zcbot/skills/ppt/templates/layouts

Layout Templates

Layout = structure-only template. Captures canvas, page structure, page types, and SVG roster — but no identity segment (color / typography / logo / voice / icon style). Layered identity comes from templates/brands/ or is decided per-deck in Strategist's Eight Confirmations. For full-identity replicas of specific PPTs, see templates/decks/ instead.

Single source of truth for what layouts exist: layouts_index.json (layout_id → { summary, canvas_format, page_count, page_types }). This README explains the kind; it does not enumerate layouts.

Full data model: docs/zh/templates-architecture.md.

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Trigger rule

Layout selection is opt-in by explicit path. The main workflow defaults to free design. A layout is only used when the user gives an explicit directory path in their initial message (e.g. skills/ppt-master/templates/layouts/academic_defense/). Bare names do not trigger. See SKILL.md Step 3.

layouts_index.json is a discovery aid, not a trigger — it lets the AI answer "what layouts exist?" by listing ids and paths. Listing alone never advances the pipeline.

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design_spec.md schema

Layouts write structure-only segments. Identity sections (Color Scheme / Typography / Logo / Voice / Icon Style) are forbidden — those belong to brands and decks. Minimum schema:

---
layout_id: <slug>
kind: layout
summary: <one-line use cases>
canvas_format: ppt169
page_count: 5
page_types: [cover, toc, chapter, content, ending]
---

# [Template Name] - Design Specification

## I. Template Overview         # Use cases / Design intent
## II. Canvas Specification     # Format / Dimensions / viewBox / Margins
## III. Page Structure          # Layout grid / Decorative DNA / Navigation
## IV. Page Types               # Per-page role descriptions
## V. SVG Page Roster           # File list + per-file purpose

Layouts may include additional supporting sections (Layout Patterns, Spacing Guidelines, SVG Technical Constraints, Placeholder Specification, Usage Notes). Do not include Color Scheme or Typography sections — those are identity-segment fields owned by templates/brands/ and templates/decks/.

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Standard file set per layout directory

Filename	Required	Purpose
design_spec.md	Yes	Layout schema spec (frontmatter + structure sections)
01_cover.svg	Yes	Cover page
02_toc.svg	Optional	Table of contents
02_chapter.svg	Yes	Chapter page
03_content.svg	Yes	Content page
04_ending.svg	Yes	Ending page

All SVGs use viewBox="0 0 1280 720" for ppt169.

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Placeholder convention

Templates use {{PLACEHOLDER}} to mark replaceable content. New layouts should use the canonical placeholder set documented in references/template-designer.md. Templates with intentionally different vocabulary declare a placeholders: block in design_spec.md frontmatter to silence advisory warnings.

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Creating a new layout

1. Run workflows/create-template.md (default produces a deck; explicit "structure only / no identity" option produces a layout)
2. Resulting directory lands under templates/layouts/<id>/
3. Validate: python3 skills/ppt-master/scripts/svg_quality_checker.py templates/layouts/<id> --template-mode --format ppt169
4. Register: python3 skills/ppt-master/scripts/register_template.py <id> --kind layout

The register step updates layouts_index.json — the single source of truth for layout discovery.

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SVG technical constraints

See shared-standards.md for the authoritative ban list (PPT incompatibilities, raw-character rules, clipPath conditional allowance, etc.). Layouts must comply.