Editing Layered animated images

[Guest]

I have a large presentation where several screenshots are layered on top of
each other to from an animated slides. There are also some dialogue boxes and
arrows between these slides. If I want to resize these images I cannot select
all and resize as it distorts the text boxes and the arrows which are
pointing to specific areas of the image. I end up dismantling the whole set
of slides, moving out each text box or arrow, resizing all the screen shots
and then repositioning each text/arrow by trial and error after running the
animation.
I need to freeze and edit each element of the animated transition in turn
but cannot stop the animation part way through for editing. Any ideas or
suggestions?

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I have a large presentation where several screenshots are layered on top of
each other to from an animated slides. There are also some dialogue boxes and
arrows between these slides. If I want to resize these images I cannot select
all and resize as it distorts the text boxes and the arrows which are
pointing to specific areas of the image. I end up dismantling the whole set
of slides, moving out each text box or arrow, resizing all the screen shots
and then repositioning each text/arrow by trial and error after running the
animation.
I need to freeze and edit each element of the animated transition in turn
but cannot stop the animation part way through for editing. Any ideas or
suggestions?

It may help the sizing issues if you select and group the screenshots + the
arrows/text boxes that refer to them.

But grab our free PPT2HTML demo at http://html.pptools.com
You can use the included Accessibility Assistant tool to make any of the shapes
on your slide visible/invisible or (probably more useful in your situation)
"bump" any shape to the right (pulls it out of the stack so it's easy to select)
then bump it back to its original position.

 

[John Langhans [MSFT]]

[CRITICAL UPDATE - Anyone using Office 2003 should install the Critical
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Hello,

PowerPoint doesn't provide any "layers" control or sophisticated
selection/hide/show capabilities for complex slides with overlapping
content. However there are some workarounds including the using the Select
Multiple Object drawing tool which allows you to select hidden objects for
formatting..

If you (or anyone else reading this message) think that it's important that
PowerPoint provide better layer and/or selection tools (without having to
resort to VBA or add-ins), don't forget to send your feedback (in YOUR OWN
WORDS, please) to Microsoft by either:

PREFERRED METHOD:

A) If you are using Microsoft's web-based, online newsreader for Office
communities
(http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx?dg=microsoft.p
ublic.powerpoint), check to see whether or not the suggestion has been
submitted before (Show -> Suggestions for Microsoft) and, if so, add your
vote to the suggestion submission. If the suggestion has not been submitted
before, click on the "New" drop-down menu and choose "Suggestion for
Microsoft" from directly within the newsreader web page.

OR, NEXT BEST METHOD:

B) If you are using another newsreader (such as Microsoft Outlook Express),
submit your suggestion using your web browser at the following address:
http://register.microsoft.com/mswish/suggestion.asp

It's VERY important that, for EACH wish, you describe in detail, WHY it is
important TO YOU that your product suggestion be implemented. A good wish
submssion includes WHAT scenario, work-flow, or end-result is blocked by
not having a specific feature, HOW MUCH time and effort ($$$) is spent
working around a specific limitation of the current product, etc. Remember
that Microsoft receives THOUSANDS of product suggestions every day and we
read each one but, in any given product development cycle, there are ONLY
sufficient resources to address the ones that are MOST IMPORTANT to our
customers so take the extra time to state your case as CLEARLY and
COMPLETELY as possible so that we can FEEL YOUR PAIN.

IMPORTANT: Each submission should be a single suggestion (not a list of
suggestions).

John Langhans
Microsoft Corporation
Supportability Program Manager
Microsoft Office PowerPoint for Windows
Microsoft Office Picture Manager for Windows

For FAQ's, highlights and top issues, visit the Microsoft PowerPoint
support center at: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=ppt
Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base at:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbhowto

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.