Hi I've just been on HistoryGCSE.org, I looked at the online lessons about Weimar Germany and have seen a slideshow of the Versailles settlement, except it is just a small version and doesn't fill the whole screen as with normal powerpoints. I was wondering if anyone could let me know how I do this as currently on my website pupils have to download the powerpoint but this way is much more efficent? Also I am updating my site to make it run on Flash if that alters anything.
Many thanks
Lesley
http://www.reviseonline.co.uk
Mini Powerpoint slide show on website
Started by
Lesley Miller
, Jan 21 2006 06:39 PM
6 replies to this topic
#2
Andrew Field
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Andrew
Posted 21 January 2006 - 07:43 PM
This comes by simply transferring a PowerPoint into a Flash file. The easiest way to do this is to use the free OpenOffice at http://www.openoffice.org/.
OpenOffice has a PowerPoint eqivalent called 'Impress'. One brilliant extra feature allows you to import your PowerPoint file and then export it as a .swf. This is how to create a mini-PowerPoint slideshow in the way you describe.
Depending on how you set it up, you can set the .swf file to be as small or large as you like.
There are other programs which allow you to do the same thing. For example you can just import PowerPoint files into Flash and then mess around with them then. The one limitation of all these tools is that you lose the animations from the PowerPoint. For some presentations, this doesn't matter, but for others having animated text appearing in a certain order does make a big difference.
The great thing about having them in Flash (.swf) format is that you don't have to force the user to open a new program to view them.
OpenOffice has a PowerPoint eqivalent called 'Impress'. One brilliant extra feature allows you to import your PowerPoint file and then export it as a .swf. This is how to create a mini-PowerPoint slideshow in the way you describe.
Depending on how you set it up, you can set the .swf file to be as small or large as you like.
There are other programs which allow you to do the same thing. For example you can just import PowerPoint files into Flash and then mess around with them then. The one limitation of all these tools is that you lose the animations from the PowerPoint. For some presentations, this doesn't matter, but for others having animated text appearing in a certain order does make a big difference.
The great thing about having them in Flash (.swf) format is that you don't have to force the user to open a new program to view them.
#3
DAJ Belshaw
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Posted 21 January 2006 - 08:47 PM
Absolutely right, Andrew. One thing you do have to make sure of is that you link to the automatically-created webpage and not the .swf file, otherwise it will go full-screen... 
Doug
Doug
#4
Andrew Field
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Andrew
Posted 21 January 2006 - 08:48 PM
Absolutely right, Andrew. One thing you do have to make sure of is that you link to the automatically-created webpage and not the .swf file, otherwise it will go full-screen...
Doug
Or embed the .swf file into your webpage, as you'd do with any other Flash file.
#5
Chris Higgins
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Posted 01 February 2006 - 01:49 PM
Andrew mentioned you could import PowerPoint files into flash and just 'mess around a bit'. How do you do that? I tried downloading the OpenOffice software and didn't like the way it changed all my tools bars. I also could manage to create mini powerpoints that play automatically. I think Flash might be easier but I don't know where to start.
“The end of all our adventuring is to find the place where we began and know it for the first time.”
#6
Andrew Field
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Andrew
Posted 01 February 2006 - 02:26 PM
Andrew mentioned you could import PowerPoint files into flash and just 'mess around a bit'. How do you do that? I tried downloading the OpenOffice software and didn't like the way it changed all my tools bars. I also could manage to create mini powerpoints that play automatically. I think Flash might be easier but I don't know where to start.
Flash certainly isn't easier. However, it is much more powerful.
From PowerPoint you need to save your file as a Windows Metafile. Select that from the File / Save As menu and select .wmf from the dropdown box at the bottom. Select 'all slides' to grab the entire presentation.
You then have to import each slide individually - into a separate frame on the timeline. This will preserve all the animations and then you can, as I suggested, 'fiddle around'.
There are a few tutorials online that will help:
http://www.flashgeek...ppttofla_01.htm
What you might like to look at is Macromedia Captivate - download a trial and test it out:
http://www.flashgeek...ppttofla_01.htm. I use Captivate, but there are many alternatives too - you might like to test out Wink or others - just search for "PowerPoint to Flash".
I've also got access to Macromedia Breeze, which I may well start putting presentations online with. What I've yet to perfect though is a non-PowerPoint way of easily preserving the animations. Most animations you can do without, but when you have text fading in - providing instructions or links such as causes and consequences - it much more effective to preserve the animations. OpenOffice is the best tool to simply bung a presentation online with, using Flash rapidly becomes too fiddly when converting a .ppt.
I'm sure there is a good way. Flash, I suppose is best, but I'm at the stage where I feel it would be easier to do the whole presentation in Flash to begin with. However, do give it a try and report how you get on.
#7
DAJ Belshaw
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Posted 01 February 2006 - 02:54 PM
You'd only really be using OpenOffice as a file converter in your case, so in terms of 'changing your toolbars', simply go back into Microsoft Office to create whatever it is that you're doing.I tried downloading the OpenOffice software and didn't like the way it changed all my tools bars.
Doug
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