Switchboard in PowerPoint?

[Guest]

I've only dabbled in Power Point, but I have a project that needs to go a bit
beyond the basics. I'd like to develop a training program. I have a couple
PP presentations prepared by others and I'd like to create more. I'd like to
organize these into a larger application having a "driver" or "Switchoboard"
type of presentation (either a VBA user form or a PP slide) so that the users
can in effect pick a topic and see the associated presentation. The project
would actually end up with several levels. For example, the first page would
have selections for general topics (I. Collection System, II. Lab, III.
Primary Treatment,...) and the selected topic would lead to subtopic (...,II
A. BOD, II B. TSS, II C. Phosphorus, ...). I imagine the associated slide
show with then launch at that level. (Though some topics would have more
levels).
Is there a standard way to deal with this type of hierarchial interactive
powerpoint application?
The end users have limited computer skills. I'd like to make sure they
simply use mouse clicks on buttons or icons in the display. (In other words,
I want to make sure the application launches into the slide show and ideally
returns them to the switchboard when complete... or perhaps have an option to
return to the switchboard at any time.)
I'm guessing this is a common application and someone knows of a good link
that will walk me through. But any comments will be appreciated.

 

[Troy @ TLC Creative]

You can seemlessly jump from one presentation to another using links. Here
are two tutorials put together by PPT MVP, Taj that should give you lots of
ideas:
http://www.awesomebackgrounds.com/powerpointmenu.htm
http://www.awesomebackgrounds.com/powerpointlinking.htm

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I've only dabbled in Power Point, but I have a project that needs to go a bit
beyond the basics. I'd like to develop a training program. I have a couple
PP presentations prepared by others and I'd like to create more. I'd like to
organize these into a larger application having a "driver" or "Switchoboard"
type of presentation (either a VBA user form or a PP slide) so that the users
can in effect pick a topic and see the associated presentation. The project
would actually end up with several levels. For example, the first page would
have selections for general topics (I. Collection System, II. Lab, III.
Primary Treatment,...) and the selected topic would lead to subtopic (...,II
A. BOD, II B. TSS, II C. Phosphorus, ...). I imagine the associated slide
show with then launch at that level. (Though some topics would have more
levels).
Is there a standard way to deal with this type of hierarchial interactive
powerpoint application?
The end users have limited computer skills. I'd like to make sure they
simply use mouse clicks on buttons or icons in the display. (In other words,
I want to make sure the application launches into the slide show and ideally
returns them to the switchboard when complete... or perhaps have an option to
return to the switchboard at any time.)
I'm guessing this is a common application and someone knows of a good link
that will walk me through. But any comments will be appreciated.

It's fairly simple to do nearly all of what you want just with PowerPoint.

Create your switchboard presentation and draw, for example, three icons or
buttons, A, B and C.

Rightclick A and set its Action Setting to Other Presentation. Choose the
presentation you want to launch when the user clicks button A.

Repeat as needed for B and C.

The sub presentations can have further links to other presentations.

The keys to making this work:

Each presentation should be set to Kiosk mode (in Slide Show, Set Up Show) and
as a result, you'll need to supply any necessary navigation links as part of the
presentation (space, arrow key, mouseclicks other than on buttons and links
won't work in Kiosk mode).

Each presentation should also have a Return button of some sort, either at the
end of the presentation or wherever it's appropriate within the presentation.
This should be given an Action Setting of End Show.

Each time the user clicks a link to another presentation, the prsentation
they're currently viewing stays open but "behind" the newly opened one. When
the newly opened one is closed via the End Show button, it closes but any other
open presentations are unaffected ... meaning that they're returned to the
presentation (and slide) from which they launched the one they're closing.

You'll want to limit the "depth" so that you don't have too many presentations
open at one time.

The only real hitch is that you won't be able to end the show completely from
two levels down. Users will have to use the return buttons to navigate back up
the tree to the main show and close from there.