/asciinema-tools:convert

Convert asciinema .cast recordings to clean .txt files. Supports single file and batch directory modes.

Self-Evolving Skill: This skill improves through use. If instructions are wrong, parameters drifted, or a workaround was needed — fix this file immediately, don't defer. Only update for real, reproducible issues.

Arguments

Single File Mode

Argument	Description
`file`	Path to .cast file
`-o, --output`	Output path (default: same dir)
`--index`	Create timestamp indexed version
`--chunks`	Split at 30s+ idle pauses
`--dims`	Preserve terminal dimensions
`--analyze`	Auto-run /analyze after conversion

Batch Mode

Argument	Description
`--batch`	Enable batch mode for directory conversion
`--source`	Source directory (default: ~/asciinemalogs)
`--output-dir`	Output directory (default: ~/Downloads/cast-txt/)
`--skip-existing`	Skip files that already have .txt output (default: true)

Note: --batch and positional file are mutually exclusive.

Execution

Invoke the asciinema-converter skill with user-selected options.

Single File Skip Logic

If file provided → skip Phase 1 (file selection)
If options provided → skip Phase 2 (options)
If -o provided → skip Phase 3 (output location)
If --analyze provided → skip Phase 6 and auto-run analyze

Batch Mode Skip Logic

If --batch provided → skip Phases 1-3, enter batch phases (7-10)
If --source provided → skip Phase 7 (source selection)
If --output-dir provided → skip Phase 8 (output organization)

Single File Workflow

Preflight: Check asciinema convert command
Discovery: Find .cast files
Selection: AskUserQuestion for file
Options: AskUserQuestion for conversion options
Location: AskUserQuestion for output location
Execute: Run asciinema convert
Report: Display compression ratio
Next: AskUserQuestion for follow-up action

Batch Workflow

Preflight: Check asciinema convert command
Source: AskUserQuestion for source directory
Output: AskUserQuestion for output directory
Execute: Batch convert with progress reporting
Report: Display aggregate compression stats
Next: AskUserQuestion for follow-up action

Examples

# Single file conversion
/asciinema-tools:convert ~/Downloads/session.cast

# Batch mode with defaults
/asciinema-tools:convert --batch

# Batch mode with custom paths
/asciinema-tools:convert --batch --source ~/Downloads --output-dir ~/cast-txt/

# Batch mode, force re-convert existing
/asciinema-tools:convert --batch --skip-existing=false

Troubleshooting

Issue	Cause	Solution
asciinema not found	asciinema not installed	`brew install asciinema`
Convert command failed	Corrupted .cast file	Try `asciinema cat file.cast` first
No .cast files found	Wrong directory	Check --source path
Output not created	Permission denied	Check write permissions on output
File too large	Long recording session	Use --chunks to split at pauses

Post-Execution Reflection

After this skill completes, check before closing:

Did the command succeed? — If not, fix the instruction or error table that caused the failure.
Did parameters or output change? — If the underlying tool's interface drifted, update Usage examples and Parameters table to match.
Was a workaround needed? — If you had to improvise (different flags, extra steps), update this SKILL.md so the next invocation doesn't need the same workaround.

Only update if the issue is real and reproducible — not speculative.