Converting PowerPoint Mac to PC files

[Michael]

When I send copies of my PowerPoint Mac presentations to colleagues with
PC's, they get error messages viewing the graphics, saying "Needs QuickTime
to view graphic." What's up with that? Is there a way for PowerPoint2004
to save graphics as meta files, which are crystal clear and universally
viewable?

 

[Benjamin Amsaleg]

There is no conversion but things to do to avoid this. The 2 main sources of
this problems are :

1) Drag and drop image to PPT (ex drag and drop from Safari or the finder to
a slide)
-> avoid this practice. From another application, first drag the image to
the finder to great a file and then use the Insert/Picture/From file... Menu
This is the best way to add image to a ppt slide

2) copy paste from some third party programs that create PDF preview
This is particularly the case from Omni Graffle
-> agin do not do this. Export or save as a file and use the Insert menu
again

Other things to avoid: be award of the following:
- to not insert quicktime movies in PPT if you want to exchange this file
with PPT:Win
- Do not use copy / paste as picture is you copy a string with accents. They
will not move properly on the Win side
- Do no draw color boxed under a sentence to Highligh it from the rest of
the text bloc (PPT:2004 only). PPT:2004 do not wrap text the same way as
PPT:Win -> another sentence/word could be highlighted instead on Win
- Advise your colleague to double click (to open) and close every embedded
objects to reset accents and bullets
- stick to MS fonts, not Apple or other third party fonts


With this in your mind, you might be able to exchange PPT with no problem

BAM

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

When I send copies of my PowerPoint Mac presentations to colleagues with
PC's, they get error messages viewing the graphics, saying "Needs QuickTime
to view graphic." What's up with that?

The graphics have been compressed using Quicktime; the version of Quicktime
available for PCs isn't universally available and even if it were, it doesn't
handle image compression. Or if it does, PPT doesn't ask it to. Whatever.
QT-compressed images don't work on the PC.

Try saving the images as uncompressed PNGs and re-inserting them into PPT to
replace the ones that are there now.

Is there a way for PowerPoint2004
to save graphics as meta files, which are crystal clear and universally
viewable?

================================================
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================

 

[Michael]

Thanks. That's the workaround I've used for Word2004 as well. Seems like a
lot of work, though. Seems it would be much simpler if that "compatibility
wizard" that keeps popping up when you save files, actually did something
like converted QT graphics to PNG or metafile.

 

[tiplish]

And Vice-versa:
Are there any major issues with going the other way? i.e. creating in
PP 2003 and sending it to a Mac user with 2004.

Thanks.