Paper to Slides
Two-phase pipeline: Phase 1 deep-reads an academic paper into a structured dual-mode report, Phase 2 transforms the report into a polished, zero-dependency HTML presentation.
Dependencies
pdftotext (from poppler) — install via brew install poppler or apt install poppler-utils if missing- Google Fonts (loaded via CDN in the generated HTML)
Phase 1: Paper Deep-Read
Step 1.0 — Resolve input source
Determine the input type and obtain a local PDF:
| Input | Action |
|---|
Local path (/path/to/paper.pdf) | Use directly |
arXiv abs URL (https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.02096) | Convert to https://arxiv.org/pdf/2603.02096 and download |
arXiv PDF URL (https://arxiv.org/pdf/2603.02096) | Download directly |
| Other PDF URL | Download directly |
Download command:
curl -L -o /tmp/paper.pdf "<pdf_url>"
Use the arXiv ID or paper title as the filename when possible (e.g., /tmp/2603.02096_FluxMem.pdf).
Step 1.1 — Extract full text
pdftotext "<paper.pdf>" /tmp/paper_text.txt
Read the extracted text completely. For papers with critical figures, try extracting key pages as images via pdftoppm and analyzing them with the image tool.
Step 1.2 — Comprehensive analysis
Create temp_analysis.md extracting:
- Research question, hypotheses, methodology, data sources
- Core findings with key quantitative results
- Theoretical contributions and practical implications
- The paper's fundamental contradiction/gap, novel angle, and method innovation
This step is mandatory — it ensures report quality through structured thinking.
Step 1.3 — Write dual-mode report
Generate [PaperName]_研读报告.md containing both parts separated by ---:
- Part A — Read part-a-template.md before writing. Deep academic report: structured abstract → introduction → methodology → results → discussion → conclusion → core references.
- Part B — Read part-b-template.md before writing. Core logic extraction: four key elements table → method formula → one-line summary (expert + layperson versions).
Writing standards: Use complete paragraphs over bullet lists. Provide bilingual terms (中英) on first mention. Support every claim with specific data from the paper.
Step 1.4 — Deliver report
Present the report file and briefly summarize the paper's core innovation, key findings, and theoretical value.
Phase 2: Slides Generation
If the user only requested a report, stop after Phase 1.
Step 2.0 — Confirm parameters
Ask the user (all at once):
- Purpose: 组会汇报 / 学术会议 / 教学 / 其他
- Length: Short (5-10) / Medium (10-20) / Long (20+)
- Theme: 亮色 / 暗色 / 偏好的风格
- Editing: 是否需要浏览器内编辑功能
If the user already specified these in the initial request, skip asking and proceed.
Step 2.1 — Choose style
Select an appropriate style based on user preferences. Read slide-styles.md for available presets and CSS specifications. Academic presentations generally suit Swiss Modern (light), Notebook Tabs (light), or Bold Signal (dark).
Step 2.2 — Plan slide outline
Map the report content to a slide structure. Typical academic paper outline (15-19 slides):
| Section | Slides | Content |
|---|
| Title | 1 | Paper title, authors, affiliations, date |
| Problem | 1-2 | Background, existing gaps, key insight |
| Method (divider) | 1 | Section divider slide |
| Method details | 3-5 | Core modules, formulas, architecture |
| Results (divider) | 1 | Section divider slide |
| Quantitative results | 2-3 | Main results tables, metrics, comparisons |
| Efficiency / Ablation | 1-2 | Efficiency gains, ablation studies |
| Discussion (divider) | 1 | Section divider slide |
| Advantages & Limitations | 1-2 | Key properties, future directions |
| Summary | 1 | One-line takeaway |
| Thanks | 1 | Links, navigation hints |
Step 2.3 — Generate HTML
Read slide-template.md for the mandatory HTML architecture, viewport CSS, JS controller, and inline editing implementation.
Non-negotiable rules:
- Single self-contained HTML file, all CSS/JS inline
- Every
.slide must have height: 100vh; height: 100dvh; overflow: hidden
- ALL font sizes and spacing must use
clamp() — never fixed px/rem
- Load fonts from Google Fonts or Fontshare — never system fonts
- Include
prefers-reduced-motion support
- Max content per slide: 1 heading + 4-6 bullets OR 1 heading + 2 paragraphs. Overflow → split slides.
If inline editing is enabled, implement via contentEditable API + localStorage persistence. Use JS-based hover with 400ms delay for the edit button (not CSS ~ sibling selector — it breaks due to pointer-events). See the template for the complete implementation.
Step 2.4 — Open and deliver
open [filename].html
Tell the user: file location, slide count, navigation (arrow keys / space / dots), and editing instructions (press E) if enabled.
Both Phases Together
When the user requests both report and slides, run Phase 1 fully first, then Phase 2. The report serves as the structured source for slide content — do not re-analyze the paper.
