@lalalic/markcut 2.2.8 → 2.2.9

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Files changed (44) hide show
  1. package/package.json +2 -1
  2. package/skills/markcut/SKILL.md +0 -2
  3. package/skills/markcut/docs/markdown-descriptive.md +1 -1
  4. package/src/config.mjs +60 -63
  5. package/src/descriptive/resolve.ts +3 -2
  6. package/src/player/pipeline.mjs +64 -21
  7. package/src/render/cli.mjs +42 -69
  8. package/src/vision/cli.mjs +21 -45
  9. package/skills/markcut/docs/template.md +0 -212
  10. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/courseware/TEMPLATE.md +0 -526
  11. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/courseware/agents/reviewer.md +0 -84
  12. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/courseware/prompts/fix.md +0 -30
  13. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/courseware/prompts/outline.md +0 -58
  14. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/courseware/prompts/scene.md +0 -70
  15. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/deep-dive/TEMPLATE.md +0 -354
  16. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/deep-dive/agents/researcher.md +0 -69
  17. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/deep-dive/agents/reviewer.md +0 -108
  18. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/deep-dive/prompts/fix.md +0 -28
  19. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/deep-dive/prompts/outline.md +0 -102
  20. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/deep-dive/prompts/script.md +0 -64
  21. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/illustrated-book/TEMPLATE.md +0 -356
  22. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/illustrated-book/agents/reviewer.md +0 -115
  23. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/illustrated-book/prompts/fix.md +0 -29
  24. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/illustrated-book/prompts/illustration.md +0 -35
  25. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/illustrated-book/prompts/story.md +0 -69
  26. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/short-film/TEMPLATE.md +0 -385
  27. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/short-film/agents/reviewer.md +0 -115
  28. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/short-film/prompts/fix.md +0 -29
  29. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/short-film/prompts/screenplay.md +0 -101
  30. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/short-film/prompts/storyboard.md +0 -54
  31. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/short-video/TEMPLATE.md +0 -301
  32. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/short-video/agents/reviewer.md +0 -94
  33. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/short-video/prompts/fix.md +0 -27
  34. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/short-video/prompts/script.md +0 -65
  35. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/vlog/TEMPLATE.md +0 -326
  36. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/vlog/agents/reviewer.md +0 -89
  37. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/vlog/agents/story-writer.md +0 -100
  38. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/vlog/prompts/bgm-select.md +0 -38
  39. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/vlog/prompts/group-clips.md +0 -93
  40. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/vlog/prompts/local-context.md +0 -59
  41. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/vlog/prompts/outline.md +0 -56
  42. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/vlog/prompts/review-fix.md +0 -27
  43. package/skills/markcut/docs/templates/vlog/prompts/storyboard.md +0 -41
  44. package/src/render/cli.test.ts +0 -13
@@ -20,11 +20,7 @@
20
20
  * f) Save complete metadata.json with metadata + userHint + perception
21
21
  *
22
22
  * Options:
23
- * --label Run full pipeline: preview → label normalize percept → segments
24
- * --agent <tmpl> Custom text LLM CLI for detect-scenes ({prompt})
25
- * --itt <tmpl> Custom ITT CLI template with {input}, {prompt}
26
- * --vtt <tmpl> Custom VTT CLI template with {input}, {prompt}
27
- * --stt <tmpl> Custom STT CLI template with {input}, {output}
23
+ * --label Open label preview → then continue with full AI pipeline
28
24
  * --prompts-file <path> Path to prompts markdown file (default: vision_prompts.md)
29
25
  * --vtt-sample-interval <n> Sample one video frame every N seconds (default: 5)
30
26
  * --context "text" Background context about people/places (injected into prompts)
@@ -32,7 +28,6 @@
32
28
  * --skip-stt Skip speech-to-text for videos
33
29
  * --dry-run Show what would be processed without running AI
34
30
  * --show-prompts Print the prompts file and exit
35
- * --show-clis Print the default ITT/VTT/STT CLI templates
36
31
  * --help Show this help
37
32
  *
38
33
  * Prompt overrides:
@@ -716,13 +711,13 @@ function mergeLabelsIntoMetadata(folder, metadata) {
716
711
 
717
712
  // ── Perception helpers ────────────────────────────────────────────────────
718
713
 
719
- function analyzeImage(imagePath, normPath, prompts, ittCli, context = "", userHint = "", userHints = null) {
714
+ function analyzeImage(imagePath, normPath, prompts, context = "", userHint = "", userHints = null) {
720
715
  let ctxParts = [];
721
716
  if (context) ctxParts.push(`Context: ${context}`);
722
717
  if (userHint) ctxParts.push(`User hint: ${userHint}`);
723
718
  const ctx = ctxParts.length > 0 ? ctxParts.join("\n") + "\n\n" : "";
724
719
  const prompt = ctx + getPrompt(prompts, "image-perception");
725
- const raw = runITT(normPath, prompt, ittCli);
720
+ const raw = runITT(normPath, prompt, DEFAULT_ITT_CLI);
726
721
  const parsed = looseJSONParse(raw);
727
722
  const rawText = stripThinkBlocks(extractRawText(raw));
728
723
  return normalizePerception({
@@ -790,7 +785,7 @@ function buildMergedCues(userHint, cues, sceneChangesMs, totalDurationMs) {
790
785
  return merged;
791
786
  }
792
787
 
793
- function analyzeVideo(videoPath, normInfo, normDir, prompts, vttCli, sttCli, context = "", userHint = "", ittCli = null, sampleInterval = DEFAULT_VTT_SAMPLE_INTERVAL, agentCli = null, userHints = null) {
788
+ function analyzeVideo(videoPath, normInfo, normDir, prompts, context = "", userHint = "", sampleInterval = DEFAULT_VTT_SAMPLE_INTERVAL, userHints = null) {
794
789
  let ctxParts = [];
795
790
  if (context) ctxParts.push(`Context: ${context}`);
796
791
  if (userHint && typeof userHint === "string") ctxParts.push(`User hint: ${userHint}`);
@@ -800,13 +795,13 @@ function analyzeVideo(videoPath, normInfo, normDir, prompts, vttCli, sttCli, con
800
795
  // 1. VTT → overall video description
801
796
  emitInfo(` Running video understanding...`);
802
797
  const descPrompt = ctx + getPrompt(prompts, "video-perception");
803
- const descRaw = runVTT(normInfo.path, descPrompt, vttCli, ittCli, sampleInterval);
798
+ const descRaw = runVTT(normInfo.path, descPrompt, DEFAULT_VTT_CLI, DEFAULT_ITT_CLI, sampleInterval);
804
799
  const descText = stripThinkBlocks(extractRawText(descRaw));
805
800
  perception.desc = descText.slice(0, 500) || looseJSONParse(descRaw)?.desc || descRaw.slice(0, 500);
806
801
 
807
802
  // 2. STT → VTT subtitle
808
803
  emitInfo(` Running speech-to-text...`);
809
- perception.subtitle = runSTT(videoPath, normDir, sttCli);
804
+ perception.subtitle = runSTT(videoPath, normDir, DEFAULT_STT_CLI);
810
805
 
811
806
  // 3. Build merged cue timeline from VTT + user hints + ffprobe
812
807
  emitInfo(` Building merged segment boundaries...`);
@@ -843,7 +838,7 @@ function analyzeVideo(videoPath, normInfo, normDir, prompts, vttCli, sttCli, con
843
838
  if (!existsSync(dummyInput)) {
844
839
  writeFileSync(dummyInput, Buffer.from("iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAYAAAAfFcSJAAAADUlEQVR42mNk+M9QDwADhgGAWjR9awAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==", "base64"));
845
840
  }
846
- const segRaw = runAgent(dummyInput, `${segPrompt}\n\nInput:\n${segInput}`, agentCli || ittCli);
841
+ const segRaw = runAgent(dummyInput, `${segPrompt}\n\nInput:\n${segInput}`, DEFAULT_AGENT_CLI || DEFAULT_ITT_CLI);
847
842
  const segParsed = looseJSONParse(segRaw);
848
843
 
849
844
  if (segParsed && typeof segParsed === "object" && Object.keys(segParsed).length > 0) {
@@ -903,7 +898,7 @@ function analyzeVideo(videoPath, normInfo, normDir, prompts, vttCli, sttCli, con
903
898
  } else { clipPath = clipOut; }
904
899
 
905
900
  // Use runVTT for video clips (extracts frames, then runs ITT)
906
- const segRawVis = runVTT(clipPath, visSegPrompt, vttCli, ittCli, sampleInterval);
901
+ const segRawVis = runVTT(clipPath, visSegPrompt, DEFAULT_VTT_CLI, DEFAULT_ITT_CLI, sampleInterval);
907
902
  const segVisText = extractRawText(segRawVis);
908
903
  seg.vision = stripThinkBlocks(looseJSONParse(segRawVis)?.desc || segVisText.slice(0, 300) || segRawVis.slice(0, 300));
909
904
  try { if (clipPath !== normInfo.path) rmSync(clipPath, { force: true }); } catch {}
@@ -917,7 +912,7 @@ function analyzeVideo(videoPath, normInfo, normDir, prompts, vttCli, sttCli, con
917
912
 
918
913
  // ── Full pipeline runner (step 2: label → normalize → percept → segments) ──
919
914
 
920
- async function runFullPipeline(folder, prompts, ittCli, vttCli, sttCli, context, pickSet, vttSampleInterval, skipSTT, dryRun, agentCli = null) {
915
+ async function runFullPipeline(folder, prompts, context, pickSet, vttSampleInterval, skipSTT, dryRun) {
921
916
  const metadataPath = join(folder, "metadata.json");
922
917
 
923
918
  // ── Ensure metadata exists ──────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -987,12 +982,12 @@ async function runFullPipeline(folder, prompts, ittCli, vttCli, sttCli, context,
987
982
  return;
988
983
  }
989
984
 
990
- await runNormalizeAndPercept(folder, metadataPath, prompts, ittCli, vttCli, sttCli, context, pickSet, vttSampleInterval, skipSTT, agentCli);
985
+ await runNormalizeAndPercept(folder, metadataPath, prompts, context, pickSet, vttSampleInterval, skipSTT);
991
986
  }
992
987
 
993
988
  // ── Normalize + Percept (internal step) ───────────────────────────────────
994
989
 
995
- async function runNormalizeAndPercept(folder, metadataPath, prompts, ittCli, vttCli, sttCli, context, pickSet, vttSampleInterval, skipSTT, agentCli = null) {
990
+ async function runNormalizeAndPercept(folder, metadataPath, prompts, context, pickSet, vttSampleInterval, skipSTT) {
996
991
  const { results, cacheMap } = loadMetadata(folder);
997
992
  const cache = { ...cacheMap };
998
993
  const normDir = join(folder, ".normalized");
@@ -1022,14 +1017,14 @@ async function runNormalizeAndPercept(folder, metadataPath, prompts, ittCli, vtt
1022
1017
  let cacheKey = "";
1023
1018
  const ctx = context ? `Context: ${context}\n\n` : "";
1024
1019
  const imgPrompt = (userHint ? `User hint: ${userHint}\n\n` : "") + ctx + getPrompt(prompts, "image-perception");
1025
- const imgInput = `${ittCli ? "" : "@"}${shQuote(normPath)}`;
1026
- const imgCmd = substituteTemplate(ittCli || DEFAULT_ITT_CLI, { input: imgInput, prompt: imgPrompt });
1020
+ const imgInput = `@${shQuote(normPath)}`;
1021
+ const imgCmd = substituteTemplate(DEFAULT_ITT_CLI, { input: imgInput, prompt: imgPrompt });
1027
1022
  cacheKey = perceptionCacheKey(imgPath, imgCmd, "image");
1028
1023
  if (cache[cacheKey]) {
1029
1024
  perception = cache[cacheKey];
1030
1025
  emitInfo(` (cached)`);
1031
1026
  } else {
1032
- perception = analyzeImage(imgPath, normPath, prompts, ittCli, context, userHint, userHints);
1027
+ perception = analyzeImage(imgPath, normPath, prompts, context, userHint, userHints);
1033
1028
  if (perception.desc) cache[cacheKey] = perception;
1034
1029
  emitInfo(` ${perception.desc?.slice(0, 80)}...`);
1035
1030
  }
@@ -1057,27 +1052,25 @@ async function runNormalizeAndPercept(folder, metadataPath, prompts, ittCli, vtt
1057
1052
  emitInfo(`\n🎬 Video: ${base}${userHint ? ` (hint: "${userHint}")` : ""}`);
1058
1053
  const vidPath = join(folder, fileName);
1059
1054
  const normInfo = normalizeVideo(vidPath, normDir, meta.duration);
1060
- const stt = skipSTT ? null : sttCli;
1061
-
1062
1055
  let perception = {};
1063
1056
  let cacheKey = "";
1064
1057
  const ctxV = context ? `Context: ${context}\n\n` : "";
1065
1058
  const vidPrompt = (userHint ? `User hint: ${userHint}\n\n` : "") + ctxV + getPrompt(prompts, "video-perception");
1066
1059
  let vttActualCmd;
1067
- if (vttCli) {
1068
- vttActualCmd = substituteTemplate(vttCli, { input: shQuote(normInfo.path), prompt: vidPrompt });
1060
+ if (DEFAULT_VTT_CLI) {
1061
+ vttActualCmd = substituteTemplate(DEFAULT_VTT_CLI, { input: shQuote(normInfo.path), prompt: vidPrompt });
1069
1062
  } else {
1070
1063
  const dur = meta.duration || 0;
1071
1064
  const n = Math.max(5, Math.min(10, Math.ceil(dur / vttSampleInterval)));
1072
1065
  const framePaths = Array.from({ length: n }, (_, i) => `${basename(normInfo.path, extname(normInfo.path))}_${String(i + 1).padStart(3, "0")}.jpg`);
1073
- vttActualCmd = substituteTemplate(ittCli || DEFAULT_ITT_CLI, { input: framePaths.map(p => `@${p}`).join(" "), prompt: vidPrompt });
1066
+ vttActualCmd = substituteTemplate(DEFAULT_ITT_CLI, { input: framePaths.map(p => `@${p}`).join(" "), prompt: vidPrompt });
1074
1067
  }
1075
1068
  cacheKey = perceptionCacheKey(vidPath, vttActualCmd, "video");
1076
1069
  if (cache[cacheKey]) {
1077
1070
  perception = cache[cacheKey];
1078
1071
  emitInfo(` (cached)`);
1079
1072
  } else {
1080
- perception = analyzeVideo(vidPath, normInfo, normDir, prompts, vttCli, stt, context, userHint, ittCli, vttSampleInterval, agentCli, userHints);
1073
+ perception = analyzeVideo(vidPath, normInfo, normDir, prompts, context, userHint, vttSampleInterval, userHints);
1081
1074
  if (perception.desc) cache[cacheKey] = perception;
1082
1075
  }
1083
1076
 
@@ -1105,10 +1098,6 @@ Usage:
1105
1098
 
1106
1099
  Options:
1107
1100
  --label Open label preview → then continue with full AI pipeline
1108
- --agent <template> Custom text LLM CLI for detect-scenes ({prompt})
1109
- --itt <template> Custom ITT CLI template with {input}, {prompt}
1110
- --vtt <template> Custom VTT CLI template with {input}, {prompt}
1111
- --stt <template> Custom STT CLI template with {input}, {output}
1112
1101
  --prompts-file <path> Path to prompts markdown file (default: vision_prompts.md)
1113
1102
  --vtt-sample-interval <n> Sample one video frame every N seconds (default: 5)
1114
1103
  --context "text" Background context about people/places (injected into prompts)
@@ -1116,7 +1105,6 @@ Options:
1116
1105
  --skip-stt Skip speech-to-text for videos
1117
1106
  --dry-run Show what would be processed without running AI
1118
1107
  --show-prompts Print the prompts file and exit
1119
- --show-clis Print the default ITT/VTT/STT CLI templates
1120
1108
  --help Show this help
1121
1109
 
1122
1110
  Prompt overrides:
@@ -1126,10 +1114,6 @@ Prompt overrides:
1126
1114
 
1127
1115
  export async function main(args) {
1128
1116
  let folder = "";
1129
- let agentCli = null;
1130
- let ittCli = null;
1131
- let vttCli = null;
1132
- let sttCli = null;
1133
1117
  let promptsFile = PROMPTS_FILE;
1134
1118
  let context = "";
1135
1119
  let vttSampleInterval = DEFAULT_VTT_SAMPLE_INTERVAL;
@@ -1147,20 +1131,12 @@ export async function main(args) {
1147
1131
  const flag = args[i++];
1148
1132
  if (flag === "--help") { printUsage(); return; }
1149
1133
  else if (flag === "--label") { doLabel = true; }
1150
- else if (flag === "--agent" && args[i]) { agentCli = args[i++]; }
1151
- else if (flag === "--itt" && args[i]) { ittCli = args[i++]; }
1152
- else if (flag === "--vtt" && args[i]) { vttCli = args[i++]; }
1153
- else if (flag === "--stt" && args[i]) { sttCli = args[i++]; }
1134
+
1154
1135
  else if (flag === "--prompts-file" && args[i]) { promptsFile = resolve(args[i++]); }
1155
1136
  else if (flag === "--vtt-sample-interval" && args[i]) { vttSampleInterval = parseInt(args[i++], 10) || DEFAULT_VTT_SAMPLE_INTERVAL; }
1156
1137
  else if (flag === "--context" && args[i]) { context = args[i++]; }
1157
1138
  else if (flag === "--show-prompts") { console.log(readFileSync(promptsFile, "utf-8")); return; }
1158
- else if (flag === "--show-clis") {
1159
- console.log(`DEFAULT_ITT_CLI:\n${DEFAULT_ITT_CLI}\n`);
1160
- console.log(`DEFAULT_VTT_CLI: (empty — uses ITT via frame extraction, sample every ${DEFAULT_VTT_SAMPLE_INTERVAL}s)\n`);
1161
- console.log(`DEFAULT_STT_CLI:\n${DEFAULT_STT_CLI}`);
1162
- return;
1163
- }
1139
+
1164
1140
  else if (flag === "--skip-stt") { skipSTT = true; }
1165
1141
  else if (flag === "--pick" && args[i]) { for (const f of args[i++].split(",")) pickSet.add(f.trim()); }
1166
1142
  else if (flag === "--dry-run") { dryRun = true; }
@@ -1175,7 +1151,7 @@ export async function main(args) {
1175
1151
  for (const [name, value] of promptOverrides) prompts.set(name, value);
1176
1152
 
1177
1153
  if (doLabel) {
1178
- await runFullPipeline(folder, prompts, ittCli, vttCli, sttCli, context, pickSet, vttSampleInterval, skipSTT, dryRun, agentCli);
1154
+ await runFullPipeline(folder, prompts, context, pickSet, vttSampleInterval, skipSTT, dryRun);
1179
1155
  } else {
1180
1156
  await runMetadataMode(folder, pickSet, dryRun);
1181
1157
  }
@@ -1,212 +0,0 @@
1
- # Markcut Template System
2
-
3
- > How to design and build video templates that agents can follow to produce professional, consistent videos.
4
-
5
- ## Why templates?
6
-
7
- Markcut templates encode **domain expertise + production polish** into a reusable package. An agent reading a template learns not just markcut syntax, but:
8
-
9
- - **What** makes a good video of this type (scene structure, pacing, rules)
10
- - **How** to assemble it (workflow: prompts → agents → render → review)
11
- - **Why** certain patterns work (production polish: transition timing, overlays, effects)
12
-
13
- ## Template package structure
14
-
15
- ```
16
- templates/<name>/
17
- TEMPLATE.md ← The single entry point. Everything except prompts & agents.
18
- prompts/
19
- <step>.md ← Fill-in prompt templates. Run in the orchestrator's context.
20
- ...
21
- agents/
22
- <name>.md ← Subagent definitions. Run in separate, isolated sessions.
23
- ...
24
- example.md ← (optional) A complete worked example.
25
- example.mp4 ← (optional) Rendered output for reference.
26
- ```
27
-
28
- ### File type conventions
29
-
30
- | File | Context | Purpose |
31
- |---|---|---|
32
- | `TEMPLATE.md` | Orchestrator's context | Complete spec: inputs, structure, rules, workflow, quality gate, components, styles |
33
- | `prompts/*.md` | Orchestrator's context | Fill-in-the-blank prompt templates; the orchestrator replaces `{placeholder}` values and executes them |
34
- | `agents/*.md` | **Separate** session | Full agent definitions with system prompt + task template. Each runs in a fresh, isolated subagent session with its own tools and context |
35
-
36
- ### Why separate prompts/ and agents/?
37
-
38
- - **prompts/** — tasks the orchestrator does itself (outline generation, scene writing, fix application). These run in the orchestrator's own session so they have full context of the entire project.
39
- - **agents/** — tasks that benefit from isolation (review, specialized generation). These run in separate sessions to avoid context pollution and to use specialized system prompts without interference.
40
-
41
- ## Anatomy of TEMPLATE.md
42
-
43
- Every `TEMPLATE.md` follows this section order:
44
-
45
- ```
46
- §0 Prerequisites — tools, skills, environment checks
47
- §1 Inputs — what the orchestrator must collect from the user
48
- §2 Scene grammar — the canonical tree structure with hard rules
49
- §3 Authoring rules — professional-quality bar for content (text, timing, media)
50
- §4 Components & styles — copy-verbatim code blocks with documented theme knobs
51
- §5 Workflow — numbered steps: prompts → agents → render → review
52
- §6 Quality gate — measurable exit criteria (the reviewer checks these)
53
- §7 Reference — links to golden examples or related docs
54
- ```
55
-
56
- ### §0 Prerequisites
57
-
58
- What tools/skills the agent needs before starting. Always include:
59
-
60
- - The engine itself: `npx @lalalic/markcut` runnable
61
- - Required markcut skill (`SKILL.md` + `docs/markdown-descriptive.md`) — the agent must read these
62
- - Any domain-specific tools
63
-
64
- ### §1 Inputs — the contract with the user
65
-
66
- A table of what the orchestrator must collect before starting. Each row:
67
-
68
- | Input | Required | Default | Notes |
69
- |---|---|---|---|
70
-
71
- **Rule:** never invent content beyond given material + well-established knowledge. Missing or ambiguous inputs → ask the user, never fabricate.
72
-
73
- ### §2 Scene grammar — the tree shape
74
-
75
- The backbone. Show both:
76
-
77
- 1. **An ASCII tree diagram** of the required structure with layout/transition annotations
78
- 2. **Concrete code blocks** showing the exact node structure for each scene type
79
-
80
- Hard rules come here: number of scenes, layouts, transitions, `isBackground` usage, timing rules, etc.
81
-
82
- **Crucial design principle:** make the tree as explicit as possible. Show node types, `id:` values, `on:` events, positioning styles. Don't leave structural decisions to the agent.
83
-
84
- ### §3 Authoring rules — the professional bar
85
-
86
- Rules the reviewer checks. Cover:
87
-
88
- - Slide/content rules (max bullets, text shape, emoji conventions, table usage)
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- - Script/narration rules (pacing, per-sentence structure, example placement, tone)
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- - Media rules (positioning, sizing, where media can overlay)
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- - Multi-language variant rules
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- - Domain-specific rules (e.g. "never fabricate facts" for courseware, "ground every line in clip captions" for vlog)
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- ### §4 Components & styles — copy verbatim
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- The trickiest section. Two code blocks:
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- 1. **`~~~js imports` block** — all JSX component definitions the video needs. The agent copies this verbatim. Mark which parts are theme knobs (values that can change) vs structural (must stay the same).
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- 2. **`~~~css stylesheet` block** — all CSS. Same rules: theme knobs documented, structure immutable.
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- In addition, a **theme knobs table** showing what the user can change (colors, fonts, sizes) and their defaults.
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- **Best practice:** keep the component block minimal. One reusable `Slide` component is better than ten one-off components. Use standard markcut features (`- image`, `- video`, `- component`, `- effect`) before writing custom JSX.
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- ### §5 Workflow — the orchestrator's playbook
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- Numbered steps from start to finish. Each step is one of:
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- - **Fill a prompt** — "Fill `prompts/outline.md` → course outline. Present to user for confirmation."
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- - **Run a subagent** — "Run `agents/reviewer.md` in a fresh session. Pass it these absolute paths."
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- - **Execute a CLI command** — "`npx @lalalic/markcut render course.md`"
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- - **User interaction** — "Get user approval before continuing."
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- Include fix loops:
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- > 6. **Fix loop** — on FAIL: fill `prompts/fix.md` with the findings, apply edits, re-render. Max 3 iterations, then escalate to user.
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- ### §6 Quality gate — measurable exit criteria
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- The checklist the reviewer uses. Each item must be machine-verifiable (by reviewing source, extracting frames, running STT, measuring duration). Examples:
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- - Total duration within ±15% of target
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- - Structure matches §2 (hook, title, N concepts, summary, thanks)
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- - No blank/black frames at scene boundaries
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- - STT transcript matches scripts (≥90% content match)
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- - Each bullet has a narration beat
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- ### §7 Reference — worked examples
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- Link to golden example files in `tests/fixtures/templates/`. The golden example demonstrates every rule in the template applied correctly.
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- ## Production polish patterns (reusable)
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- These are design patterns you can include in any template. They're documented in detail in the courseware template (§2.b) but summarized here:
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- | Pattern | Technique | Use case |
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- |---|---|---|
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- | **Per-beat media** | `#### Beat` sub-scenes with `layout:parallel` (image + script per beat) | Courseware slides, tutorial demos |
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- | **Transition-audio timing** | `start:<T>` on script nodes in `transitionSeries` | Any scripted scene with transitions |
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- | **Persistent overlay** | `- image isBackground:true` at root level | Logo, watermark |
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- | **Narrator PiP** | `- video/image isBackground:true` with border-radius + name label | Talking-head overlays |
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- | **Entrance effects** | `effect:zoomIn` / `effect:fadeIn` on images/components | Reveal animations |
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- | **Mermaid diagrams** | ` ```mermaid ` in slide markdown | Flowcharts, architecture, timelines |
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- | **TTS expression** | `—` pauses, `*emphasis*`, rate adjustment, phonetic spelling | Natural speech |
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- ## Prompt design principles
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- ### prompts/*.md
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- - Use `{placeholder}` values for every input. The orchestrator replaces these before executing.
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- - Include constraints from TEMPLATE.md inline so the prompt is self-contained.
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- - Output format should be a concrete template the orchestrator can parse and assemble.
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- ### agents/*.md
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- - Must include a **system prompt** (top) and a **task template** (bottom, filled by orchestrator).
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- - System prompt defines the agent's role, rules, and procedure.
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- - Task template uses `{placeholder}` values for paths, params, and inputs.
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- - Always mark the agent as `mode: read-only` if it shouldn't edit files.
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- - Include an explicit output schema (JSON format) so the orchestrator can parse results reliably.
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- - List which tools the agent needs (read, bash, ffmpeg, etc.).
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- ## Choosing prompts vs agents
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- | Task type | Where | Why |
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- | Creative generation (write a scene) | `prompts/` | Needs full context of the project; best done by orchestrator |
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- | Factual check (review) | `agents/` | Needs fresh context; strict rubric; no editing |
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- | Research (find images, analyze) | `agents/` | Parallelizable; heavy tool use |
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- | Outline / planning | `prompts/` | Needs user interaction (confirm outline) |
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- | Quality fix | `prompts/` | Orchestrator applies edits, runs tools |
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- ## Testing a template
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- 1. **Generate** — have a model follow the template to produce a video markdown
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- 2. **Render** — `npx @lalalic/markcut render <output>.md`
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- 3. **Review** — run the reviewer agent on the rendered output
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- 4. **Fix** — apply fixes, re-render, re-review
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- 5. **Verify** — check frames visually, check STT transcript
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- The courseware template's test loop is the reference:
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- ```
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- Agent (deepseek-v4-flash + SKILL.md + markdown spec) → course.md
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- └→ npx markcut render → course.mp4
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- └→ Reviewer agent (separate session) → PASS/FAIL + findings
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- └→ Fix → re-render → re-review (max 3x)
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- ```
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- ## Built-in templates
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- All builtin templates are in `templates/` and can be used as-is or forked for your own. Each has a `TEMPLATE.md` with full instructions.
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- ## Cross-cutting concerns
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- ### Multi-language
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- - Use variant blocks (`# <lang>` at file end) with per-language TTS voice.
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- - Every script node has a `<lang>:"..."` twin; every slide source has a `<lang>-source` twin.
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- - The engine resolves variants via `parseMarkdownVariants`.
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- ### Reviewer design
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- - Always `mode: read-only` — reviewers report findings, never edit.
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- - Two-phase: static (source vs rulebook) + dynamic (rendered artifact via ffprobe/ffmpeg/STT/vision).
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- - Output: strict JSON with `{verdict, measured, findings[]}`. Each finding has `id`, `severity`, `scene`, `check`, `issue`, `evidence`, `fix_hint`.
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- - PASS requires zero `blocker` and zero `major` findings.
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- ### The "orchestrator" role
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- The orchestrator is the agent reading the template. It:
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- 1. Collects inputs from the user
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- 2. Executes prompts in its own context
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- 3. Spawns subagents in separate sessions for isolated tasks
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- 4. Assembles, renders, fixes, and iterates
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- 5. Escalates to the human user when stuck
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- The template is written FOR the orchestrator. Every instruction is an actionable command: "fill this prompt", "run this agent", "render the file", "if FAIL, fix and re-render".