iA Presenter Workflow Guide

Core Philosophy: Fast and Focused

iA Presenter inverts the traditional presentation creation process.

1. •Content First: Write the script (message) first.
2. •Design Last: Apply layout and design only after the story is solid.
3. •Separation of Concerns: Strictly separate "What you say" (Script/Notes) from "What you show" (Slides/Visuals).

The 5-Step Process

1. Write (Script First)

Start by writing the narrative as a plain text document (or email).

• •Focus entirely on the message and story flow.
• •Do not worry about slide breaks or visuals yet.
• •Use Placeholder Images (e.g., /assets/image.jpg) to keep moving fast.
• •Note: For local images, drop them into iA Presenter's Media Manager.

2. Structure (Slide Breaks)

Once the script is written, chop it into slides.

• •Split: Use --- (three dashes) on a separate line OR 3 Return keys to create a new slide.
• •One Idea Per Slide: Keep slides focused.
• •Visibility:
  • •Headers (#, ##): Always visible on slide.
  • •Tables: Markdown tables are always visible on the slide.
  • •Body Text: Add a Tab (\t) to make a paragraph visible on the slide. Space indentation will not work.
  • •Speaker Notes: Keep text unindented to make it invisible to the audience (teleprompter only).

3. Iterate (Refine & Layout Control)

Review and refine the flow and automatic layout.

• •Avoid Content Overload: iA Presenter automatically uses Split or Grid layouts when multiple visible elements (tab-indented text blocks, images, tables) are present on a single slide.
• •Minimize Visible Blocks: To prevent text from becoming too small or layouts from becoming cluttered, aim for one major visible element per slide.
• •Heading & Content Grouping: Do NOT place an empty line between a Heading (#) and subsequent visible content (like tab-indented lists \t- or text). An empty line forces them into separate layout cells, causing unwanted Split or Grid views. Keep them strictly adjacent to treat them as a single unit.
• •Avoid Automatic Grid/Split: If visible elements are separated by lines, they may be forced into a Grid. To keep elements together, avoid unnecessary line breaks between them if they belong to the same visual unit, or use a list.
• •Slide Splitting: If the layout looks cramped (too many Grid items), it's a signal to split the content into multiple slides.

4. Design (Layouts & Themes)

Apply visual styling only after the structure is locked.

• •Select a Theme (fonts/colors).
• •Auto-Layout: The app handles responsive layout.
• •Image Parameters: You can control image positioning directly in Markdown by adding parameters immediately after the image link/URL.
  markdown

  /assets/image.jpg
  x: left
  y: top
  size: contain
  

• •Layout Picker: Choose between Stack, Split, Grid, etc., for multi-element slides via the UI or let the auto-layout handle it.

5. Action (Finalize)

• •Prepare for the Teleprompter.
• •Export to PDF/Handout if needed.

Quick Reference

Markdown & Syntax

| Feature | Syntax | Details | | :---------------- | :----------------------------------- | :------------------------------------ | --- | --- | -------------- | | Slide Break | --- or 3x Return | Separator | | Visible Text | \tText or Text | Tab or 4 spaces indent | | Speaker Notes | Text (No indent) | Visible only in teleprompter | | Headings | # (H1) to ###### (H6) | H1=Cover, H2=Title, H3-H6=Subsections | | Emphasis | **bold**, *italic*, ~~strike~~ | ==highlight==, ^sup^, ~sub~ | | Lists | -, *, 1., - [ ] | Tab-indent to show on slide | | Quotes | > (Notes), ⇥> (Slide) | Use ⇥> to show quote on slide | | Footnotes | [^1] ... [^1]: Text | Auto-numbered | | Math (LaTeX) | $x^2$ or $$x^2$$ | Inline or Block | | Tables | | A | B | | Always visible | | Comments | // Comment | Hidden everywhere |

Media & Assets

Supported Formats:

• •Images: PNG, JPG, GIF, WEBP, SVG, PDF, TIFF.
• •Video: MP4, MOV, M4V.
• •Audio: MP3, WAV, AAC, FLAC, M4A.

Adding Media:

• •Drag & Drop: Automatically handles pathing.
• •Markdown: /assets/image.jpg or /assets/video.mp4
• •Asset Path: Local files in /assets/ or remote URLs.

Visual Parameters (Add after image/video link):

/assets/image.jpg
background: true
opacity: 50%
filter: blur

• •Position: x: left/center/right, y: top/center/bottom
• •Sizing: size: cover/contain
• •Filters: lighten, darken, grayscale, sepia, blur

Layout Logic

Presenter automates layout based on content structure ("Cells"):

• •One Block: A heading, image, or text block forms a "Cell".
• •Separation: Two empty lines break content into separate cells/columns.
• •Grid Generation: 4+ items automatically form a Grid layout.
• •Split View: 2-3 items separated by double-newlines display side-by-side.
• •Layout Picker: Manually override auto-layout via the UI (Stack, Split, Grid, Caption, etc.).

Note: Avoid Grid and Split layouts whenever possible. Single-focus slides are generally more effective for clarity and audience engagement. If content triggers a Grid, consider splitting it into multiple slides.