Refreshing page with only one 'dummy slide'?

[Micheal]

Hi,

I have an interactive presentation that I've done which incorporates
all sorts of video, audio and animation. At the moment it spans about
130 individual slides (and will probably add a number more).

I want the user to have the choice, when returning to a page already
viewed, to refresh the page again and so go through the preset order of
animations/audio etc. I already know about the technique of adding a
'dummy slide' before every page, which then automatically loads the
next page.

But rather than inserting a dummy slide before every single page in my
presentation, I want to know whether it is possible to have just one
dummy slide that then automatically goes back to 'last page viewed'
(rather than going onto the next linear slide). Is this possible to do?
Or is there another method that can be used?

This presentation is being delivered on CD-ROM, using the powerpoint
2003 viewer. The whole thing is non-linear, with hyperlinks everywhere,
so I'd rather not have to put in 130+ dummy slides, because I'd be
forced to go through and relink everything. Anyone have a solution for
this?

Thanks,

Micheal

 

[Michael Koerner]

Micheal;

Sounded like a good plan. Unfortunately, last slide viewed brings you back
after all the animations have been completed, which is the same as it was
before inserting the dummy slide.

I'm assuming that when you put all this on to CD that all the linked items
are in the same folder as the PowerPoint presentation before the links were
made, and if you were to insert the dummy slide before each slide, then
maybe this might help.
Sounds/Movies don't play, images disappear or links break when I move or
email a presentation
http://www.rdpslides.com/pptfaq/FAQ00155.htm


--
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Michael Koerner [MS PPT MVP]


| Hi,
|
| I have an interactive presentation that I've done which incorporates
| all sorts of video, audio and animation. At the moment it spans about
| 130 individual slides (and will probably add a number more).
|
| I want the user to have the choice, when returning to a page already
| viewed, to refresh the page again and so go through the preset order of
| animations/audio etc. I already know about the technique of adding a
| 'dummy slide' before every page, which then automatically loads the
| next page.
|
| But rather than inserting a dummy slide before every single page in my
| presentation, I want to know whether it is possible to have just one
| dummy slide that then automatically goes back to 'last page viewed'
| (rather than going onto the next linear slide). Is this possible to do?
| Or is there another method that can be used?
|
| This presentation is being delivered on CD-ROM, using the powerpoint
| 2003 viewer. The whole thing is non-linear, with hyperlinks everywhere,
| so I'd rather not have to put in 130+ dummy slides, because I'd be
| forced to go through and relink everything. Anyone have a solution for
| this?
|
| Thanks,
|
| Micheal
|

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

This presentation is being delivered on CD-ROM, using the powerpoint

2003 viewer. The whole thing is non-linear, with hyperlinks everywhere,
so I'd rather not have to put in 130+ dummy slides, because I'd be
forced to go through and relink everything. Anyone have a solution for
this?

In most cases, PPT fixes up the links automatically when you insert new slides.

Have your links broken when you inserted dummy slides on a test basis?

 

[Micheal]

I copied my project and tried simply copying and pasting dummy slides
before every single slide. To my suprise it maintained my old links
perfectly, so now I've just put a 'refresh page' button on and achieved
what I wanted. I was afraid that I'd have to relink everything again,
because the whole thing was completely non-linear with at least 10
hyperlinks on every page.

I do have a slight problem in terms of the use of the 'back' button on
my pages. Because they are action set to 'last page viewed', if you've
replayed a page it simply results in the same page you're on being
played again. Can't think of a way around this at the moment.

Anyway, for the time-being I am happy! Thanks!

Mike

 

[Michael Koerner]

Mike;

Glad to see you have one problem sorted out. Are the Back Buttons individual
buttons on each slide? Or is it just one button put on the master slide
which shows up on all slides? If it is the first option, then all that is
required is to replace the"previous slide" with the actual slide number.

--
<>Please post all follow-up questions/replies to the newsgroup<>
<><>Email unless specifically requested will not be opened<><>
<><><>Do Provide The Version Of PowerPoint You Are Using<><><>
<><><>Do Not Post Attachments In This Newsgroup<><><>
Michael Koerner [MS PPT MVP]


|I copied my project and tried simply copying and pasting dummy slides
| before every single slide. To my suprise it maintained my old links
| perfectly, so now I've just put a 'refresh page' button on and achieved
| what I wanted. I was afraid that I'd have to relink everything again,
| because the whole thing was completely non-linear with at least 10
| hyperlinks on every page.
|
| I do have a slight problem in terms of the use of the 'back' button on
| my pages. Because they are action set to 'last page viewed', if you've
| replayed a page it simply results in the same page you're on being
| played again. Can't think of a way around this at the moment.
|
| Anyway, for the time-being I am happy! Thanks!
|
| Mike
|

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I copied my project and tried simply copying and pasting dummy slides
before every single slide. To my suprise it maintained my old links
perfectly, so now I've just put a 'refresh page' button on and achieved
what I wanted. I was afraid that I'd have to relink everything again,
because the whole thing was completely non-linear with at least 10
hyperlinks on every page.

Nice, isn't it? ;-)

Really, it pretty much had to be this way; otherwise, every time you added a
new slide, every link to slides past it would have broken.

I do have a slight problem in terms of the use of the 'back' button on
my pages. Because they are action set to 'last page viewed', if you've
replayed a page it simply results in the same page you're on being
played again. Can't think of a way around this at the moment.

Nor I, offhand, but describe what you WANT the back button to do.

Last Page Viewed is useful on occasion, but would be a lot handier if it acted
like a browser's Back button. Instead, it's VERY literal and can lead to
endless loops between two pages. Best used with caution and extreme prejudice.

 

[Micheal]

Basically I did want to have the Back button act like an internet
browsers back button yes. It doesn't work particularly well in this way
- The back button can only be used once by the user before it starts to
do what you described - endlessly loop between two pages.

I may have to change the back button to a more linear 'previous slide',
which hopefully will won't confuse people too much, but it certainly
isn't ideal. Everyone is used to the way back buttons work in browsers
and now have that expectation. All the great things about html browsers
and webpages, including being able to create jump menus, rollover
images etc,, are things I do miss having. Add to that now a workable
'back' button! I suppose it may come from powerpoint's heritage as a
tool used to produce linear presentations, whereas my needs are for
interactive non-linear presentations.

I had considered using flash to design the whole program, but the
process is much slower and embedding windows media is much easier and
more effective in powerpoint I've found. In future I'd probably weigh
up either using powerpoint or going another way and producing html
pages with the audio/animated text/images stuff being done in flash and
embedded in the pages, and the video embedded as windows media. At
least then I would have the functionality of people's internet
browsers, without having to design and link all the buttons myself. Of
course I then run into the problem of cross-compatibility where
different browsers display my content in different ways (not an issue
with PP thankfully), so there doesn't seem to be any perfect solution.

 

[Chirag]

You might want to look at my free TrackShow add-in at
http://officeone.mvps.org/addins.html. It allows browser-style "go back"
navigation in the presentation.

- Chirag

PowerShow - View multiple PowerPoint slide shows simultaneously
http://officeone.mvps.org/powershow/powershow.html