Creating ppt loop with a Flash element

[RickGreg]

We are trying to create a freestanding powerpoint loop, part of which would
include running a brief flash animation.

My client wants to use this in their lobby, at tradeshows, etc.

It would run through 2-3 slides, then run the Flash piece, then run through
another 2-3 slides before starting over.

I found some instructions online for inserting a Flash element, but have not
been able to figure out the continuous loop piece.

I am working with PPT 11.5.5. This will ultimately run on a Windows machine
(not sure of version).

Any thoughts on how I might accomplish?

Thanks!

 

[Jim Gordon Mac MVP]

We are trying to create a freestanding powerpoint loop, part of which would
include running a brief flash animation.

My client wants to use this in their lobby, at tradeshows, etc.

It would run through 2-3 slides, then run the Flash piece, then run through
another 2-3 slides before starting over.

I found some instructions online for inserting a Flash element, but have not
been able to figure out the continuous loop piece.

I am working with PPT 11.5.5. This will ultimately run on a Windows machine
(not sure of version).

Any thoughts on how I might accomplish?

Thanks!

The beta version of PowerPoint 2010 for Windows supports Flash plus it
has VBA for programming things such as when to start and stop playing a
Flash video. The beta is available now and it will be released to market
in June. The next Mac version is expected at the end of the year.
Whether or not the Mac version will support Flash remains to be seen,
but it is a positive sign that the Windows version does.

PowerPoint 2004 and the next version of PowerPoint both support VBA, but
2008 does not. You don't say what version of PowerPoint you are using,
and that's important to know in this situation.

In any version of PowerPoint you can activate the Flash video using a
hyperlink to either the Flash video or a script that controls what's
going on. The question is, how do you get the focus back to PowerPoint
once the Flash animation plays. If Flash has a way to change the focus
back to PowerPoint then you're all set. Otherwise you need a script of
some sort (VBA on Mac or PC / AppleScript on Mac only) to tell the
operating system to switch to PowerPoint when the Flash is done.

-Jim

 

[RickGreg]

The beta version of PowerPoint 2010 for Windows supports Flash plus it
has VBA for programming things such as when to start and stop playing a
Flash video. The beta is available now and it will be released to market
in June. The next Mac version is expected at the end of the year.
Whether or not the Mac version will support Flash remains to be seen,
but it is a positive sign that the Windows version does.

PowerPoint 2004 and the next version of PowerPoint both support VBA, but
2008 does not. You don't say what version of PowerPoint you are using,
and that's important to know in this situation.

In any version of PowerPoint you can activate the Flash video using a
hyperlink to either the Flash video or a script that controls what's
going on. The question is, how do you get the focus back to PowerPoint
once the Flash animation plays. If Flash has a way to change the focus
back to PowerPoint then you're all set. Otherwise you need a script of
some sort (VBA on Mac or PC / AppleScript on Mac only) to tell the
operating system to switch to PowerPoint when the Flash is done.

-Jim

Thanks Jim. I am using powerpoint 2004 (11.5.5).

If I am able to convert the Flash movie (.swf) to Quicktime, .mov or some
other format, would that help matters?

 

[Jim Gordon Mac MVP]

Thanks Jim. I am using powerpoint 2004 (11.5.5).

If I am able to convert the Flash movie (.swf) to Quicktime, .mov or some
other format, would that help matters?

The most universal format for playing cross platform right now is .wmv.
It has good compression vs quality. Macs can play wmv with the free
Flip4Mac codec for Quicktime.

Another cross-platform format is uncompressed .avi, but those files are
very large, and the quality is not as good as .wmv