PowerPoint

#7 – Image Crop Tool

When doing a PPT Training seminar I am always amazed that people are not aware of the image crop tool and how to use it. For PPT 2010 this simple, useful tool gets a lot better!

Here is my sample photo:

With the image selected I go to FORMAT >> CROP (okay, in reality I have added this to my QAT for faster access):

Now the image has the familiar black-dash handles for cropping – but it also has the standard dot handles…

When cropping an image the non-visible (cropped) portion of the image is still visible with a dark mask:

Here is the cropped image when I click off of it (deselect it). Only the cropped image is visible:

The cropping can be adjusted at any time, by selecting the image and crop tool. But the really great function is the ability to move the crop window to any position of the image! Think about setting up one image as a style guide cropped to a specific size. Duplicate the image, replace the image and move crop window to best crop the new image – but have the exact same size (visible) image.
Move Image within Crop Window

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-09-16T09:20:56-07:00November 16th, 2009|PowerPoint, Tutorial|

#6 – Video and Audio Options

The Microsoft development team has added some really, really great usability options for working with video and audio files!

First, when a video or audio file is inserted it can easily be previewed from the edit view with full playback controls:

A. Play/Pause
B. Playback duration, which is draggable
C. Step forward/back (approx. 1/4 second per click)
D. Timecode
E. Volume control

In slideshow a pop-up playback bar can be activated – just move the mouse to view it (note: the pop-up playback bar can also be disabled during a slideshow (my preference)) that has play/pause, playback duration indicator (also draggable) and volume control.

When a video is inserted it by default shows the 1st frame of the video (often black) which is called the “Poster Frame”. In PPT 2010 the Poster Frame can easily be set to any frame in the video or an external image!

Here is the new Ribbon tab to Edit video files:

It makes many of the current options easy to find and set. It also adds some new features, like the “Trim Video” button.

The Trim Video button opens a new dialog box that most of the time replaces the need for video editing software!

A. Playback preview
B. The orange left bar can be moved to any point and the video begins playback from there (called ‘trim’).
C. The red right bar can be moved/slide to any point, but not past the begin/orange bar, and the video ends there
D. Shows the timecode position of the begin/orange bar
E. Shows the timecode position of the end/red bar

There are even more fine tuning options for both videos and audio files. PPT 2010 really opens PowerPoint to the power of multimedia integration!

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-09-16T09:21:21-07:00November 14th, 2009|PowerPoint, Tutorial|

#5 – Thumbnail Zoom to 200%

Okay, this one will probably be overlooked by most, but to me it ranks in the top 5 new features! Looking at slide sorter view is great for storyboarding and quickly finding a specific slide – if you can read the content. Note: All screen captures are same monitor resolution and PPT window, only the zoom level changes.

Here is my sample deck viewed in Thumbnail, or slide sorter, at 40%. Very difficult to identify content on the slides.

If your monitor is stuck at 1024×768 thumbnails viewed at 100% are discernable. But view those same thumbnails on a 1900×2000 (HD) monitor and they are small blobs of color and squiggly lines where the text is.

Here is the sample deck viewed at 100%, the current maximum. Large content may be legible, but the small stuff is still illegible.

But zoom in 150% or 200% and everything is legible! The zoom bar in the lower right now goes past 100% up to 200% which is great!

Here is the sample deck viewed as thumbnails, zoomed to the new maximum of 200%. Everything on the slide can be read and identified.

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-09-16T09:22:03-07:00November 12th, 2009|PowerPoint, Tutorial|

#4 – Slide Transitions

Transitions also benefit from #1 – Performance. In my pre-beta version there are a number of new transitions that are really exciting!

– Pan (my new animation favorite!)
– Gallery
– Flip
– Ripple
– And the full application will have more new transitions than just these!
New Transitions Sample Video is converted to low-res .gif “movie”. Note on the PAN transitions the background stays in place while the content moves/transitions!

Plus the legacy transitions also get some fantastic updating. As example the WIPE, CLOCK, RANDOM BARS, transitions leads with a soft gradient edge. The DISSOLVE and CHECKERBOARD transitions are screens full of soft edged squares (that I might use again after ignoring since 2004).

The interface has been updated too. First, Transtions now have their own tab (no longer shared with Animations).

Almost all of the adjustments are controlled directly in the Ribbon (vs. opening a separate dialog):

We now have precise control over animation duration, ranging from a full minute:

To a very quick 1/25th of a second:

The updated interface also limits the list of transitions by adding any transition options in the new EFFECT OPTIONS menu. Here I have WIPE selected and I can choose the direction from the drop down menu.

Just another GREAT feature that adds new features and improves the existing.

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-09-16T09:22:30-07:00November 10th, 2009|PowerPoint, Tutorial|

#3 – Insert and EMBED Virtually ANY Audio File

Just like the videos, PPT 2010 supports a whole host of audio formats and embeds them all! Take a look at the audio formats supported (Yes, all flavors of quicktime, .mp3 and more are supported!):

PowerPoints backoffice also recognizes when audio files have been inserted and offers conversion and optimization options.

– Optimize Media Compatability: converts audio files to Microsoft’s preferred/native format, .wma.
– Reduce The Size of Media Files: will convert (same as above) and also offer a range of compression levels.
In this sample I inserted a 7.5MB .m4a and converted to a .wma at the highest quality (presentation) to have a 100k audio file embedded – without any noticeable quality difference.

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-09-16T09:22:50-07:00November 8th, 2009|PowerPoint, Tutorial|

#2 – Insert ANY Movie Type and EMBED

PPT 2007 brought the new .pptx file format. PPT 2010 starts taking full advantage of the new file format with the ability to truly embed video files!

Just look at the INSERT >> VIDEO >> VIDEO FROM FILE options listed (Yes, that is Quicktime, .mp4, and mpeg2!).

In the presentation info section is details about the EMBEDDED video.

– Optimize Compatability: I inserted a quicktime video (which plays no problem). But Microsoft really wants its own format (.wmv) and this feature will convert all embedded videos to .wmv (which it does very well, maintaining quality and producing small file sizes).
– Reduce The Size of Media Files: .wmv files can be compressed in 3 quality levels, choose the level needed here (note: you can go directly to this feature, skipping “optimize compatability”). It also has an ‘undo’ option. I have been optimizing videos, reviewing in slideshow and deciding if the quality was maintained, if not I just ‘undo’. For this sample I inserted a 21MB .mov and it was compressed to a 1.5MB .wmv with no visible quality difference.

The embed video functionality (and the video options detailed later) will revolutionize the use of video in presentations. Microsoft has eliminated linking issues, forgotten files (Yes, Mr. Client you need to have both the presentation and the video files on your computer – in the same folder) and format issues (no, Mr. Client, I am sorry but Microsoft and Apple do not play together when it comes to using Quicktime videos in a presntation).

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-09-16T09:23:27-07:00November 6th, 2009|PowerPoint, Tutorial|

PowerPoint 2010 – #1 PERFORMANCE!

My top request, hope, begging was for slideshow performance. Bobby at Microsoft reassured me for more than a year all my animations would run great – and they do!

PPT 2010 Slideshow Performance
(This is a sample presentation I created that uses very fast transitions, complex animations and a non-stop pace for 5 minutes. Runs perfect every time! Blog sample is a low res .gif movie)

So my #1 feature of PowerPoint 2010 is a bit intangible, but easily seen and that is the slideshow performance is great. Transitions occur when you click the advance button. Animations run instantly and without stuttering. And all of this is while running the pre-beta version on a very small laptop with a 64MB graphics card, 1.5 GB of ram and a 1.8 Ghz Pentium 4 CPU.

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-09-16T09:23:49-07:00November 4th, 2009|PowerPoint|

Seach – Purchase – Insert Fotolia Images All Within PPT 2007

Fotolia is another resource for royalty free images. But this is the first one to have a PowerPoint add-in (also a Word version). Get details and download here.

The install requires being online and easily goes through verifying computer has needed components and installing if needed. I did discover if you run multiple versions of PowerPoint, PPT 2007 needs to be the default setting for installer to run. This is also a PPT 2007 specific add-in and will not install in earlier versions.

Once installed there is a ‘Fotolia’ tab.

If you click the SEARCH button an action pane opens that is basically a gateway to the Fotolia website content.

The search results show a thumbnail and one click options for purchase and download.

To purchase and use an image you need to use the LOG IN button and have a Fotolia account (with credits purchased).

This may be the first in a new wave of conveinence add-ins as the internet merges with applications.

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-09-16T09:29:23-07:00October 21st, 2009|PowerPoint|

PPTLive in Atlanta – Text Effect

I am very happy to have made it to PPT Live this year with the crazy project schedule and it being on the other side of the country I feared I would miss out on this great event. But I am in Atlanta and looking forward to the next few days!

Just for fun I quickly created this slide using the great, but often overlooked, feature of picture fills for text.

The visuals are great, easy to do, and fast. The word “Atlanta” is made of a skyline shot of downtown Atlanta (at night). Even better is this is just one text box with different style treatments applied to text selectively!

To fill text with an image, SELECT text >> FORMAT >> open FORMAT TEXT EFFECTS dialog >> TEXT FILL tab >> select PICTURE OR TEXTURE FILL >> FILE and select image.

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-09-16T09:32:58-07:00October 11th, 2009|PowerPoint|

Very Cool PPT 2010 Demo Presentation

I have been experimenting with PPT 2010 most of last month and can say this is the most excited I have been about PowerPoint in years!

On Microsoft’s PowerPoint Team Blog a new video highlighting some of the great effects was posted last week – here it is:
[youtube src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/UrBd_V7gXQ4?rel=0″]

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-09-16T09:43:42-07:00September 1st, 2009|PowerPoint, Resource/Misc|
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