Add Shape (Button) to Slide layout?

[Lars Kjærsgaard]

Hi,

is it possible (I have tried to) to add a shape (button) to a Slide Layout?


I would like to have a general design of my buttons on my agenda slide (and
other slides). Is this possible. PP 2007

 

[Kathy Jacobs]

You should be able to do this... I do it quite frequently. You will need to
add it in Master View, but it should work like adding any other object to
your master or to an individual layout.

I have the feeling there is something more to this question than just adding
a series of static buttons to your layouts. Can you go into a bit more
detail about what you want to do?

--
Kathy Jacobs, Microsoft MVP OneNote and PowerPoint
Author of Kathy Jacobs on PowerPoint
Get PowerPoint and OneNote information at www.onppt.com

I believe life is meant to be lived. But:
if we live without making a difference, it makes no difference that we lived

 

[Lars Kjærsgaard]

Hi Kathy,

and thank you for your reply. I think you are right, maybe there is more to
the question. I would like to see Master Slides and Layouts in nearly the
same role as Cascading Style Sheets for Web-development. Separating
definition from layout. I am not sure this is right.

I do use buttons a lot in some pretty big product presentations. I am trying
to some modular PP design. Use the same theme on many small parts (own
PP-files) which call each other via buttons.

In that respect, I would like to be able to define the layout of all my
buttons in the Master Slide/Layout and when I add a new button on a slide -
it "inherits" the layout from the layout-definition. Is that possible?

If it is unclear what I mean, please, just tell me.

--
Best regards
Lars

You should be able to do this... I do it quite frequently. You will need to
add it in Master View, but it should work like adding any other object to
your master or to an individual layout.

I have the feeling there is something more to this question than just adding
a series of static buttons to your layouts. Can you go into a bit more
detail about what you want to do?

--
Kathy Jacobs, Microsoft MVP OneNote and PowerPoint
Author of Kathy Jacobs on PowerPoint
Get PowerPoint and OneNote information at www.onppt.com

I believe life is meant to be lived. But:
if we live without making a difference, it makes no difference that we lived

 

[Kathy Jacobs]

You can't quite do what you want, but I think we can get you a step closer
to what you need.

Let's start with the difference between master slides and layouts... Layouts
let you define which elements are on a slide of a particular layout. Master
slides are (technically) the slide at the top of a chunk of layouts. They
are the starting point for all the layouts that are built from them. So -
no, they aren't really like cascading style sheets. They are more like
layers of tissue paper, each with a different part of the slide
design/layout. Items on the master slide are always behind all other items.
Items on the layout are between items on the master slide and the regular
slide. The exception is that placeholders on the layout can be brought in
front of objects on a slide.

And this is where you may be able to get closer to what you want with your
buttons. If you set up a series of small placeholders that are formatted the
way you want them to be, you can use these as buttons on your slides. When
you play the slides, you will only see the buttons which have content in
them (either a picture or text - even a single space will do). You can set
up hyperlinks from the placeholders to other slides and locations or you can
use them to trigger animations.

Is that clearer? I think I know what you are attempting to do with your
presentations, I am not sure that what you want to use the layouts for will
get you where you want to go.

Echo - if you are out there today, can you help me explain this? You know
where I am going and what I am trying to say here. And what I wish we had
working... but that is ancient history now.

--
Kathy Jacobs, Microsoft MVP OneNote and PowerPoint
Author of Kathy Jacobs on PowerPoint
Get PowerPoint and OneNote information at www.onppt.com

I believe life is meant to be lived. But:
if we live without making a difference, it makes no difference that we lived

Hi Kathy,

and thank you for your reply. I think you are right, maybe there is more
to
the question. I would like to see Master Slides and Layouts in nearly the
same role as Cascading Style Sheets for Web-development. Separating
definition from layout. I am not sure this is right.

I do use buttons a lot in some pretty big product presentations. I am
trying
to some modular PP design. Use the same theme on many small parts (own
PP-files) which call each other via buttons.

In that respect, I would like to be able to define the layout of all my
buttons in the Master Slide/Layout and when I add a new button on a
slide -
it "inherits" the layout from the layout-definition. Is that possible?

If it is unclear what I mean, please, just tell me.

 

[Lars Kjærsgaard]

Hi Kathy,

and again, thank you for your reply.

Mentally I was wrong. I see I cannot do what i really wanted to do with the
Layouts.

I see your point by adding some placeholders and format them. Thank you very
much.

I see you understand my standpoint. Am I wrong or would it not be a very
usable approach to work a more "stylesheet-way"?. I do not hope I provoke you
or others, but this way, I do not find it extremely flexible. Maybe that's
not a goal.

Anyway, I will try to use your advise.

 

[Kathy Jacobs]

Oh, I agree it would be nice if PPT worked that way. But it doesn't. And
there are so many other things I want it to do that it doesn't handle, that
this one (for me) falls low on the list.

One other thought you might try: Create a presentation where you keep your
"library" of buttons and objects. then you can just pull a copy from there
and use them at design time. Still not a great work around, but not too
bad...

Good conversation. Thanks for starting the thread.

--
Kathy Jacobs, Microsoft MVP OneNote and PowerPoint
Author of Kathy Jacobs on PowerPoint
Get PowerPoint and OneNote information at www.onppt.com

I believe life is meant to be lived. But:
if we live without making a difference, it makes no difference that we lived

 

[Lucy Thomson (aka aneasiertomorrow)]

Hi Lars

As well as Kathy's suggestion of creating a 'library' of buttons on a slide
you may want to look at the shape styles add-in:
http://www.pptools.com/shapestyles/index.html
I think the trial lets you create 5 styles and use them forever...

Lucy

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Hi Lars

As well as Kathy's suggestion of creating a 'library' of buttons on a slide
you may want to look at the shape styles add-in:
http://www.pptools.com/shapestyles/index.html
I think the trial lets you create 5 styles and use them forever...

A bit better. You can create up to five styles and keep them active. But if
you delete one, you can create another to replace it.

 

[Brian Reilly, MVP]

Lucy,

For a blond, you do recognize powerful addins. (g). Drop me a private
email about it. It is my favorite.

Brian Reilly, MVP, primary author of RnR ShapeStyles before Steve
started messing with it.

 

[Lucy Thomson (aka aneasiertomorrow)]

A bit better. You can create up to five styles and keep them active. But if
you delete one, you can create another to replace it.


-----------------------------------------
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================

0o0o0o0 fancy. I'll try to remember for next time

Lucy

 

[Lars Kjærsgaard]

0o0o0o0 fancy. I'll try to remember for next time

Lucy

Lucy and Steve,

thank you very much for joining the thread. Lucy, I will look at your add-in
link, thank you.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Lucy,

For a blond, you do recognize powerful addins. (g). Drop me a private
email about it. It is my favorite.

Brian Reilly, MVP, primary author of RnR ShapeStyles before Steve
started messing with^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hfixing it.

There. That's better.