/gradient-calendar

name: gradient-calendar-pptx
description: "Reusable fixed-style PPTX generation skill for the Gradient Calendar visual brand — pale gray (#F1F3F7) calendar-native productivity aesthetic with near-black oversized numerals, electric lime (#C8FF00) schedule blocks, saturated blue (#0B74FF) vertical labels, and soft cyan-lime-lavender gradient washes, on strict calendar grids, widescreen 16:9 editable .pptx output. Use this skill whenever the user mentions Gradient Calendar, asks for a presentation or deck in the Gradient Calendar style, wants a calendar-native / agenda-poster / schedule-led productivity deck, a planner or roadmap deck with oversized date numerals and lime event blocks, or mentions the pale-gray + electric-lime + blue + gradient-wash look for slides. Also trigger when the user says 'gradient calendar', 'calendar deck', 'agenda poster deck', 'schedule deck', 'planner slides', or 'productivity system presentation' in any context. Display name: Gradient Calendar PPTX."

Gradient Calendar PPTX Skill

A reusable fixed-style PowerPoint generation skill. It builds on the `pptx` skill's technical capabilities while locking in the **Gradient Calendar** visual identity: a polished, calendar-native productivity system — sparse poster-like covers, strict calendar grids, oversized date numerals, electric-lime schedule blocks, and soft gradient washes.

**Core principle — style wins over content volume.** When the user's topic contains more information than the format can hold, compress it into calendar grids, schedule cards, timelines, and extra slides. The deck must feel like a polished calendar-native productivity system for the user's topic — **not** a generic SaaS pitch deck, **not** a cluttered screenshot dump, and **not** a text-heavy product report.

**This skill is topic-agnostic.** It generates Gradient Calendar decks for *any* user-provided topic. Never hardcode a sample topic (productivity apps, SaaS, calendar products, launch plans, specific years, or any brand) into a deck. Any topic-specific wording in this file is an *example only* — replace it at runtime with the user's topic variables.

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Step 1: Gather Inputs (Ask First — Max 3 Questions)

Do **not** start generating immediately. Use the `AskUserQuestion` tool to present the missing questions in a **single** call (up to 3 at once). Only ask what the user hasn't already provided in their prompt — if they already gave the topic, slide count, or image choice, skip that question. Do not ask any extra questions unless the deck literally cannot be built without them.

**Question 1 — Topic** (skip if already provided):

• header: "Topic"
• question: "What is the topic or title of the deck?"
• options: 2–3 relevant example topics plus allow Other

**Question 2 — Slide count** (skip if already specified):

• header: "Slides"
• question: "How many slides should the deck include?"
• options: `8 slides`, `10 slides (Recommended)`, `12 slides`, `15 slides`

**Question 3 — Images**:

• header: "Images"
• question: "How should visuals be handled?"
• options:
• `No generated images` — Editable native grids, cards, and gradient fields only (Recommended)
• `Generate with gpt-image-2` — Abstract gradient washes + topic-supporting theme images
• `Use my uploaded / reference images` — Insert images I provide

If the user hasn't provided data, dates, audience, or other details, **infer neutral content or use clearly labeled placeholder figures** (see Content Rules). Do not keep asking. Once you have the three core answers, proceed directly to generation.

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Step 2: Topic Translation — Everything Becomes a Calendar-Native System

Before writing any slide copy, translate the user's topic into a Gradient Calendar frame. No topic is too abstract or too far from planning to work. Every subject becomes a schedule, agenda, roadmap, or planning system — while preserving the user's actual subject.

| User provides | Gradient Calendar treatment | |---|---| | Product / launch | A rollout calendar: phases, milestones, schedule cards | | Strategy / plan | A planning grid: quarters, tracks, timeline strips | | Research / concept | A structured agenda: sections as calendar blocks | | Team / process | An operating schedule: cadences, roles, weekly grids | | Event / program | A program calendar: days, tracks, agenda rows | | Any other subject | Reframe as a schedule-led, calendar-native system |

Decide these **before** writing slides, and use them to anchor the cover and the deck's spine:

• The **hero numeral** (a year, date, index, edition, or time-system number for the cover).
• The **deck title** (bold, black, beneath the numeral).
• The **vertical spine word** (one saturated-blue word running up the right edge — a month, category, or theme word).

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Step 3: Generate Images (only if the user chose gpt-image-2)

If the user chose **No generated images** or **uploaded images**, skip generation. For uploads, place their images into black/white photo panels or mockup frames, and leave editable placeholder rects where images are missing.

If the user chose **gpt-image-2**, read the `generate-image` skill at `/home/node/.claude/skills/generate-image/SKILL.md` for the exact API call pattern. Use `openai/gpt-image-2` with `response_format: "b64_json"` and `aspectRatio` matching the placement (`"16:9"` for washes/dividers). Save each image to `/tmp/gradient-cal-img-N.png`.

Generate **two clearly separated asset types**. Both must contain **no readable text, no logos, no real app/brand marks, and no recognizable real people.**

**Decorative image set** — abstract cyan-lime-lavender gradient washes, used *only* as cover gradient washes, section-divider atmospheres, and non-informational background accents:

Abstract smooth gradient wash, calendar-paper light leak, pale blue to electric lime to soft violet haze,
airbrushed luminous background, clean and diffuse, no text, no logos, no people, no UI, no objects.
16:9 composition, sof