Automatic update of slides for multiple presentations

[embers]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) Processor: Power PC We would like to organize our slides such that we have:

1.) one "official" repository of artwork that cannot be modified by team members.

2.) the ability for each person on the team to pick and choose individual slides from the repository to assemble a presentation tailored for a particular customer. They should be able to add their own slides to their presentation.

3.) have the slides from the repository in the different presentations automatically updated when the central (official) artwork repository is updated or modified.

Can PowerPoint do this?

Thank you for your assistance.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) Processor:
Power PC We would like to organize our slides such that we have:

1.) one "official" repository of artwork that cannot be modified by
team members.

2.) the ability for each person on the team to pick and choose
individual slides from the repository to assemble a presentation
tailored for a particular customer. They should be able to add their
own slides to their presentation.

3.) have the slides from the repository in the different
presentations automatically updated when the central (official)
artwork repository is updated or modified.

Can PowerPoint do this?

No, afraid not.

Other services or add-ins may provide some or all of this functionality
but probably only for the Windows version of PPT.

It'd be worth checking to see whether Mac PPT 2008 offers any support
for/works with SharePoint though.

 

[embers]

Steve:

Thanks. I thought as much but I needed some confirmation. It would be a good feature for work groups though so maybe in a future release.

Thanks for the answer and quick response.

REgards,

 

[Jim Gordon Mac MVP]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) Processor: Power
PC We would like to organize our slides such that we have:

1.) one "official" repository of artwork that cannot be modified by team
members.

2.) the ability for each person on the team to pick and choose
individual slides from the repository to assemble a presentation
tailored for a particular customer. They should be able to add their own
slides to their presentation.

3.) have the slides from the repository in the different presentations
automatically updated when the central (official) artwork repository is
updated or modified.

Can PowerPoint do this?

Thank you for your assistance.

Hi,

This can be accomplished fairly easily using features of your operating
system along with PowerPoint features.

The official repository can be a shared folder that is read-only. This
folder would be created and managed by your server administrator (a
fancy name for whomever controls the computer on which this folder
resides). Someone will have to administer the permissions on the folder
(usually the server administrator) so that only team members can see
what's in the folder. That same someone, or someone else who is
designated, will need write permission to put the artwork into that
folder. From your description, I presume that your artwork consists of
PowerPoint presentation files.

PowerPoint itself already has the ability to add individual slides as
well as selected slides to existing presentations. Just use Insert >
Slides > From Other Presentation. Navigate to the official repository
and you're good to go.

Additionally, you might think about creating two similarly managed
shared folders. You could use s second folder for PowerPoint templates
and Themes. These would be available in the Project Gallery and Elements
Gallery.

The third folder could be used to house shared projects using Project
Center. This folder would need to be both read and write for all project
members. The last "book within a book" of Office 2008 for Mac All-in-One
For Dummies explains how to use Project Center.

-Jim

 

[Iggles14]

Jim -- your post addresses items 1 and 2, but not item 3. I'm also assuming from the tenor of the post that the slides in the repository should not be modifiable after they have been inserted: otherwise, the auto-update of #3 wouldn't be possible.

Duncan

 

[Jim Gordon Mac MVP]

Jim -- your post addresses items 1 and 2, but not item 3. I'm also
assuming from the tenor of the post that the slides in the repository
should not be modifiable after they have been inserted: otherwise, the
auto-update of #3 wouldn't be possible.

Duncan

Hi Duncan,

I can think of a scenario where an AppleScript or VBA macro runs that
can update presentations based upon a revised template. The number of
possible ways to accomplish this is rather daunting. A lot depends upon
your capabilities and the structure of your organization and its file
structures.

-Jim