claude-scientific-writer: Skill for Claude Code

PPTX posters

Scope

Use this skill only when the requested source/deliverable is an editable PowerPoint poster. Do not route an unspecified poster request here merely because PowerPoint is available.

Version 2.0 generates a real one-slide .pptx from strict local JSON. It does not use HTML conversion, external templates, schematic/image-generation services, API keys, environment files, network requests, or mandatory figure styles.

Hard gates

Stop instead of guessing when any gate is unmet:

1. The author has not supplied exact poster content and source records.
2. Any claim, number, citation, author, affiliation, funding statement, figure, license, or QR target is unresolved.
3. Current conference and printer requirements are not confirmed.
4. Author approval is not bound to the current manifest content hash.
5. An asset is remote, outside the manifest directory, unhashed, or unapproved.
6. An input is .pptm, contains macros/external relationships/OLE/embedded files, or is an untrusted template.
7. The requested workflow needs PowerPoint to be opened or executed automatically.
8. A script reports a package, layout, DPI, contrast, or output-plan blocker.

Never fabricate missing material or leave a plausible placeholder. Drafts fail closed.

Install exact generation dependencies

From the skill directory:

uv venv
uv pip install "python-pptx==1.0.2" "Pillow==12.3.0" "lxml==6.1.1"

Generation requires exactly:

python-pptx==1.0.2
Pillow==12.3.0
lxml==6.1.1

All CLIs use lazy optional imports, so python -B scripts/<tool>.py --help works without these packages. Use -B to avoid bytecode artifacts.

Establish requirements before layout

Record these separately:

• physical trim width/height and orientation;
• bleed on each edge;
• safe margin inside trim;
• PowerPoint canvas width/height;
• uniform physical-artboard/canvas print scale;
• conference maximum dimensions and delivery format;
• printer trim, bleed, margin, scaling, color-mode, and proof requirements;
• final-output font and raster-DPI thresholds, each labeled as a heuristic or tied to an exact source.
• required font faces, workstation availability, embedding permission, and the substitution/proof workflow.