# Creating a presentation from a matter

The product calls these **Presentations**. If you are looking for "decks", this
is the screen.

## Where presentations live

**Apps → Presentations** lists the presentations belonging to the matter you
are working on, under the line "Generated from the matter file; slide-level
editing happens in the confined viewer. Exports are server-authoritative and
filed into the document store."

Each row shows the title, where it came from, when it was last exported, and a
**PPTX filed** or **PDF filed** badge where that copy exists in the matter's
documents. A presentation that came in from outside is marked **Received**; one
made here is marked **Authored**.

**File on this computer** beside the New button files a presentation you
already have into this matter. It files it on this computer — it does not open
it in Presentations, and the surface says so.

If the matter is closed to new files, the reason is shown in red and **New
presentation…**, **File on this computer** and both export buttons are greyed
out. Opening still works.

## Generating one from a title and an outline

**New presentation…** opens a panel that first asks **Where the presentation
comes from**: **From a title and outline**, or **From a document**.

On **From a title and outline**:

- **Title**
- **Outline / brief** — the text the presentation is built from
- **Slides** — a number, at least 1; it starts at 8
- **Instructions (optional)** — how you want it treated

Beneath the form is a confirmation card, **Generate this presentation?**,
restating the **Title**, the **Slides** count, what it is built **From**, and
the matter it goes **Into**. Nothing is generated until you press **Generate
presentation**; while it runs the button reads **Generating…**. On success the
surface says **Presentation generated** and the list refreshes.

## Generating one from a document

On **From a document**, choose one of the matter's documents and say how many
**Slides to propose**, then press **Propose outline**. The assistant comes back
with a **Proposed outline** you can edit before anything is built: retitle any
slide, move slides up or down, delete one, or **Add slide**. A slide you added
by hand is marked *No source passage — this slide was added by hand.*

**Generate from this outline…** raises the confirmation card **Generate this
presentation from the document?**, which states plainly that the contents of
that document are sent to the presentation generator. Nothing is sent until you
confirm.

## Opening a presentation

**Open** loads it in a confined viewer inside the app, with the note "Confined
viewer: this session is bound to this one presentation — other
presentations/matters are not reachable from it." **Back to presentations**
returns to the list.

Slide-level editing happens inside that viewer. There is no slide editor in the
Terminal itself, and the assistant cannot patch individual slides — it can
propose an outline, generate, open and export.

## Exporting

Each row offers **Export PPTX** and **Export PDF**. The export is produced by
the server, not assembled in your browser. You are asked where to save it on
this computer; the suggested name is the presentation's title with the matching
extension. Once written, the file is attached to this matter, and the surface
confirms with **Saved *filename* on this computer.**

If you dismiss the save dialog, nothing is written and nothing is filed.

After an export the row updates, and the matching **PPTX filed** or **PDF
filed** badge appears.

## When the list is empty, or a read fails

An empty but healthy matter reads **No presentations yet**, with the line
"This matter has no presentations. Use New presentation above to generate the
first one from a title and an outline, or from one of the matter's documents."

A failure says what failed and gives the server's own words — for example
**Could not load this matter's presentations**, **Could not generate the
presentation**, **Could not open the presentation**, or **Could not export the
presentation as PPTX**. Where the failure is worth retrying, a retry is offered
on the message. A failure is never shown as an empty list.

If a message keeps coming back, say so in the composer and quote it.

## Honest limits

- Presentations are scoped to a matter. Changing the matter you are working on
  changes which presentations you see.
- Export formats are **PPTX** and **PDF**. There is no other format.
- Exporting does not send the presentation anywhere. It writes a file on your
  computer and attaches it to the matter; sending it to anyone is a separate,
  deliberate step.
- Generating from a document sends that document's contents to the generator.
  The confirmation says so before you commit.
- Generating does not verify the result against the matter's evidence. Read it
  before it leaves your hands, exactly as you would any draft.