Editing Multiple Animated Text Boxes

[Guest]

PPT 2003 - I am animating an information rich slide and "stacking" text boxes
on top of each other to facilitate my animation scheme and layout. Animation
brings different text boxes to the foreground when needed and relevant to the
rest of that particular slide context. During the creation phase, I position
the text boxes where I want them to appear and then animate when they appear.
This requires me to "stack" text boxes on top of each other to maintain
proper position of the text. I can only "see" the uppermost animation box
from the view/normal window.

Problem: Is there any way to edit the text within a specific text box that
is now buried deep under several other text boxes? In other words, I would
like to edit text in a specific text box without having to dissassemble the
layers.

The task pane, Custom Animation allows me to manage the animation sequence
but it does not bring the text box or the graphic to the forground as I
navigate through the sequence.

Is there a way to edit the text in text boxes that are stacked (one on top
of the other) without dissassembling the stack?

Thank you for your time!

 

[Guest]

You can select one of the textboxes or objects in the slide, then press Tab
key to go through each objects until you find the one you want to edit. (In
PowerPoint 2007, there is also a new visibility feature which you can hide
and unhide objects) To ensure that you are on the correct textbox, you can
press F2 to edit, and F2 again to stop editing. Might be tedious if you have
lots of objects on the slide though. See if others have better suggestions.
--
Shawn Toh (tohlz)
Microsoft MVP PowerPoint

Site Updated: March 23, 2007
New PowerPoint Webcomic
http://pptheaven.mvps.org
PowerPoint Heaven - The Power to Animate

 

[Guest]

Thank you tohlz!
This is much better than manually dissassembling them.
I will watch for other responses to this thread.
Thanks again!

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Problem: Is there any way to edit the text within a specific text box that
is now buried deep under several other text boxes? In other words, I would
like to edit text in a specific text box without having to dissassemble the
layers.

Our PPT2HTML add-in includes a useful tool for this (it's fully functional even
in the free demo available at http://www.pptools.com/ppt2html/ ).

It's called the Accessibility Assistant. Among other things, it lets you select
any shape on the slide and optionally "nudge" it out of the stack.

Once it's nudged out of the stack, it's easily selected/edited.

The shape remembers that it's been nudged, so you can just as easily nudge it
back to its original position.

You can also name the shapes so they're easier to identify in the list.

 

[Maureen]

PPT 2003 -

Problem: Is there any way to edit the text within a specific text box that
is now buried deep under several other text boxes? In other words, I would
like to edit text in a specific text box without having to dissassemble
the
layers.

I am working 2007 PPT. 2003 may have worked the same. I just don't know.Very
new to all of this. Sometime in Feb/March I had a very similar problem. The
answer that I received at the time hepled me enormously. I keep the tips in
a folder but unfortunately being a very, very newbie at the time I did not
keep the repliers name (sorry) I think it was Luc. However here is the
answer that I received at that time. Hope it helps you.

Have you tried the selection task pane. You can activate it in the editing
group of the Home tab, click on select button and choose selection pane. You
can rename every object on the slide and that name will appear in the custom
animation pane also. You can easily hide/unhide objects so that they are
easily accessible.

Maureen

 

[Guest]

Hi

Just to throw in my two-pennies worth...

A different way of selecting the appropriate text box (pre-2007) would be to
use the 'Select Multiple Objects' button - it gives you a list of everything
on the slide and you tick what you want to select. The use F2 to edit (nice
tip tohlz, I didn't know that one. Though I did know it in Excel strangely
enough). If you don't have the 'Select Multiple Objects' button on your
Drawing toolbar you can add it: Tools->Customise->Commands Tab->Categories:
Drawing->Second button down just drag it onto a toolbar.

Hope that helps

Lucy
--
MOS Master Instructor
www.aneasiertomorrow.com.au

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