LibreOffice Impress

Overview

LibreOffice Impress skill for creating, editing, converting, and automating presentation workflows using the native ODP (OpenDocument Presentation) format.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Creating new presentations in ODP format
• Converting between ODP, PPTX, PDF formats
• Automating slide generation from templates
• Batch processing presentation operations
• Creating presentation templates

Core Capabilities

1. Presentation Creation

• Create new ODP presentations from scratch
• Generate presentations from templates
• Create slide masters and layouts
• Build interactive presentations

2. Format Conversion

• ODP to other formats: PPTX, PDF, HTML, SWF
• Other formats to ODP: PPTX, PPT, PDF
• Batch conversion of multiple files

3. Slide Automation

• Template-based slide generation
• Batch slide creation from data
• Automated content insertion
• Dynamic chart generation

4. Content Manipulation

• Text and image insertion
• Shape and diagram creation
• Animation and transition control
• Speaker notes management

5. Integration

• Command-line automation via soffice
• Python scripting with UNO
• Integration with workflow tools

Workflows

Creating a New Presentation

Method 1: Command-Line

soffice --impress template.odp

Method 2: Python with UNO

import uno

def create_presentation():
    local_ctx = uno.getComponentContext()
    resolver = local_ctx.ServiceManager.createInstanceWithContext(
        "com.sun.star.bridge.UnoUrlResolver", local_ctx
    )
    ctx = resolver.resolve(
        "uno:socket,host=localhost,port=8100;urp;StarOffice.ComponentContext"
    )
    smgr = ctx.ServiceManager
    doc = smgr.createInstanceWithContext("com.sun.star.presentation.PresentationDocument", ctx)
    slides = doc.getDrawPages()
    slide = slides.getByIndex(0)
    doc.storeToURL("file:///path/to/presentation.odp", ())
    doc.close(True)

Converting Presentations

# ODP to PPTX
soffice --headless --convert-to pptx presentation.odp

# ODP to PDF
soffice --headless --convert-to pdf presentation.odp

# PPTX to ODP
soffice --headless --convert-to odp presentation.pptx

# Batch convert
for file in *.odp; do
    soffice --headless --convert-to pdf "$file"
done

Template-Based Generation

import subprocess
import tempfile
from pathlib import Path

def generate_from_template(template_path, content, output_path):
    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
        subprocess.run(['unzip', '-q', template_path, '-d', tmpdir])
        content_file = Path(tmpdir) / 'content.xml'
        content_xml = content_file.read_text()
        for key, value in content.items():
            content_xml = content_xml.replace(f'${{{key}}}', str(value))
        content_file.write_text(content_xml)
        subprocess.run(['zip', '-rq', output_path, '.'], cwd=tmpdir)
    return output_path

Format Conversion Reference

Supported Input Formats

• ODP (native), PPTX, PPT, PDF

Supported Output Formats

• ODP, PPTX, PDF, HTML, SWF

Command-Line Reference

soffice --headless
soffice --headless --convert-to <format> <file>
soffice --impress  # Impress

Python Libraries

pip install ezodf     # ODF handling
pip install odfpy     # ODF manipulation

Best Practices

1. Use slide masters for consistency
2. Create templates for recurring presentations
3. Embed fonts for PDF distribution
4. Use vector graphics when possible
5. Store ODP source files in version control
6. Test conversions thoroughly
7. Keep file sizes manageable

Troubleshooting

Cannot open socket

killall soffice.bin
soffice --headless --accept="socket,host=localhost,port=8100;urp;"

Resources

• LibreOffice Impress Guide
• UNO API Reference

Related Skills

• writer
• calc
• draw
• base
• pptx-official
• workflow-automation