation, card styles, logos, and slide proportions unless the user explicitly asks to redesign.
- Read the thesis source first: PDF, LaTeX, figures, old PPT, experiment scripts, tables, and captions. Do not generate from topic/title alone when source files exist.
- Build a source-asset inventory before placing images: extract `\includegraphics` entries and captions from the final TeX/PDF, then use only thesis-cited figures or images the user explicitly approves. Do not carry over pictures from a template, old progress deck, or draft figure folder merely because they look relevant.
- Prefer copying native template slides and replacing content over rebuilding from blank slides.
- Keep slides concise and presentation-oriented. Convert thesis prose into defense talking points.
- Preserve the template's font sizes and hierarchy by default. For projection readability, first shorten text, split dense slides, or use the template's larger existing layouts; only change font sizes locally when the template itself provides no readable fit.
- Always generate an editable `.pptx`, not only an outline, image deck, PDF, or HTML.
- Always run a visual quality gate before final response: export slide images, inspect a contact sheet plus key full-size slide screenshots, check text overflow, check stale template words/images, and verify the PPTX opens.

## Recommended Workflow

1. Identify inputs:
   - thesis project path or full thesis document
   - visual template PPTX
   - optional old defense/report PPTX
   - output directory and desired filename

2. Extract thesis context:
   - Use `scripts/extract_thesis_context.py` to summarize PDF/TeX text and list candidate figures.
   - Read source files directly when details matter: abstract, introduction, method, experiments, results, conclusion.
   - Create an explicit list of final-thesis figures from `\includegraphics` and captions. Treat this as the allow-list for PPT images unless the user requests new visuals.
   - Collect defense-critical facts: problem, motivation, modeling, algorithms, experimental setup, baselines, metrics, key results, limitations, future work.

3. Analyze the template:
   - Export template slides to PNG if PowerPoint is available.
   - Inspect cover, TOC, navigation, section, body/card, chart/image, summary, and closing slide styles.
   - Note fonts, font sizes, red/brand color, card dimensions, line widths, and spacing.

4. Build a native template skeleton:
   - Use PowerPoint COM (`scripts/clone_template_deck.ps1`) when PowerPoint is installed.
   - Copy or duplicate original template slides in the needed order.
   - Use python-pptx only to replace content and add images/shapes after the skeleton is valid.