In fact the short answer to your specific question is, in fact, yes. I
do this occasionally to pre-empt questions. This way I look as if I
have really done my homework!!.
If you get really slick at this, you can even use other apps at the
same time (but you have to be REAL slick!)
The art here is the clever use of the SECONDARY MONITOR in EXTENDED
DESKTOP mode. In essence, by running the slide show on Monitor 2, you
can do what you like on Monitor 1 all the time remembering that while
Monitor 1 has the "focus", everything stops on Monitor 2 (as noted by
MVP earlier).
To do this, you will need a dual port video card in a non-laptop PC to
do this, I don't believe this will work on a laptop. [If you are able
to set the laptop up so that the external (secondary) monitor port is
set in "Extended Desktop" this may work, but no guarantees]
Also, my guide here is for PPT2003 - if you don't have PPT2003, your
results may differ to mine.
Here's what I do...
Using a dual port video card, outside of PPT, within my control panel,
I set the PRIMARY monitor (MON1) as normal and my secondary monitor
(MON2) as my EXTENDED DESKTOP area. This bit is really of important.
In PPT, under Slide Show Show > Set Up Show, I set the "Multiple
Monitors - Display Slide Show on.." pull-down to "Monitor 2 Plug & Play
Monitor" [the description of Monitor 2 may vary depending on the video
card used]
Now, I choose the PPT I want to run and press F5.
The PPT show runs up in MON1, while the Slide View is in MON2..
When I click in the MON2 'window', I can control the slide navigation
in the usual way. Also, as you click away to show the slides to your
audience, you see the slides transitioning in the slide view on MON1.
(You won't see the builds though).
When I click over into MON1, I can move to a different slide (meanwhile
nothing will change on MON2, it's frozen/paused the slide builds and
transitions.
This is the time where the audience will read/discuss/comment on the
slide up on the big screen, giving you time to noodle with subsequent
slides.
Note, when I click from MON2 to MON1, I click once to "select" the MON1
window and again to choose the slide to edit.
Equally, if moving from MON1 to MON2 (i.e. over to the live slide
show), I click once to select the slide show in MON2 and once again to
(re)start builds, transitions in the live show for your audience.
By clicking in the MON1 area, I can now edit subsequent slides, add new
ones, etc.
When I'm ready, I click back (twice, remember) into MON2 to continue
the slide show.
Also, don't forget, only do this if YOU are controlling the slide show!
If someone else holds the clicky-button while you are working/editing
in MON1, they might worry that the thing is broken!!
Try it out if you can so you are practiced at the switch over!
Hope this helps!
Chris
