Presentation Tool Selection Skill

Choose the right presentation tool for your use case — Slides, Pitch, or Auto.

Alex has three presentation generation capabilities. This skill provides the decision framework for selecting the optimal tool based on requirements.

Tool Nicknames (Quick Reference)

Nickname	Full Name	Remember As
Slides	Marp	"Markdown slides"
Pitch	Gamma	"AI pitch deck"
Auto	PptxGenJS	"Automated reports"

Just say: "use Slides", "use Pitch", or "use Auto"

The Three Tools

Nickname	Tool	Type	Best For
Slides	Marp	Markdown → Multi-format	Version-controlled technical docs
Pitch	Gamma	AI-generated	Professional pitch decks, rapid prototyping
Auto	PptxGenJS	Programmatic API	Automated reports, data-driven slides

Quick Decision Matrix

code

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    PRESENTATION TOOL SELECTOR                   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

                         START HERE
                              │
                              ▼
              ┌───────────────────────────────┐
              │   Need AI to generate content │──YES──▶ PITCH (Gamma)
              │   from a topic/prompt?        │        (AI-powered)
              └───────────────────────────────┘
                              │ NO
                              ▼
              ┌───────────────────────────────┐
              │   Need programmatic/automated  │──YES──▶ AUTO (PptxGenJS)
              │   generation from data/API?   │        (Code-based)
              └───────────────────────────────┘
                              │ NO
                              ▼
              ┌───────────────────────────────┐
              │   Need version control +      │──YES──▶ SLIDES (Marp)
              │   simple Markdown workflow?   │        (Markdown-first)
              └───────────────────────────────┘
                              │ NO
                              ▼
              ┌───────────────────────────────┐
              │   Default: Start with SLIDES  │
              │   (fastest to get started)    │
              └───────────────────────────────┘

Detailed Comparison

Criterion	Marp	Gamma	PptxGenJS
Input	Markdown	Natural language prompt	JSON/TypeScript
Output	HTML, PDF, PPTX	Web link, exportable	Native .pptx
Offline	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes
AI Generation	❌ Manual	✅ Built-in	❌ Manual
Version Control	✅ Git-friendly	❌ Cloud-hosted	⚠️ Code only
Data Integration	❌ Static	❌ Manual	✅ API/JSON
Brand Templates	✅ CSS themes	✅ Auto-themed	✅ Custom masters
Learning Curve	Low	Very Low	Medium
Dependency	VS Code extension	Web service	Node.js

Use Case Matrix

Choose MARP When:

Scenario	Why Marp
Technical documentation	Markdown source = version controlled
Conference talks	Developer-friendly, Git-trackable
Internal team updates	Quick edits, no design overhead
Multi-format needs	Same source → HTML + PDF + PPTX
Offline-first	No cloud dependency

Marp Workflow:

markdown

---
marp: true
theme: default
---

# Slide Title

- Bullet point
- Another point

---

# Next Slide

Export: Use export_marp tool or VS Code Marp extension

Choose GAMMA When:

Scenario	Why Gamma
Pitch decks for stakeholders	Professional polish, AI layouts
Rapid prototyping	Content → deck in minutes
Non-technical audiences	Beautiful defaults
Presentations from rough notes	AI structures the narrative
Client-facing deliverables	Publication-quality output

Gamma Workflow:

•Provide topic/outline to Alex
•Alex applies Duarte methodology (see gamma-presentations skill)
•Alex generates structured markdown
•Paste into gamma.app → AI creates polished deck

Best Practice: Use Alex as presentation consultant first (audience, goal, S.T.A.R. moments), then generate.

Choose PPTXGENJS When:

Scenario	Why PptxGenJS
Automated reports	Data → slides pipeline
Dashboard exports	Charts from live data
Batch generation	100 personalized decks
CI/CD integration	Generate on build
Custom branding	Full Slide Master control

PptxGenJS Workflow:

typescript

import { generateAndSavePresentation } from './pptxGenerator';

const slides = [
  { type: 'title', title: 'Q4 Report', subtitle: 'Automated' },
  { type: 'chart', chartType: 'bar', data: quarterlyData }
];

await generateAndSavePresentation(slides, {}, 'report.pptx');

Best Practice: Define slide templates, feed data, automate export.

Decision Flowchart by Context

Context	Recommended Tool	Rationale
"I have rough notes"	Gamma	AI structures content
"I have structured data"	PptxGenJS	Programmatic charts/tables
"I have Markdown content"	Marp	Direct conversion
"I need it in 5 minutes"	Gamma	Fastest to polished
"I need it repeatable monthly"	PptxGenJS	Automation
"I need Git history"	Marp	Plain text source
"Audience is executives"	Gamma	Professional polish
"Audience is developers"	Marp	Code-adjacent workflow
"Audience is data analysts"	PptxGenJS	Chart-heavy

Hybrid Workflows

Sometimes the best approach combines tools:

Marp → Gamma Refinement

•Draft slides in Marp (fast iteration)
•Export rough content
•Refine in Gamma for final polish

PptxGenJS + Marp Templates

•Use Marp themes for branding reference
•Replicate in PptxGenJS Slide Masters
•Automate data-driven generation

Gamma Consulting → PptxGenJS Automation

•Use Alex/Gamma for narrative structure
•Implement as PptxGenJS templates
•Feed data for automated generation

Anti-Patterns

❌ Don't	✅ Instead
Use PptxGenJS for one-off deck	Use Marp (faster)
Use Marp for executive pitch	Use Gamma (better polish)
Use Gamma for automated reports	Use PptxGenJS (data integration)
Manually edit Gamma exports	Re-generate or use Marp
Copy-paste between tools	Define shared templates

Activation Triggers

•"which presentation tool", "what tool for slides"
•"marp vs gamma", "pptx vs gamma", "slides vs pitch"
•"use slides", "use pitch", "use auto"
•"create presentation" (then assess requirements)
•"best way to make slides"
•"presentation strategy"

Synapses

See synapses.json for connections.