Software/Add-Ins Archives - Page 11 of 24

PPTools – Starter Set

The PPTools Starter Set add-in should be installed on every PowerPoint user’s computer. This venerable add-in (which has remained in use by me since PowerPoint 2003!) has lots of time saving options.

StarterSet-7

The real power of the PPTools Starter Set is not that it adds new capabilities to PowerPoint, but that it uncovers, or adds, alternate options to built in PowerPoint tools. Here are a few of my favorite options:

Memorize an Objects Position and Place Objects Exactly: This combination of tools is invaluable. Similar tools are available in other add-ins, but this a great solution. For example, you have a logo that needs to be in the same position on a number of slides – Position where you want it on the first slide, select the logo and click the MEMORIZE tool. Now, go to any other slide, select anything and click the PLACE tool (aka: the hammer – to nail it in place) and it is positioned exactly the same as the first one!

StarterSet-4

Enlarge and Shrink Text: Yes, PowerPoint has the exact same little A and big A icons and they do the same thing – make text larger or smaller. But, the difference is the native PowerPoint buttons jump the text size based on the preset Office text sizing (18-20-24-28-32-etc.). The PPTools resize text adjusts the text size by 1 pt at a time (19-19-20-21-22-23-etc.), which is exactly what is needed for fine tuning a layout!

StarterSet-5

Layer Manager: This tool is mostly outdated, but I like to use it as an example of how independent developers are often more in tune with real designer tool needs than the Microsoft Dev team. This amazing tool opens a small dialog and it is basically PowerPoint’s Selection Pane, allowing objects to be arranged in Z order and hidden – but it has been available since PowerPoint 2003!

StarterSet-6 StarterSet-2

That is a summary of just 3 of the 15+ tools included with the add-in. There is a FREE version and a paid version with additional tools. Find it on the web here.

-Troy @ TLC

By TLC Creative Services, Inc.|2016-08-10T08:08:04-07:00June 10th, 2016|Software/Add-Ins|

The TLC Custom QAT for PowerPoint

This month, I am focusing on PowerPoint add-ins because the ability to extend PowerPoint’s functionality is one of the biggest attributes that allows it to be a “professional” design tool. The first place to start is PowerPoint’s own extensibility with the QAT – Quick Access Toolbar.

QAT-2016-2

I am a big fan of the Quick Access Toolbar. My first post about it was back in 2009. Then, less than a year later, I became an even bigger fan when PowerPoint 2010 added the ability to export and import pre-made QAT toolbar setups. More recently, at the end of 2015, I became distressed over the QAT when an update to PowerPoint 2016 essentially limited its functionality – which has happily been fixed by the Microsoft PowerPoint Dev team (YAY!!).

The first step in effectively using and setting up the QAT is to move it from above the menus to below. By default, it is above the menu bar (with FILE / HOME / INSERT / etc.) and only has a few buttons. Click the down arrow on the right and select SHOW BELOW THE RIBBON.

At TLC, we have a very customized QAT installed on all of our computers – and has 37 time saving, always available buttons! For this blog post, I am showing our version that only uses standard PowerPoint features (I do run a more customized version that also integrates some tools from 3^rd party add-ins – many of which will be in posts this month).

Click HERE to download the TLC customized QAT (download .zip file, extract, then follow install information below).

To install:

– Go to FILE > OTPIONS

– In the POWERPOINT OPTIONS dialog, go to the QUICK ACCESS TOOLBAR tab

– In the lower right, click the ARROW on the Import/Export button

– Select IMPORT CUSTOMIZATION FILE

– In the FILE OPEN dialog, locate the custom QAT file and click OPEN

– At the warning dialog that existing toolbar setup will be overwritten, click YES

– Customized QAT is now installed!

QAT-2016-3

– Troy @ TLC

By TLC Creative Services, Inc.|2016-08-10T08:10:12-07:00June 2nd, 2016|Software/Add-Ins, Tutorial|

Can a Mobile Device Project? Yes it can!

There is a lot of talk and excitement about using mobile devices, phone or tablet, to run presentations. And yes, I can confirm it is possible. But the question is – should you use a tablet or smartphone as the presentation “computer?” The answer – it depends on the meeting.

mobile-devices-1

Some presentations require a mobile device, such as a mobile app demo. But for a traditional presentation, if it is a large meeting with AV support, I recommend conforming to the desktop app and handing off a presentation file. This ensures you can focus on the presentation, not the technology setup and function. If it’s a small board room meeting and you feel confident in using newer technology, then mobile devices can be a good option. However, I recommend having a traditional computer, and the presentation on a memory drive – just in case.

Let’s look at the different options currently available to work with when it comes to using mobile devices in presentations. This is a high-level reference and overview of the primary mobile devices that can be used for presentations.

Apple

iPhone, iPad Tablets and iPod Touch

Google

Android Phones and Android Tablets

Microsoft

Windows 8.1 / 10 Mobile and Surface Tablets

Wired and Wireless

mobile-devices-2

There are two types of connection options for getting a presentation from a device to the projector. Both are options. In general, using a wired connection is going to be easiest option, as it has the least technology needs (do to the cables, connect – done).

Wired

The first option is wired connections. This is (obviously) physically connecting a cable to the mobile device. Each device type has a different connector, and then there are multiple options for the AV system you need to figure out (eg. Is the AV system using VGA, HDMI or other display connector?).

iPhone/iPad Connectors

30 pin to VGA/HDMI
Lightning to VGA/HDMI
USB-C to VGA

mobile-devices-3

Android Phone / Tablet Connectors

Mini-HDMI to HDMI or VGA
HDMI to VGA/HDMI/DVI

mobile-devices-4

Windows 10 Phone / Tablet Connectors

Mini HDMI to HDMI/VGA
Mini DisplayPort (AKA Thunderbolt) to HDMI/VGA/DVI

mobile-devices-5

Wireless

The second option is connecting your mobile devices using a wireless system. Keep in mind, most wireless display connectors need WiFi. And the WiFi needs to be fast enough for the presentation to display content and animations smoothly, and it needs to have enough coverage to connect in the meeting meeting room (ie. Not your hotel room or the lobby, but the actual ballroom). Miracast is a direct connection technology, so a WiFi network is not needed.

iOS Devices = Apple TV

mobile-devices-6

Apple devices are easily the most popular and abundant (myself included with an iPhone and iPad). Apple devices need to connect to Apple TV, so you need the physical Apple TV device and a WiFi network for both the IOS device and Apple TV connect to (then the Apple TV connects to the AV System/projector/monitor). AirPlay is the IOS app (built in to all Apple devices) that make the wireless display work.

My opinion on wireless presentations from IOS devices is that they work well, but have a lot of hardware and setup needs.

Android Devices = Google Chromecast

mobile-devices-7

If you use an Android mobile device, the Google Chromecast device is needed. The original Chromecast device was basically a small USB drive with an HDMI connector and additional mini-USB port for power. The new Chromecast device is a bit larger, more in line with an Apple TV size (but still just a USB power). Another option is many SmartTVs are Chromecast-ready and Android devices can stream direct to it with no additional hardware. No matter what Chromecast connector is used, WiFi is needed.

Last, if you are using an Android device, a great app available in the Android Google Play App Store is AllCast, which enables Android devices to also connect to Apple TV, even more SmartTVs and the Amazon Fire TV.

My opinion on Chromecast is that it works, has smaller equipment, has easy setup – but I have been unable to connect it to some larger show AV systems…

Windows 10 Mobile = Miracast WiFi

mobile-devices-7

If you’re a Windows 10 Mobile device user, or Windows 10 desktop, the MiraCast wireless display software is built in. The interesting thing (and good thing), is MiraCast is not a Microsoft technology, but an industry wide wireless display platform that Microsoft has adopted and integrated into ALL Windows 10 devices (Note: It is also available on Windows 8.1 as a download in the Windows App Store). MiraCast is also available on Android devices as a separate app download, and it also works with IOS devices (but is not available through the Apple App store, so only works with “jail break” devices which I hope changes in the future).

My opinion of MiraCast is this works the best of all wireless display options covered. Because it is an open standard, the physical dongle is not limited to one company and I have had some work great and others not work at all. I recommend the Microsoft manufactured device as I have had flawless operation of it (and it is very small like the original Chromecast device). The other really great feature is that MiraCast does not need WiFi, it will connect to any device using a local connection (so it does use WiFi, but not internet enabled WiFi).

I hope the helps with an overview of many mobile device connection options and some of my (sometimes hard-earned) opinions on mobile devices for presentation use.

-Troy @ TLC

By TLC Creative Services, Inc.|2016-08-10T08:10:43-07:00May 31st, 2016|PowerPoint, Resource/Misc, Software/Add-Ins|

Use a PDF for a Slide Show

A PDF of slides, or any document if in the correct aspect ratio, can be used for presentation slides. I am using Adobe Acrobat, but most PDF viewing apps have the same capability.

Here is my sample 16×9 presentation of 4 slides exported as a PDF, now open in Acrobat.

PDFView_4

I have selected the first page vs. the Organize/Grid view.

PDFView_1

Go to VIEW > FULL SCREEN MODE, or use the keyboard shortcut CTRL+L

PDFView_2

The Acrobat tool bars disappear and the slide displays full screen. Using the arrow keys or Page Up/Down keys, you can go through the pages just like a presentation.

PDFView_3

Notes:

No animation
No slide transitions
No video or audio (There are ways to add these, but not covered in this tutorial, and not part of PowerPoint’s PDF export)
Cannot be added to a master slide deck of all presenter slides (This is a separate file that just look like slides)
No presenter view (Duplicate display is recommended vs. extended desktop)

-Troy @ TLC

By TLC Creative Services, Inc.|2016-08-10T08:12:27-07:00May 23rd, 2016|Software/Add-Ins, Tutorial|

Using Adobe Typekit Fonts

Adobe Typekit is a combination between an online tool that previews fonts and an installer that adds them to a computer. Adobe TypeKit is included with Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions.

Adobe TypeKit -1

Can Presentation Apps Use Adobe Typekit Fonts?

Yes, if we are talking about desktop PowerPoint and Keynote. Once the Adobe Typekit font is selected and synced to the computer, the font is available in other applications. At TLC, we use PowerPoint for Windows and Mac and Apple Keynote – we can confirm Typekit fonts are available for all of them. Note: PowerPoint may need to be restarted for the font to become available in the font menu.

Adobe Typekit	Windows	Mac
PowerPoint	YES	YES
Keynote	N/A	YES

HOW TO FIND AND INSTALL ADOBE TYPEKIT FONTS

Adobe Typekit is a hybrid app that is web-based, and can also be viewed through the Adobe Creative Cloud app and most Adobe applications (PhotoShop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc.). For our example, we are looking at Typekit through a web browser, which has the most options. Select the font to use in your presentation by going through the font library, select by clicking +USE FONTS (there are a lot of ways to view and search for fonts, and there are thousands of fonts).

This is where things get a bit confusing. There are two options for using the font: (1) Web Sync, which will make the font available for web use (ie. a website), or (2) Creative Cloud Sync, which will make the font available for use in Desktop apps on a computer. We are installing fonts to a computer for use in PowerPoint.

adobe typekit

After selecting fonts and use, click SYNC SELECTED FONTS and they will be installed on the computer.

adobe typekit sync

The Creative Cloud Desktop application will open and prompt you to add fonts from Typekit. Below that is a list of all Adobe Typekit fonts currently available.

adobe typekit -1

PowerPoint and Adobe Typekit

All Adobe Typekit fonts can be used by PowerPoint on both Windows and Mac, but there are some considerations:

PowerPoint needs to be started AFTER fonts are installed, or the new fonts will note show up in the font list.
Typekit fonts are considered “custom fonts” and will need to be installed on any computer that is going to show the presentation.
Only a computer that has Adobe Creative Cloud installed and has an active user account logged in to an Adobe CC account is going to be able to sync and install Typekit fonts.
PowerPoint will not warn you that fonts are missing, nor will it tell you where the fonts are from (So an end user needs to look at the font list for missing fonts and know they are Typekit fonts that they can install. TIP: Add a hidden slide or off-slide note about custom fonts and where to find them to help other users).
Typekit fonts installed on a computer are not actual files that can be accessed and copied to other computers.

Keynote and Adobe Typekit

All Adobe Typekit fonts can be used by Keynote, but there are some considerations: Keynote dynamically recognizes newly installed fonts, so there’s no need to restart it after fonts are installed (great!).

Adobe Typekit fonts are considered “custom fonts” and will need to be installed on any computer that is going to show the presentation.
Only a computer that has Adobe Creative Cloud installed and has an active user account logged in to an Adobe CC account is going to be able to sync and install Adobe Typekit fonts.
Adobe Typekit fonts installed on a computer are not actual files that can be accessed and copied to other computers.

-Troy @ TLC

By TLC Creative Services, Inc.|2016-08-10T08:17:25-07:00May 4th, 2016|Resource/Misc, Software/Add-Ins, Tutorial|

Video downloads with Savevideo.me

Savevideo is a great online tool that can be used to download videos as mp4 files. Although the site does not support Youtube videos, it does support a number of other popular sites, including Vimeo, Facebook, Twitter, Vine and Dailymotion (just to name a few). There is an extensive list of supported sites in the drop down menu under Supported video-sites.

To download a video using this simple tool:

1

Copy and paste the url for the desired video into the field and click Download.

(NOTE: Be careful not to click any other download buttons on the site, as they are likely advertisements.) 1_ Savevideo

2

The download bar will turn green to show the video is in process

2_ Savevideo

3

A list of available sizes will appear below the download bar.

3_ Savevideo

4

Right-click the link that says Download video file next to the desired version, and select Save link as… Choose the location for your video file, and click Save.

4_ Savevideo

Michelle @ TLC

By TLC Creative Services, Inc.|2016-08-10T08:33:25-07:00March 14th, 2016|Software/Add-Ins|

Video Export Size (HD!)

Another behind the scenes upgrade in PowerPoint 2016 is the video export size options. Now true, 1920×1080 HD video can be exported from PowerPoint.

Go to FILE > EXPORT > CREATE A VIDEO
Video Export Size 1

The export size options have been revised to 1920×1080, 1280×720 (the PPT 2013 highest res option), and 852×480.

Video Export Size 2

-Troy @ TLC

By TLC Creative Services, Inc.|2016-08-10T08:39:43-07:00February 10th, 2016|PowerPoint, Software/Add-Ins|

New Auto Layout Designer

Another new feature of PowerPoint 2016, only available to subscription users, is DESIGNER, which is an automatic layout tool. Here is an example of how it works.

Start with a blank slide – on a Microsoft supplied template (I am using the standard white background new presentation)
I entered some text in the title placeholder and used the Insert Image option for the content placeholder
Go to the DESIGN tab and click the new DESIGN IDEAS button
The right action pane opens the DESIGN IDEAS interface, click LET’S GO
The Design Ideas pane displays a number of layout options
Scroll through the options, select any to see and use, these layouts (and several others) were automatically created with a simple click

Fantastic feature for both the designer and non-designer! But at this stage there are a few downsides to the new DESIGNER tool.

The biggest downside is if you do not have PowerPoint 2016, and a subscription version (eg. Office 365), Designer is not available in PowerPoint.
The biggest limitation is that it will only work with Microsoft supplied templates. Open the DESIGN tool on a custom template and get the message below.
If you do not use layout placeholders (eg. add your own text boxes and insert images not through a placeholder insert image icon), and you get the message below.

Designer 7

Overall, a great idea and smooth implementation. But because TLC virtually never uses a Microsoft template (or theme), this feature has very limited use for us – but I am hopeful Designer will continue to expand its capabilities.

-Troy @ TLC

By TLC Creative Services, Inc.|2016-08-10T08:41:53-07:00February 5th, 2016|PowerPoint, Software/Add-Ins|

The PowerPoint QAT – A Designer’s Best Tool

The Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) is one of the best options for making your design work faster, if setup properly. The PowerPoint QAT is basically a collection of the top used “buttons” always accessible without having to change tabs on the ribbon.

Setting up the QAT is fairly easy, but tedious. But Microsoft has made it very easy to leverage someone else’s effort. In this case, my effort, think of it as my gift to everyone that reads this post, and instantly setup your QAT with 37 buttons to speed up design.

Download the QAT file HERE (unzip and “PowerPoint Customizations.exportedUI”).

In PowerPoint, go to FILE > OPTIONS > QUICK ACCESS TOOLBAR > IMPORT/EXPORT > IMPORT > select the downloaded file > say YES to the dialog > done.

PowerPoint QAT 2

– Troy @ TLC

By TLC Creative Services, Inc.|2016-08-10T08:54:31-07:00September 28th, 2015|PowerPoint, Resource/Misc, Software/Add-Ins|

Permanently Delete a File with Eraser

Here at TLC, our team works hand in hand with companies dealing with all sorts of information. One week, you may find us setting up show computers for a large event for a pharma company, and the next week, onsite running presentations for an executive of an auto corporation. Our computers are always operated by internal staff, but it is imperative to secure information.

Eraser 1

Dropping files into the Recycle Bin is not really deleting them – it is only the operating system removing the reference of the files from the system table. Every file is really there until another file is saved over it. Eraser permanently overwrites files with patterns of data that completely prevents file recovery. So, whether you want to securely erase financial records, passwords and/or security data, Eraser is a free, easy to use program that makes files gone for good. Eraser can be found here (go to the download link at top of page – do not use any of the adware download buttons!).

eraser logo

– Troy @ TLC

By TLC Creative Services, Inc.|2016-08-10T09:01:02-07:00August 10th, 2015|Software/Add-Ins|