Content
# Beamer MCP Server
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for creating professional slides and posters using LaTeX Beamer. This server enables AI assistants like Claude to generate beautiful presentations and research posters programmatically.
## Features
- **Create Presentations**: Generate Beamer slide decks with customizable themes
- **Create Posters**: Build research posters using beamerposter
- **Multiple Themes**: Support for all standard Beamer themes and color schemes
- **Flexible Content**: Add slides, sections, columns, images, and custom frames
- **LaTeX Compilation**: Compile documents to PDF directly
- **Easy Integration**: Works seamlessly with Claude and other MCP-compatible clients
## Prerequisites
- Node.js (v18 or higher)
- LaTeX distribution with `pdflatex` (e.g., TeX Live, MiKTeX)
- For posters: `beamerposter` package
### Installing LaTeX
**Ubuntu/Debian:**
```bash
sudo apt-get install texlive-latex-extra texlive-fonts-recommended
```
**macOS:**
```bash
brew install --cask mactex
```
**Windows:**
Download and install [MiKTeX](https://miktex.org/) or [TeX Live](https://www.tug.org/texlive/)
## Installation
1. Clone the repository:
```bash
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/Beamer-MCP.git
cd Beamer-MCP
```
2. Install dependencies:
```bash
npm install
```
3. Build the server:
```bash
npm run build
```
## Configuration
### Claude Desktop Configuration
Add to your Claude Desktop config file (`~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json` on macOS):
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"beamer": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/absolute/path/to/Beamer-MCP/dist/index.js"],
"env": {
"BEAMER_OUTPUT_DIR": "/path/to/output/directory"
}
}
}
}
```
### Environment Variables
- `BEAMER_OUTPUT_DIR`: Directory where .tex and .pdf files will be saved (defaults to current working directory)
## Available Tools
### 1. create_presentation
Create a new Beamer presentation.
**Parameters:**
- `id` (required): Unique identifier for the presentation
- `title` (required): Presentation title
- `author`: Author name
- `date`: Date (defaults to `\today`)
- `institute`: Institution name
- `theme`: Beamer theme (default: "Madrid")
- `colorTheme`: Color theme
**Example:**
```json
{
"id": "my-talk",
"title": "Introduction to AI",
"author": "John Doe",
"theme": "Copenhagen",
"colorTheme": "dolphin"
}
```
### 2. create_poster
Create a new Beamer poster.
**Parameters:**
- `id` (required): Unique identifier for the poster
- `title` (required): Poster title
- `author`: Author name
- `institute`: Institution name
- `size`: Paper size (default: "a0paper")
- `orientation`: "portrait" or "landscape" (default: "portrait")
### 3. add_slide
Add a simple slide with title and content.
**Parameters:**
- `id` (required): Document identifier
- `title` (required): Slide title
- `content` (required): Slide content in LaTeX
**Example:**
```json
{
"id": "my-talk",
"title": "Key Points",
"content": "\\begin{itemize}\n \\item First point\n \\item Second point\n \\item Third point\n\\end{itemize}"
}
```
### 4. add_section
Add a section divider to organize your presentation.
**Parameters:**
- `id` (required): Document identifier
- `title` (required): Section title
### 5. add_columns
Add a slide with multiple columns.
**Parameters:**
- `id` (required): Document identifier
- `title` (required): Slide title
- `columns` (required): Array of column objects with `width` and `content`
**Example:**
```json
{
"id": "my-talk",
"title": "Comparison",
"columns": [
{
"width": "0.5\\textwidth",
"content": "Left column content"
},
{
"width": "0.5\\textwidth",
"content": "Right column content"
}
]
}
```
### 6. add_image
Add a slide with an image.
**Parameters:**
- `id` (required): Document identifier
- `title` (required): Slide title
- `imagePath` (required): Path to the image file
- `width`: Image width (default: "0.8\\textwidth")
- `caption`: Image caption
### 7. add_frame
Add a custom frame with full LaTeX control.
**Parameters:**
- `id` (required): Document identifier
- `content` (required): Full frame content in LaTeX
### 8. save_document
Save the document to a .tex file.
**Parameters:**
- `id` (required): Document identifier
- `filename` (required): Output filename (without .tex extension)
### 9. compile_latex
Compile the LaTeX document to PDF.
**Parameters:**
- `id` (required): Document identifier
- `filename` (required): Filename to compile
### 10. list_themes
List all available Beamer themes and color themes.
## Usage Examples
### Creating a Simple Presentation
```
User: Create a presentation about Python programming with 3 slides
Claude will use the tools to:
1. create_presentation with appropriate metadata
2. add_section for "Introduction"
3. add_slide for each topic
4. save_document to create the .tex file
5. compile_latex to generate the PDF
```
### Creating a Research Poster
```
User: Create an A0 portrait research poster about climate change
Claude will use the tools to:
1. create_poster with the specified size and orientation
2. add_frame with custom column layout for poster sections
3. save_document and compile_latex
```
## Themes
### Presentation Themes
Madrid, Berlin, Copenhagen, Darmstadt, Frankfurt, Hannover, Ilmenau, Luebeck, Malmoe, Marburg, Montpellier, PaloAlto, Pittsburgh, Rochester, Singapore, Szeged, Warsaw, and more.
### Color Themes
default, albatross, beaver, beetle, crane, dolphin, dove, fly, lily, orchid, rose, seagull, seahorse, whale, wolverine
Use the `list_themes` tool to see all available options.
## Development
### Building
```bash
npm run build
```
### Watching for Changes
```bash
npm run watch
```
### Running Locally
```bash
npm start
```
## Examples
See the `examples/` directory for complete examples:
- `simple-presentation.md`: Basic presentation example
- `poster-example.md`: Research poster example
## Troubleshooting
### PDF Compilation Fails
- Ensure `pdflatex` is installed and in your PATH
- Check that all referenced images exist
- Review LaTeX errors in the compilation output
### MCP Server Not Responding
- Check Claude Desktop config file syntax
- Verify the absolute path to `dist/index.js`
- Restart Claude Desktop after configuration changes
### Missing Packages
Some LaTeX features require additional packages. Install the full TeX Live distribution:
```bash
sudo apt-get install texlive-full # Ubuntu/Debian
```
## Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit issues and pull requests.
## License
MIT License - see LICENSE file for details
## Resources
- [Beamer Documentation](https://ctan.org/pkg/beamer)
- [Beamerposter Documentation](https://ctan.org/pkg/beamerposter)
- [MCP Protocol](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/)
- [LaTeX Tutorial](https://www.overleaf.com/learn)
