Paper-to-Exemplar

Scope And Shared Controls

Distill supplied paper PDFs into reusable writing patterns, preserving source attribution and scientific meaning. This skill owns exemplar cards; manuscript drafting belongs to ccf-paper-writer, visual reconstruction to ccf-visual-composer, and scientific review to ccf-paper-reviewer.

Follow ../ccf-common/references/handoff-modes.md, ../ccf-common/references/task-modes.md, and ../ccf-common/references/artifact-contracts.md. Resolve existing card/library and cache paths before writing. Preserve no-new-files requests by editing a named existing card or returning the analysis in context. Conversion alone does not authorize global library/default changes.

Workflow

1. Identify PDF paths, source versions, desired writing patterns, optional venue, and authorized destination. Reuse a completed card and extraction when they match the same source and requested scope; a new source version requires checking the affected analysis.
2. If extraction is needed, run scripts/convert.py with explicit --output-dir, --full-text, and --full-text-dir pointing to the chosen working cache. For a new project, the shared default is output/paper-to-exemplar/<source-id>/, with extraction in cache/; preserve established paths. The converter preserves existing cards and creates only missing skeletons. --full-text-dir is optional; omitting it preserves the legacy output layout. Python with pymupdf is required for extraction, not for reusing a valid existing card.
3. Check extraction success and page markers. Analyze the relevant full source in coherent sections; use search and targeted ranges for a local card update. Inspect actual PDF pages when equations, figures, or reading order affect interpretation. Do not substitute an abstract-only analysis for a full-paper exemplar or treat empty extraction as complete.
4. Recover the source's story, abstract/introduction/method/evidence moves, citation patterns, and reusable techniques. Do not force a limitations ending. Use ../ccf-paper-writer/references/prose-quality-guardrails.md to exclude defensive habits, artificial labels, formula dumping, unsupported hype, and mechanical prose from the advice.
5. Fill or revise the existing card in place using the section headings generated by scripts/convert.py and established cards: Story Pattern, Abstract Moves, Introduction Moves, Method Moves, Evidence Moves, Citation Patterns, Reusable Techniques, and Do-Not-Copy Boundary. Record title, venue/year when verified, source identity/version, and relevant page/section anchors. Add Excluded Anti-Patterns only when the source supplies a material example. Keep writing moves separate from source claims and distinctive wording.
6. When library registration is requested, use ../ccf-paper-writer/references/exemplars/cards/ or the user's existing library and update ../ccf-paper-writer/references/exemplars/index.md without duplicate entries. Preserve unrelated cards; a matching filename alone does not prove the same source. Keep raw extraction in the working cache, outside the reusable card library.
7. Update ../ccf-paper-writer/references/custom-format/default-user-format.md only when default selection is requested. A venue-only request can select an existing relevant card through the index instead of extracting another PDF. Load ../ccf-paper-writer/references/venue-guides/index.md only when venue-family classification is unclear.
8. Verify that completed cards have no [ANALYZE] or [MANUAL] placeholders, source references are accurate, and output/cache paths are orderly. Return the canonical card paths and the useful writing patterns; report actual registration/default changes only when performed. Do not echo the full PDF extraction or add generic next-action menus.

Writer Handoff

Pass the selected card path, source identity, and relevant writing moves. The writer decides whether a style reference is needed for its task; a paragraph edit does not automatically load default or venue card bundles. For full manuscripts or explicit style adaptation, select from ../ccf-paper-writer/references/exemplars/index.md and load only matching sections/cards. Preserve existing user defaults without treating them as mandatory reading for every writing request.