---
name: textbook-to-presentation-generator
description: Generates a lecture PowerPoint from an intelligent textbook using pptxgenjs — visual design, 4-act storytelling structure, and speaker notes. Use when converting a textbook into slides for classroom delivery.
title: textbook-to-presentation-generator
canonical_url: https://skilld.dev/gh/dmccreary/ibook-skills/textbook-to-presentation-generator
last_updated: 2026-09-29T00:14:26.000Z
---

> Index of every page on this site: [llms.txt](https://skilld.dev/llms.txt)

> **Skill from skilld.dev.** Follow the user's requested action.
> If the user asked to fork this Skill, follow the fork workflow below. Do not execute the Skill instructions while copying it.
> Otherwise, follow the instructions below for this session. You do not need to install anything.
>
> Supporting files, fetch one when the Skill refers to it: [references/slide-patterns.md](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dmccreary/ibook-skills/textbook-to-presentation-generator/references/slide-patterns.md), [references/speaker-notes-guide.md](https://skilld.dev/api/skills-raw/dmccreary/ibook-skills/textbook-to-presentation-generator/references/speaker-notes-guide.md).
>
> If the user asked to install this Skill, run `npx skilld install dmccreary/ibook-skills/textbook-to-presentation-generator`. Install writes the Skill files into the project, so every session loads them.
>
> ## Fork workflow
>
> A fork creates an editable local Skill with its original author and licence. The request authorizes copying and local installation.
> 1. Check `./skills/textbook-to-presentation-generator`, the project lockfile, and selected Agent targets together. If the local directory or installed Skill exists, stop. Never overwrite an existing directory or Agent target.
> 2. Read [source metadata](https://skilld.dev/api/v1/skills/dmccreary/ibook-skills/textbook-to-presentation-generator) once. Use sourceUrl, sourceCommit, skillPath, sourceGone, and license. If the source is gone or its path is missing, stop. If license is null, read licence files at the source commit.
> 3. Fetch only the source commit into a temporary Git repository. Do not clone full history. Derive repository_url from sourceUrl, including repository renames. If sourceCommit is absent, resolve the sourceUrl ref once. Set source_commit to that actual commit. Run these commands in one shell call:
>
> ```sh
> git init --quiet "$temporary_dir"
> git -C "$temporary_dir" fetch --quiet --depth=1 "$repository_url" "$source_commit"
> git -C "$temporary_dir" checkout --quiet --detach FETCH_HEAD
> ```
>
> Read applicable licence declarations and notices at that commit. If copying is not permitted, report the restriction and stop.
> 4. Inspect source entries together, then copy the directory containing skillPath into `./skills/textbook-to-presentation-generator`. Use the user's path if selected. Keep the original SKILL.md, relative links, scripts, binary assets, and executable modes. Exclude .git metadata. Reject symlinks and paths outside the Skill directory. After checking entries, use cp -a where available. A regular source directory needs no custom copy script. Do not save this page wrapper as SKILL.md.
> Preserve author credit, notices, and applicable licence files from repository or parent directories. Add PROVENANCE.md with the Skill page, source URL, actual commit, original path, and licence. Retain any existing PROVENANCE.md and record new provenance separately. Batch source inspection, copying, and provenance work where practical.
> 5. In the project root, run `skilld install ./skills/textbook-to-presentation-generator --mode copy --plain`. If skilld is unavailable, use `npx skilld install ./skills/textbook-to-presentation-generator --mode copy --plain`. This known command needs no help lookup. Install does not support --json. Use detected Agent targets, or add --agent for the targets the user selected. Install the local path, never the upstream selector. If installation fails, preserve the local copy and report the exact failure.
> 6. Confirm the local lockfile source and installed Agent copies once. Report the local path, actual commit, and Agent targets. After edits, reinstall the same local path. Upstream updates must not replace it. Do not publish or push unless the user asks.

# Presentation Generator

**Version:** 1.0

Generate a lecture-ready PowerPoint presentation from an intelligent textbook project. The presentation is designed for live delivery — visual, story-driven, with progressive disclosure, audience interaction beats, and speaker notes that script the entire performance.

## Core Philosophy: The Medium IS the Message

The presentation doesn't *teach about* communication or subject-matter frameworks. It *is* the framework in action. The audience should experience principles before being told about them. Every slide must answer: **"Is this slide itself an example of the principle it discusses?"**

This means:
- When teaching structure, the presentation IS structured (Pyramid Principle — governing thought in minute 2, not minute 55)
- When teaching brevity, the slide has seven words maximum
- When teaching storytelling, the lecture IS a story (4-act arc)
- When teaching about cognitive load, no slide overloads the audience
- **Meta-moments**: The speaker reveals "what I just did was [framework name]" AFTER demonstrating it. The audience learns through experience, then gets the vocabulary.

## When to Use This Skill

Use when:
- An intelligent textbook exists (MkDocs project with chapters, course-description.md, learning graph)
- The user wants a lecture presentation for live delivery
- The user wants to convert textbook content into a slide deck
- The user says "create a presentation", "make slides", "build a deck", "lecture slides"

Do NOT use when:
- No textbook content exists yet (use course-description-analyzer and chapter generators first)
- The user wants a document, not a presentation (use docx skill)
- The user wants to edit an existing presentation (use the pptx editing workflow)

## Prerequisites

- Node.js installed
- `npm install pptxgenjs` (install locally in the output directory)
- An intelligent textbook project with:
  - `docs/course-description.md`
  - `docs/chapters/` with chapter content
  - `CLAUDE.md` with project conventions (optional but helpful)

## Workflow

### Step 1: Read the Textbook

Read these files to understand the content:

1. **Course description** (`docs/course-description.md`) — extract title, audience, key topics, learning outcomes
2. **CLAUDE.md** — extract tone, style, color palette, mascot info
3. **Chapter index files** — scan `docs/chapters/*/index.md` for chapter titles, key concepts, and the pedagogical flow
4. **Student feedback** (if available in `input-knowledge/`) — what resonated with prior audiences
5. **Original lecture notes** (if available) — the speaker's natural flow and stories

### Step 2: Design the Presentation Structure

Design a **4-act structure** following Klein's storytelling model applied to the lecture itself:

| Act | Purpose | Slides | Time |
|-----|---------|--------|------|
| **I: The Wake-Up Call** | Hook, establish stakes, live challenge | 6-8 | ~10 min |
| **II: The Toolkit** | Core frameworks with before/after demos | 10-14 | ~20 min |
| **III: The Power Tools** | Advanced techniques, persuasion, AI | 6-10 | ~12 min |
| **IV: The Close** | Action plan, textbook link, final quote | 4-6 | ~8 min |

**Target: 25-35 slides for a 50-60 minute lecture.** At ~1.5 min/slide average. Fewer slides = more speaker time per slide = more engaging.

Present the proposed structure to the user for approval before generating.

### Step 3: Design the Visual System

Extract or create a color palette from the textbook's CLAUDE.md:

```javascript
const C = {
  primary: "XXXXXX",      // From CLAUDE.md palette
  primaryDark: "XXXXXX",
  primaryLight: "XXXXXX",
  accent: "XXXXXX",       // Highlight color
  white: "FFFFFF",
  offWhite: "F5F5F5",
  black: "212121",
  gray: "757575",
  red: "C62828",           // For "before" / negative examples
  green: "2E7D32",         // For "after" / positive examples
};
```

**Typography:**
- Title font: Georgia (or serif from CLAUDE.md)
- Body font: Calibri (or sans-serif from CLAUDE.md)
- Title size: 32-44pt
- Body size: 14-20pt (never below 13pt)

**Layout rules:**
- No more than 7 words per line of body text
- One idea per slide
- Dark backgrounds (primary dark) for section dividers, title, close
- Light backgrounds (white) for content slides
- Accent color for emphasis bars, numbers, highlights

### Step 4: Generate the Presentation

Create a Node.js script that uses pptxgenjs to generate the .pptx file. Read `references/slide-patterns.md` for the reusable slide pattern library.

**Slide categories and their patterns:**

1. **Title slide** — dark bg, large title, subtitle, author, accent bar
2. **Section divider** — dark bg, large text, subtitle, accent bar
3. **Big number** — dark bg, one massive stat (80-120pt), context below
4. **Before/After comparison** — two columns, red accent (before) vs green (after)
5. **Framework visual** — shapes/diagrams illustrating a model (pyramid, stages, pillars)
6. **Evidence stack** — 3 cards with accent bars showing research findings
7. **Interactive beat** — light bg, challenge prompt in a card, instructions
8. **Quote** — dark bg, large italic text, attribution
9. **Action items** — numbered circles with titles and descriptions
10. **Resource/CTA** — textbook link, QR code placeholder, stats

### Step 5: Write Speaker Notes

Every slide gets detailed speaker notes. These are the real script — the slides are just visual anchors. Notes include:

- **TIMING**: Cumulative minutes (e.g., "TIMING: 15:00")
- **SAY**: The exact narrative to deliver (2-4 sentences, conversational)
- **META-MOMENT**: Where the speaker reveals the framework AFTER demonstrating it (e.g., "Notice what I just did? That was Klein's Dilemma stage.")
- **TRANSITION**: The bridge sentence to the next slide
- **AUDIENCE PULSE**: When to pause, ask a question, or let silence work

### Step 6: Generate and Verify

1. Run the Node.js script to generate the .pptx
2. Verify slide count matches the design
3. Extract text with `python -m markitdown output.pptx` to confirm content
4. Report the result to the user with slide count and timing estimate

## Output

The presentation file should be saved to:
```
{project-root}/presentation/{kebab-case-title}.pptx
```

Along with the generation script:
```
{project-root}/presentation/generate.js
```

## Adapting for Different Subjects

This skill works for ANY intelligent textbook, not just communication. The key adaptations:

- **Subject-specific stories**: Open with a story from the textbook's domain (engineering, science, business)
- **Framework names**: Use whatever frameworks the textbook teaches (not just Minto, Klein, etc.)
- **Color palette**: Derive from the textbook's CLAUDE.md
- **Audience**: Match the course-description.md target audience
- **Interactive beats**: Design exercises relevant to the subject matter

The 4-act structure and McLuhan principle remain constant regardless of subject.

## References

- `references/slide-patterns.md` — Reusable pptxgenjs code patterns for each slide type
- `references/speaker-notes-guide.md` — How to write effective speaker notes

## Best Practices

1. **Cut aggressively**: If a slide doesn't change understanding, delete it. The Dilution Effect applies to slide decks too.
2. **Story first, framework second**: Always demonstrate a principle through a story or example before naming the framework.
3. **One idea per slide**: If you need two sentences to explain what a slide is about, split it into two slides.
4. **Speaker notes ARE the presentation**: The slides are visual anchors. The speaker's narrative, pauses, and meta-moments are where learning happens.
5. **Test the McLuhan principle**: For every slide, ask "Is this slide itself an example of what it teaches?" If not, redesign it.