How do I set which placeholders are used when changing layouts

[Simon Reid]

Hi,

I have a template that contains a number of different layouts, lets say 2 to
make this easy! Each of the layouts contains some placeholders that are used
around the page for header/footer information (these change on each slide, so
they have to be placeholders an cannot be text box's on the layout), and then
they have large text placeholders in the middle of the page that people
should put their content in (one on one layout, 2 on another).

I am finding if I switch form the layout with 1 text placeholder in the
center, to the layout with 2 in the center, the content is moving to the
right hand layout - but I would like it in the left side.

How does PowerPoint determine which layout it moves content into when you
switch layouts? I have tried naming the shapes on the layout (no effect,
since PPT seems to rename them when you create a slide) and reording them in
the selection pane, but it doesn't seem to help.

Is there some magic formula Microsoft are using to determine what goes where?

 

[Simon Reid]

Thanks Steve, that seems to be it. I guess I will have to be very careful
creating my presentations - the real fun starts when I try and take a slide
from a standard MS template with, say 3 pieces of content, and put it into my
presentation with just 2 placeholders I want to use content for - PPT does
its best but I end up with text all over the place

Never mind, people will just have to be careful an use the right layouts!