New Guys Question - Slide Show Generation

[NewGuy]

I am familiar with PoweerPoint from the standpoint of making slides and
simple slide shows.

Have come up with a project that is going to take another shot at the
"learning curve"

I have PowerPoint 2002 and 2003 available to me. Would prefer 2002 as that
is on the machine that is more convenient to me.

Here is what I would like to do. If there is a particular step or group of
steps that falls in the category of "Science Fiction" would appreciate a
comeback

1. I would like to generate a slide show of approximate 20 - 25 slides.

2. Would like to have voice comments and music in each slide. To amplify
on that - Start each slide with the voice comments w/music background. At
the end of the voice comment, just have music play until viewer advances to
next slide. Actually, what would be nice is if I could delay the voice
comments for about 2 to 3 seconds to give the people viewing the slide show
time to adjust to the new slide.

3. Goal is to create this show and: A. Place it on a Web Site (Does the
web site have to allow this - at present time, jpgs are uploaded to the
site, you are shown a group of thumb nails and you click on each one - just
want to add some elegance to the slides. and B:. Create this in a manner
that the whole things can be email to someone to view on their machine, and
finally C: Where I can burn this to a CD or DVD where is can be viewed with
a standard DVD player and television. I would like to be able to have the
viewer(s) advance to next slide/go back to previous slide. If effect, each
slide would be soft of a micro show unto itself.

4. Am I going to be able to accomplish this or am I going to have to give
up certain things. Just want to know what my options are. I have some
audio editing software so I am fairly certain that I will be able to
generate the music/voice over music/music without too much grief. If I make
it 60 seconds long, that should resolve the length and I am sure the viewer
would be advancing to the next slide. This would terminate the audio with
the current slide and the next slide would take over with its audio.

The desirable thing would be to be able to package the whole thing as an
executable program. The desirable thing also would be for me to win the
Power Ball. Just want to know what the limitations are. I want to set this
up so that the viewer only has to fire off the show, not move files around
to various directories etc.

Appreciate any and all help

Fred

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Here is what I would like to do. If there is a particular step or group of
steps that falls in the category of "Science Fiction" would appreciate a
comeback

1. I would like to generate a slide show of approximate 20 - 25 slides.

2. Would like to have voice comments and music in each slide. To amplify
on that - Start each slide with the voice comments w/music background. At
the end of the voice comment, just have music play until viewer advances to
next slide. Actually, what would be nice is if I could delay the voice
comments for about 2 to 3 seconds to give the people viewing the slide show
time to adjust to the new slide.

Some sound cards can handle two sound files at once, others can't and IIRC,
there's a trick that involves using a WAV for one and MPG for the other (John,
over to you). To delay the voice comments, use an audio editor to add a few
seconds to the beginning of each voice sound file. Audacity is very capable.
And free. Capable is good. Free is good.

3. Goal is to create this show and: A. Place it on a Web Site

As HTML or as PPT? If as PPT, you'll have to make sure that all the sounds are
embedded, else it won't work.

See:
Sounds/Movies don't play, images disappear or links break when I move or email
a presentation
http://www.pptfaq.com/FAQ00155.htm

And if there are lots of embedded sounds, the PPT will get quite large; you'll
want to warn people that it'll take some time to download before it starts to
play.

(Does the
web site have to allow this - at present time, jpgs are uploaded to the
site, you are shown a group of thumb nails and you click on each one - just
want to add some elegance to the slides.

You'd have to check with the company that hosts the site. In most cases, you
can upload and link to whatever files you like.

and B:. Create this in a manner
that the whole things can be email to someone to view on their machine,

If your sounds are embedded, you can save the file as a PowerPoint Show (PPS)
and as long as they have PPT, it should work, subject to mailbox/file size
limitations (if your file's too big, it can cause problems). Sometimes it's
best to put it on your site and then email them a link to it. They can choose
to view it or not, but you haven't bogged them down with a big download.
They'll appreciate you for that.

finally C: Where I can burn this to a CD or DVD where is can be viewed with
a standard DVD player and television. I would like to be able to have the
viewer(s) advance to next slide/go back to previous slide. If effect, each
slide would be soft of a micro show unto itself.

Have a look here:

Convert presentations to VHS or DVD video
http://www.pptfaq.com/FAQ00156.htm

You'll also get responses here from several vendors who have software that may
or may not do a good job of this. I'd try their demos before spending any
money, same as I'd tell you to do with the software I sell.

 

[NewGuy]

The question about placing the PPS on a web site. Actually, what I would
like to do is be able to have people click on it and have it fire off from
the web site (people will not have to down load it). Now the site has told
me that they will allow me to hot link. We have a chance to get out own
server. The end object would be to have it run off the first web site or
the site that we hot link it to

Some sound cards can handle two sound files at once, others can't and IIRC,
there's a trick that involves using a WAV for one and MPG for the other (John,
over to you). To delay the voice comments, use an audio editor to add a few
seconds to the beginning of each voice sound file. Audacity is very capable.
And free. Capable is good. Free is good.


As HTML or as PPT? If as PPT, you'll have to make sure that all the sounds are
embedded, else it won't work.

Want to upload the program to the web site and have it play from there.
Want to avoid people having to download it. I also want to win the
lottery - thats another thing I need help with - in another newgroup.
Now the web site will allow me to hot link to another location - we have a
chance to get our own server - however, would it play from the first web
site??? If not can I set up our server to do it?????
Yeah, I imagine that is a real stupid question. But it I could get this
show to fire off from the web site I want to load it to, it would solve a
whole bunch of problems

See:
Sounds/Movies don't play, images disappear or links break when I move or email
a presentation
http://www.pptfaq.com/FAQ00155.htm

And if there are lots of embedded sounds, the PPT will get quite large; you'll
want to warn people that it'll take some time to download before it starts to
play.

Roger on the embedding.

I take it that this means it is a go to run it on the web site, if they
permit, or on our server it if we hot link.

You'd have to check with the company that hosts the site. In most cases, you
can upload and link to whatever files you like.

A we speaking of hot linking back to my system, my machine or to my server??

If your sounds are embedded, you can save the file as a PowerPoint Show (PPS)
and as long as they have PPT, it should work, subject to mailbox/file size
limitations (if your file's too big, it can cause problems). Sometimes it's
best to put it on your site and then email them a link to it. They can choose
to view it or not, but you haven't bogged them down with a big download.
They'll appreciate you for that.

Understand that there is a way now to have someone load the show on their
machine and run it, even if they do not have Power Point (believe that is
the Power Point viewer. Just prefer keeping the complexity on our side of
the street as opposed to the viewers side.

Have a look here:

Convert presentations to VHS or DVD video
http://www.pptfaq.com/FAQ00156.htm

What I need to do is get a book on this. Big problem is finding a book that
speaks to the commom folk. The majority of the books that I have come
across spend 1/3 of the book explaining how to save and load files

Thank-you for the comeback and the assistance. Will review the URLs and try
and build something that floats.

Fred

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

The question about placing the PPS on a web site. Actually, what I would
like to do is be able to have people click on it and have it fire off from
the web site (people will not have to down load it).

No can do, at least not anything but streaming media.

The way the web/browsers work is that when you click on a link to a file, the
file gets downloaded to the local PCs hard drive and played back from there.

So it's back to what you want to serve up ... a PPS/PPT or an HTML version of
the presentation (which puts some limits on you but opens up other
opportunities, especially in the way sounds, movies and other linked files
work).

However, note that a browser won't play two sounds at once, or not in any way I
know how to do. Then again, I'm no browser expert. <g>

Another approach is using something like Camtasia to record the presentation as
you give it on your own computer, then save that as Flash.

I can point you to a crude example I did, if you like.