--- name: compiledeck description: Create and compile beautiful Beamer presentations following the Rhetoric of Decks philosophy. Use when making slides, creating decks, or compiling .tex presentation files. allowed-tools: Bash(pdflatex*), Bash(latexmk*), Bash(ls*), Bash(open*), Bash(python*), Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep argument-hint: [topic-or-tex-file-path] --- # Compile Deck Create beautiful Beamer presentations. This skill enforces the **Rhetoric of Decks** philosophy through concrete, measurable rules — not aspirational guidance. ## Step 1: Triage Before touching anything, answer three questions: **Q1: New deck or editing existing?** - If editing: Read the `.tex` file first. Understand its palette, structure, and style before changing anything. - If new: Proceed to Q2. **Q2: Who is the audience?** 1. **Academic seminar** — sparse, one idea per slide, titles carry the argument 2. **Teaching lecture** — clarity over compression, repetition OK, progressive revelation 3. **Working deck** (coauthors) — more detail OK, document choices, preserve uncertainty 4. **External non-academic** — storytelling, visual impact, minimal jargon See `domain_patterns.md` in this skill directory for detailed guidance per audience type. **Q3: What's the tone?** 1. **Professional/Academic** — use the Warm Professional palette (default) or Academic Muted 2. **Colorful/Expressive** — create something new each time. See `palette_reference.md` for inspiration. --- ## Step 2: The Non-Negotiable Rules These are not guidelines. They are constraints. ### ONE idea per slide If a slide has two ideas, split it. No exceptions. ### Titles are assertions, not labels - Bad: "Results" - Good: "Treatment increased distance by 61 miles on average" - Bad: "Literature Review" - Good: "Prior work ignores the supply-side margin" If someone reads only the slide titles in sequence, they should understand the entire argument. ### Typography minimums - Body text: 24pt minimum - Absolute floor (footnotes, source notes): 18pt - Sans-serif fonts only - Never justify text — always ragged right ### No bullet lists (usually) Bullets are a confession that you haven't found the structure. Look for: - A sequence (use a flow diagram) - A contrast (use two columns) - A hierarchy (use size/color differentiation) - A causal chain (use arrows) Exception: genuinely parallel items (e.g., a list of axioms in a teaching deck). ### Charts: one message, direct labels - Every chart communicates ONE finding - Title states the finding ("Enrollment doubled after 2015"), not the chart type ("Enrollment Over Time") - Label data directly on the chart — no legends requiring eye movement - Remove all chartjunk: gridlines, borders, unnecessary axis marks ### White space is confidence, not waste Empty space on a slide signals that you chose carefully. A full slide signals anxiety. ### Zero compile warnings Not "try to fix." Zero. See the Compile Loop below. --- ## Step 3: The Preamble For new decks, use this template. It is extracted from real decks that work. ### Default: Warm Professional Palette (10 colors) ```latex \documentclass[aspectratio=169,11pt]{beamer} % Packages \usepackage[utf8]{inputenc} \usepackage[T1]{fontenc} \usepackage{lmodern} \usepackage{microtype} \usepackage{amsmath,amssymb} \usepackage{booktabs} \usepackage{graphicx} \usepackage{tikz} \usepackage{pgfplots} \usepackage{xcolor} \usepackage{ragged2e} \usepackage{colortbl} \usepackage{array} \usepackage{hyperref} \usepackage{adjustbox} \usetikzlibrary{shapes.geometric, arrows.meta, positioning, calc, backgrounds, decorations.pathreplacing, shadows, fadings} \pgfplotsset{compat=1.18} % --- Color Palette: Warm Professional --- \definecolor{DeepNavy}{HTML}{2E4057} \definecolor{Teal}{HTML}{048A81} \definecolor{WarmOrange}{HTML}{E85D04} \definecolor{SoftPurple}{HTML}{9D4EDD} \definecolor{WarmGray}{HTML}{6C757D} \definecolor{LightGray}{HTML}{E9ECEF} \definecolor{Cream}{HTML}{FBF8F1} \definecolor{DeepRed}{HTML}{D62828} \definecolor{Gold}{HTML}{D4A03A} \definecolor{SoftWhite}{HTML}{FAFAFA} % Beamer colors \setbeamercolor{normal text}{fg=DeepNavy, bg=SoftWhite} \setbeamercolor{structure}{fg=DeepNavy} \setbeamercolor{alerted text}{fg=DeepRed} \setbeamercolor{example text}{fg=Teal} \setbeamercolor{frametitle}{fg=DeepNavy, bg=SoftWhite} \setbeamercolor{title}{fg=DeepNavy} \setbeamercolor{subtitle}{fg=WarmGray} \setbeamercolor{block title}{bg=DeepNavy, fg=SoftWhite} \setbeamercolor{block body}{bg=LightGray, fg=DeepNavy} \setbeamercolor{itemize item}{fg=WarmOrange} \setbeamercolor{itemize subitem}{fg=Gold} % Fonts \usefonttheme{professionalfonts} \setbeamerfont{title}{size=\huge, series=\bfseries} \setbeamerfont{frametitle}{size=\Large, series=\bfseries} % Strip chrome \setbeamertemplate{navigation symbols}{} \setbeamertemplate{headline}{} % Minimal footline \setbeamertemplate{footline}{% \hfill \begin{beamercolorbox}[wd=3cm,ht=2.5ex,dp=1ex,right,rightskip=0.6cm]{page number} \usebeamercolor[fg]{WarmGray}\scriptsize\insertframenumber \end{beamercolorbox} \vspace{0.3cm} } % Bullets \setbeamertemplate{itemize item}{\footnotesize\raisebox{0.3ex}{\tikz\fill[WarmOrange] (0,0) circle (0.45ex);}} \setbeamertemplate{itemize subitem}{\footnotesize\raisebox{0.3ex}{\tikz\fill[Gold] (0,0) circle (0.35ex);}} % Custom commands \newcommand{\transitionslide}[2]{% {\setbeamercolor{normal text}{fg=SoftWhite,bg=DeepNavy} \begin{frame}[plain]\vfill\begin{center} {\huge\bfseries\textcolor{Gold}{#1}}\\[0.6cm] {\large\textcolor{LightGray}{#2}} \end{center}\vfill\end{frame}} } \graphicspath{{figures/}} ``` For alternative palettes, see `palette_reference.md` in this skill directory. --- ## Step 4: Slide Architecture Patterns ### Opening slide (first content slide after title) **NOT** "Motivation" with bullet points. Instead: - A surprising fact or statistic (big number, centered) - A puzzle or unanswered question - A provocative claim that the deck will support ### Transition slides Use `\transitionslide{Section Title}{Subtitle}` for dark-background section dividers. ### Closing slide **NOT** "Questions?" or "Thank you." Instead: - The ONE sentence the audience should remember tomorrow - Full-bleed dark background with the takeaway centered ### Devil's Advocate slide (academic decks) Present the strongest objection to your argument, then respond to it. This builds credibility. Format: "A skeptic would say..." followed by your response. ### TikZ diagram slides Read `tikz_rules.md` in this skill directory BEFORE creating any TikZ figure. The rules are measurement-based — they prevent text from overlapping arrows, boxes, and other objects. **Critical rule preview**: Before placing a label between two nodes, CALCULATE the edge-to-edge gap and compare it to the estimated text width. If the text is wider than the gap minus 0.6cm padding, the label WILL collide. Move it above/below or shorten the text. --- ## Step 5: The Compile Loop After EVERY edit to a .tex file: ### 5a: Compile ```bash pdflatex -interaction=nonstopmode [file].tex ``` ### 5b: Check for fatal errors ```bash grep "^!" [file].log ``` If any: fix, recompile, repeat. ### 5c: Check for ALL warnings ```bash grep -cE "Overfull|Underfull" [file].log ``` This must return **0**. For EACH warning: | Warning | Fix | |---------|-----| | Overfull \hbox | Rephrase shorter, use `\adjustbox`, add `@{}` to table columns | | Underfull \hbox | Rephrase or adjust paragraph breaks | | Overfull \vbox | Split the slide or reduce `\vspace`, tighten content | | Underfull \vbox | Add `\vfill` or adjust spacing | Even 0.5pt overfull must be fixed. Do NOT proceed until the count is 0. ### 5d: Check fonts ```bash grep -i "font" [file].log | grep -i "warning" ``` ### 5e: TikZ verification (Bézier-first workflow) TikZ errors don't trigger compile warnings. You must catch them yourself. Follow this order — curves first, everything else second: **Pass 1 — Find and fix all Bézier curves:** ```bash grep -n "bend" [file].tex ``` For EACH curved arrow found: 1. Calculate max depth: `(chord / 2) × tan(bend_angle / 2)` 2. Add 0.5cm safety margin 3. Check: is any label within the danger zone? Move it if so. 4. Check: does the curve cross any other arrow? Re-route if so. **Pass 2 — Everything else:** - Gap calculation: for every label between two nodes, is estimated text width < usable gap? - Arrow labels: does every one have `above`, `below`, `left`, or `right`? - No nodes clipped by slide edges - All arrows pointing to intended targets **Pass 3 — Open the PDF and visually confirm.** Full rules and formulas are in `tikz_rules.md`. This verification runs on ALL TikZ figures in the deck, not just the one you just edited. ### 5f: Open the PDF ```bash open [file].pdf ``` --- ## Step 6: The Narrative Arc Every deck tells a story. The structure depends on context, but the principle is universal: **Act I — Setup**: Establish the problem or question. Make the audience feel it. **Act II — Development**: Present evidence, analysis, investigation. Build the logical case. **Act III — Resolution**: Deliver the insight. State implications. Give the audience something to do or remember. Within this arc, apply the **Pyramid Principle**: lead with the conclusion, then support it. Academic audiences expect this. Do not build suspense — state the finding, then prove it. For domain-specific structures, see `domain_patterns.md`. --- ## Step 7: Figure Generation When a deck needs data visualizations: 1. Write a Python script (`generate_figures.py`) using matplotlib 2. Use the same color palette as the LaTeX deck 3. Save figures as PDF (vector, not raster) to a `figures/` subdirectory 4. Every figure: one message, direct labels, title states the finding 5. Match the deck's background color in `fig.set_facecolor()` 6. **Save the script** alongside the figures — never generate a figure without preserving the code that created it 7. **Boundary Rule applies to figures too**: When placing `ax.text()` near patches (`FancyBboxPatch`, `Circle`, `Rectangle`), compute the patch boundary and verify text has ≥0.4cm clearance. See `tikz_rules.md` Pass 4. 8. **Anchor-Based Centering Rule**: When a container holds multiple text elements (title + math), do NOT use `va='center'` for both at symmetric offsets — multi-line text extends further from its anchor than single-line, creating visual asymmetry. Instead, **anchor outward from center**: upper element uses `va='bottom'` at `center + gap`, lower uses `va='top'` at `center - gap`. See `tikz_rules.md` Pass 4. 9. **Bézier-first for matplotlib arrows**: When labeling curved arrows (`arc3`), compute the actual Bézier curve position using the arc3 control point formula (`cx = mid_x + rad*dy, cy = mid_y - rad*dx`), then offset labels perpendicular to the **computed** curve position. Never guess where curves pass. Use a white-background bbox on labels for readability. See `tikz_rules.md` Pass 4 for the full formula and workflow. --- ## Quick Reference | Principle | Rule | |-----------|------| | Ideas per slide | ONE | | Title style | Assertion, not label | | Minimum font | 24pt (18pt floor) | | Bullets | Avoid — find the structure | | White space | Confidence, not waste | | Charts | One message, direct labels | | Compile target | Zero warnings | | Opening slide | Puzzle, surprise, or provocation | | Closing slide | One memorable takeaway | | TikZ labels | Calculate the gap (see tikz_rules.md) | | Color palette | 10+ colors, warm by default | | Narrative | Setup, Development, Resolution | --- ## Supporting Files All in this skill directory (`~/.claude/skills/compiledeck/`): - **tikz_rules.md** — Measurement-based TikZ collision prevention rules. READ THIS before creating any TikZ diagram. - **palette_reference.md** — Four real palettes extracted from existing decks, with a selection guide. - **domain_patterns.md** — Detailed structural patterns for academic seminars, teaching lectures, and working decks. ## Full Philosophy Reference For the complete essay behind these principles: `~/MixtapeTools/presentations/rhetoric_of_decks.md` `~/MixtapeTools/presentations/rhetoric_of_decks_full_essay.md` This skill distills those essays into operational rules. You don't need to re-read them — just follow the rules above.