Slide Deck Conversion
Supported Input
- PDF files exported from any presentation software (PowerPoint, Google Slides, Keynote, etc.)
- Best results with standard slide dimensions (16:9 or 4:3)
- File size limit: ~20MB recommended (larger files may timeout)
Output Format
The conversion produces structured markdown with:
- Document title - extracted from title slide or filename
- Per-slide sections - numbered with titles
- Text content - all bullets, paragraphs, captions preserved verbatim
- Visual descriptions - semantic explanations of charts, diagrams, images
- Layout notes - only when layout conveys meaning (comparisons, timelines)
Visual Element Handling
Charts and Graphs
Described by what they SHOW, not what they ARE:
- Good: "Revenue grew 35% year-over-year, from $3.1M to $4.2M"
- Bad: "Bar chart with two bars"
Diagrams and Flowcharts
Explained by relationships and flow:
- Good: "User requests flow through the API gateway, which routes to either the auth service or the main application based on endpoint"
- Bad: "Flowchart with boxes and arrows"
Images and Photos
Described by content and relevance:
- Good: "Team photo showing the engineering department at the annual offsite"
- Bad: "Photo of people"
Tables
Reproduced as markdown tables when structured data is clear.
Limitations
- Animations: Static PDF loses animation sequence context
- Handwriting: Hand-drawn elements may not be recognized accurately
- Very large decks: 100+ slides may need to be split
- Embedded videos: Only thumbnail/placeholder visible
Presenting Results
After conversion:
- Report the number of slides processed
- Mention key topics or sections identified
- Offer to show specific slides or the full document
- Note if any slides appeared problematic (mostly images, complex layouts)