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Oliver DeckForge — User Manual
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' displayHeaderFooter: true stylesheet: - https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/github-markdown-css/5.5.1/github-markdown.min.css body_class: markdown-body css: |- body { font-family: 'Segoe UI', system-ui, -apple-system, sans-serif; } .markdown-body { max-width: 100%; } h1 { color: #5146E5; border-bottom: 3px solid #5146E5; padding-bottom: 8px; } h2 { color: #3b3494; border-bottom: 1px solid #E9E8F8; padding-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 2em; } h3 { color: #4a4a4a; } table { width: 100%; } th { background: #5146E5; color: white; } td, th { padding: 8px 12px; } code { background: #f0eff8; color: #5146E5; padding: 2px 6px; border-radius: 4px; } pre code { background: #1e1e2e; color: #cdd6f4; display: block; padding: 16px; border-radius: 8px; } blockquote { border-left: 4px solid #5146E5; background: #f8f7ff; padding: 12px 16px; margin: 16px 0; } .tip { border-left: 4px solid #22c55e; background: #f0fdf4; padding: 12px 16px; margin: 16px 0; border-radius: 0 8px 8px 0; } .warning { border-left: 4px solid #f59e0b; background: #fffbeb; padding: 12px 16px; margin: 16px 0; border-radius: 0 8px 8px 0; } img { max-width: 100%; max-height: 280px; object-fit: contain; display: block; margin: 16px auto; } --- # Oliver DeckForge User Manual **Version 1.0** | Enterprise AI Presentation Generator --- ## Table of Contents 1. [Getting Started](#1-getting-started) 2. [Dashboard](#2-dashboard) 3. [Creating a Presentation](#3-creating-a-presentation) 4. [Working with the Outline](#4-working-with-the-outline) 5. [Selecting a Template](#5-selecting-a-template) 6. [Generation Progress](#6-generation-progress) 7. [Editing Slides](#7-editing-slides) 8. [Review Workflow](#8-review-workflow) 9. [Exporting Presentations](#9-exporting-presentations) 10. [Keyboard Shortcuts & Tips](#10-keyboard-shortcuts--tips) --- ## 1. Getting Started ### 1.1 Logging In Oliver DeckForge supports two authentication methods: ```mermaid flowchart LR A[Open App] --> B{Auth Mode?} B -->|Production| C[Azure AD SSO] B -->|Development| D[Email + Password] C --> E[Microsoft Login] E --> F[Dashboard] D --> F ``` **Production Mode (Azure AD SSO):** Click **"Sign in with Microsoft"** and authenticate with your organization's Microsoft 365 credentials. **Development Mode:** When Azure AD is not configured, a development login form appears. Enter: - **Email:** Your email address (e.g., `admin@deckforge.dev`) - **Password:** The development password (default: `devpass123`) > After successful authentication, you are redirected to the Dashboard. ### 1.2 User Interface Overview The application has two main areas: | Area | Access | Purpose | |------|--------|---------| | **Presentation Generator** | All users | Create, edit, and export presentations | | **Admin Panel** | Admins only | Manage users, clients, templates, settings | --- ## 2. Dashboard The dashboard is your home screen after logging in. What you see depends on your account configuration. ### 2.1 Client Grid View If your account is associated with one or more clients, you see a grid of **client cards**: - Each card displays the client's **name** and **logo** - Click a card to view that client's templates and presentations - Click **"New Presentation"** to start creating ### 2.2 Client Detail View After selecting a client, two tabs appear: **Templates Tab** - Shows all available master deck templates for this client - Each template card shows a **thumbnail**, **name**, **layout count**, and **status** - Click a template to start a new presentation with that template pre-selected **Presentations Tab** - Lists all presentations created under this client - Each card shows: - Presentation **title** - **Status badge**: Draft (yellow), In Review (blue), Approved (green) - **Last updated** date - Click any card to open it in the editor ### 2.3 Quick Actions | Action | How | |--------|-----| | Create new presentation | Click **"New Presentation"** button (top-right) | | Open existing presentation | Click on any presentation card | | Switch client | Click breadcrumb "All Clients" to go back to client grid | --- ## 3. Creating a Presentation ### 3.1 Workflow Overview ```mermaid flowchart LR A[Upload Page] --> B{Input} B -->|Topic| C[Text] B -->|File| D[DOCX/PDF/PPTX] B -->|URL| E[Web] C --> F[Configure] D --> F E --> F F --> G[Outline] --> H[Template] --> I[Generate] --> J[Edit] --> K[Export] ``` ### 3.2 The Upload Page Navigate to **Create Presentation** to see the upload page. You have three ways to provide content: #### Option A: Topic or Text Prompt Type your presentation topic or detailed content in the large text area: > **Example:** "Quarterly business review for Q3 2026, focusing on revenue growth, customer acquisition, and product roadmap milestones" #### Option B: Upload Documents Drag and drop files into the upload zone, or click **"Choose Files"**: | Format | Notes | |--------|-------| | `.docx` | Word documents — structured content with tables extracted | | `.pptx` | PowerPoint files — existing slides used as reference | | `.pdf` | PDF documents — text and layout extracted (max 1 PDF) | | `.txt` | Plain text files — raw content | Multiple files can be uploaded simultaneously (except PDFs — only one allowed). #### Option C: Paste a URL Enter a web URL to extract content from a web page. The system fetches and processes the page content automatically. ### 3.3 Configuration Options Before generating, configure these settings: **Slide Count** - Choose from presets: 5, 8, 10, 12, 15, or 20 slides - Or enter a custom number **Language** - Select the output language from a searchable dropdown - Default: English **Advanced Settings** (click the sliders icon): | Setting | Options | Default | |---------|---------|---------| | **Tone** | Default, Professional, Casual, Funny, Academic | Default | | **Verbosity** | Concise, Standard, Detailed | Standard | | **Table of Contents** | On/Off | Off | | **Title Slide** | On/Off | On | | **Web Search** | On/Off — allows AI to search the web for fresh data | Off | | **Custom Instructions** | Free text to guide the AI | — | > **Tip:** Custom instructions are powerful. Use them to specify audience, emphasize particular topics, or set formatting preferences. ### 3.4 Document Preview If you uploaded documents, a **Document Preview** page appears next: - **Left sidebar** lists all uploaded files - Click a file to preview its extracted content in the main area - Content is rendered as formatted Markdown - Click **"Next"** to proceed to the outline --- ## 4. Working with the Outline The outline page shows the AI-generated structure for your presentation. ### 4.1 Outline View Each slide appears as an editable card with: - **Slide number** badge (left side) - **Content editor** — editable Markdown content - **Attached files** — badges showing which uploaded documents are linked to this slide - **Drag handle** — reorder slides by dragging - **Delete button** — remove a slide (trash icon, right side) ### 4.2 Editing the Outline | Action | How | |--------|-----| | **Edit slide content** | Click into the text area and modify | | **Reorder slides** | Drag the handle (dots icon) on the left | | **Delete a slide** | Click the trash icon on the right | | **Add a new slide** | Click **"+ Add Slide"** at the bottom | ### 4.3 Streaming Indicator While the AI is generating the outline: - A **"Thinking"** spinner appears - Content streams in real-time with animation - The active slide auto-scrolls into view - Editing is disabled until streaming completes > **Note:** Wait for streaming to finish before making edits to avoid conflicts. --- ## 5. Selecting a Template Switch to the **"Select Template"** tab on the outline page. ### 5.1 Built-in Templates Pre-configured templates ship with the system. Each card shows: - Template **name** and **description** - Preview images of 4 sample layouts - A **"Selected"** badge on the active choice ### 5.2 Custom AI Templates If your organization has uploaded master decks (PPTX files parsed by AI), they appear under **"Custom AI Templates"**: - Shows the master deck **thumbnail** and **name** - Contains layouts specifically designed for your brand ### 5.3 Generating the Presentation 1. Select a template (border turns blue) 2. Click **"Generate Presentation"** at the bottom 3. You are redirected to the progress page > **Important:** You must select a template before the Generate button becomes active. --- ## 6. Generation Progress ### 6.1 Progress Screen ```mermaid stateDiagram-v2 [*] --> Processing Processing --> Completed: All slides generated Processing --> Failed: Error occurred Completed --> Editor: Auto-redirect (1.5s) Failed --> Outline: User clicks Retry ``` The progress page shows: - **Status icon**: Animated hamster wheel (processing), green check (done), or red X (failed) - **Progress bar** with percentage - **Status message** describing the current step ### 6.2 Actions During Generation | Status | Available Actions | |--------|-------------------| | **Processing** | **Cancel** — stops the job, returns to outline | | **Completed** | **Open Presentation** — auto-opens after 1.5 seconds | | **Failed** | **Retry** — returns to outline to try again | ### 6.3 Connection Method The progress page uses **Server-Sent Events (SSE)** for real-time updates. If SSE fails, it falls back to **polling** every 3 seconds. --- ## 7. Editing Slides ### 7.1 Editor Layout ```mermaid flowchart LR subgraph Editor A[Left Sidebar
Slide Thumbnails] --- B[Main Content
Slide Preview] end subgraph Header C[Logo] --- D[Actions
Undo/Redo/Export] end ``` The presentation editor has: - **Header bar** (purple) with actions - **Left sidebar** with slide thumbnails - **Main area** with full-size slide previews ### 7.2 Sidebar Navigation Toggle between two views: - **Grid view** — thumbnail previews of all slides - **List view** — slide numbers and titles Click any slide to navigate to it. Drag to reorder. ### 7.3 Slide Actions Hover over any slide to reveal action overlays: | Position | Action | Description | |----------|--------|-------------| | **Top-left** | Update slide | Opens prompt input — describe changes and AI regenerates | | **Top-right** | Delete slide | Removes the slide | | **Top-right** | Speaker notes | View/edit speaker notes for this slide | | **Bottom-center** | Add slide | Insert a new slide below this one | ### 7.4 AI-Powered Slide Updates 1. Hover over a slide 2. Click the **magic wand** icon (top-left) 3. Enter your update prompt (e.g., "Add a chart showing quarterly revenue") 4. Click **"Update"** 5. The AI regenerates the slide content based on your instructions > **Note:** Updates may take 30–120 seconds depending on content complexity and image generation. ### 7.5 Auto-Save The editor automatically saves your changes. A spinning icon in the header indicates a save is in progress. --- ## 8. Review Workflow ### 8.1 Status Flow ```mermaid stateDiagram-v2 direction LR Draft --> InReview: Submit for Review InReview --> Approved: Approve InReview --> Draft: Return to Draft Approved --> Draft: Reopen ``` Every presentation has a review status: | Status | Badge Color | Meaning | |--------|-------------|---------| | **Draft** | Yellow | Work in progress — not reviewed | | **In Review** | Blue | Submitted for review — awaiting approval | | **Approved** | Green | Reviewed and approved — ready for use | ### 8.2 Changing Status 1. Click the **status badge** in the editor header 2. A popover appears with: - Current status display - Last review comment (if any) - Available status transition buttons - Comment text area ### 8.3 Adding Review Comments 1. Open the status popover 2. Type a comment in the text area 3. Click **"Add Comment"** Comments are saved and visible to all users who access the presentation. ### 8.4 Status Transitions | Current Status | Available Actions | |----------------|-------------------| | **Draft** | Submit to **In Review** | | **In Review** | **Approve** or return to **Draft** | | **Approved** | Return to **Draft** | --- ## 9. Exporting Presentations ### 9.1 Export Options Click **"Export"** in the editor header to see options: | Format | Description | |--------|-------------| | **PDF** | High-quality PDF document, one slide per page | | **PPTX** | PowerPoint file, editable in Microsoft PowerPoint | ### 9.2 Export Process ```mermaid sequenceDiagram participant U as User participant E as Editor participant S as Server participant P as Puppeteer U->>E: Click Export E->>E: Auto-save presentation E->>S: Request export S->>P: Render slides in headless browser P->>S: Return rendered output S->>E: File ready E->>U: Download starts ``` 1. Click **"Export as PDF"** or **"Export as PPTX"** 2. The system auto-saves your latest changes 3. A loading overlay appears: **"Exporting presentation..."** 4. The rendered file downloads automatically > **Note:** Export may take 15–60 seconds depending on slide count and image complexity. --- ## 10. Keyboard Shortcuts & Tips ### 10.1 Tips for Better Presentations
**Be specific in your prompt.** Instead of "Make a sales presentation," try: "Create a 12-slide sales pitch for enterprise CRM software targeting Fortune 500 IT directors, emphasizing ROI and integration capabilities."
**Use Custom Instructions wisely.** Add rules like: "Use bullet points, not paragraphs. Keep each slide to 3-4 key points. Include data visualizations where possible."
**Upload reference documents.** The AI produces significantly better content when given source material like reports, briefs, or existing presentations to draw from.
**Image generation may fail silently.** If a slide shows a placeholder instead of a generated image, check the slide content for an image error indicator. Try updating the slide with a more specific image description.
### 10.2 Troubleshooting | Problem | Solution | |---------|----------| | Export fails | Refresh the page and try again. Ensure the presentation has been saved. | | Slide update hangs | Wait up to 2 minutes. If still loading, refresh and retry. | | Outline won't generate | Check that you've entered content or uploaded at least one document. | | Template not showing | Ask your admin to verify the master deck has been fully parsed. | | Images missing | Image generation may be disabled or the provider API key may be invalid. Contact your admin. | | Cannot log in | Verify your credentials. In dev mode, check the `DEV_AUTH_PASSWORD` setting. | ### 10.3 Browser Requirements Oliver DeckForge works best with: - **Google Chrome** 90+ - **Microsoft Edge** 90+ - **Firefox** 90+ - **Safari** 15+ > JavaScript must be enabled. A stable internet connection is required for AI generation. ---
**Oliver DeckForge** | Enterprise AI Presentation Generator Version 1.0 | © 2026 All Rights Reserved