Macro available in all presentations?

[Rene]

Hi experts!

Is there a way to make a macro available for all new presentations,
without saving the macro in the presentation itself?

I'm thinking of the normal.dot concept of Word...

Do I simply save it in a *.pot file? Will the macro then be copied to
the final presentation or remain in the *.pot?

Thanks for you help!
Rene

 

[Shyam Pillai]

Hello Rene,
You can create an add-in. Once an addin is loaded it will be available to
all the presentations on the machine where it is loaded. However it will not
travel with your presentation.

PowerPoint add-in FAQ - http://www.mvps.org/skp/ppafaq.htm

 

[David M. Marcovitz]

Shyam's suggestion will work if you just want to use the macros as you
work, but not save them with the presentation (e.g., for others to use
as they run your presentation). This is probably the best solution for
your everday macros that you use.

If you want to save the macros with your presentation, you can do the
following.

1. Create a blank presentation with just the macros in it.
2. Save it as a regular presentation or as a template.
3. When beginning a new presentation, choose the option for "New from
existing presentation" and choose your presentation.

A little testing (in PowerPoint 2002) revealed that the macros were not
transferred when applying a design template, but they were when choosing
"New from existing presenation."

--David

--
David M. Marcovitz, Ph.D.
Director of Graduate Programs in Educational Technology
Loyola College in Maryland
Author of _Powerful PowerPoint for Educators_
http://www.loyola.edu/education/PowerfulPowerPoint/

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

A little testing (in PowerPoint 2002) revealed that the macros were not

transferred when applying a design template, but they were when choosing
"New from existing presenation."

I haven't tried it lately, but if you stored macros in the template, they'd
also be preserved when you based a new presentation on that template.

Think of it this way:

Templates contain a content layer and a formatting layer.
When you start a new presentation based on a template, you get both.
When you apply a template to an existing presentation you get just the
formatting.

Slides, macros, etc ... all part of the content layer.

--
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
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[Keith Tromer]

Rene,

If this is only for you-- only on one computer, here is a simple solution.

Create all your macros in a ppt file. With that PPT file go to Tools |
Customize in PPT. Create a new tool bar for your macros, then go to the
commands secion and scroll down to the bottom and choose Macros. Drag your
macros onto the toolbar you created (or any tool bar). Now anytime you
click on those command buttons your Macro file will automatically load and
run in the background.

Remember.. this is only a solution for your use, not for installing on other
people's computers.

Keith Tromer
Corporate Imaging Inc.

 

[Rene]

Thanks everyone for your great help! I can only repeat myself: this is
the best news group I have ever seeked help from. You've been a
constant source of help over the last couple of years. (Sorry, just
had to say that again.)

Keith I tried your solution. Works great! But, is there a way to edit
the macros, once they are in the toolbar? It seems the editor only
"sees" the macros of the current presentation. Maybe I'm missing
something here...

Rene

 

[Brian Reilly, MS MVP]

Rene,
If the VBA code file is saved as an addin (.ppa), the VBEditor cannot
see or modify the code. You should save a regular PPT file for future
editing and then resave that as a new ppa addin.

Brian Reilly, PowerPoint MVP