Open embedded object (xls) with trigger from another shape

[Mark]

I have an embedded object, in this case an Excel spreadsheet (although
I may also need to include some PDFs). can set the action to open the
embedded document with a click on the object itself, but I want to
have it open with a click on a different shape, an action button. It's
been a while since I've had to try to do something like this, and I
haven't been able to figure out if this is possible or not. I don't
see the "open object" option anywhere in the animation menu, and it
seems that is the only way that you can set up a shape to use a
trigger.

Powerpoint version is 2007. There is a slight possibility I may need
to save this back to 2003 for compatibility for the client.

 

[Mark]

I have an embedded object, in this case an Excel spreadsheet (although
I may also need to include some PDFs).  can set the action to open the
embedded document with a click on the object itself, but I want to
have it open with a click on a different shape, an action button. It's
been a while since I've had to try to do something like this, and I
haven't been able to figure out if this is possible or not. I don't
see the "open object" option anywhere in the animation menu, and it
seems that is the only way that you can set up a shape to use a
trigger.

Powerpoint version is 2007. There is a slight possibility I may need
to save this back to 2003 for compatibility for the client.

Nevermind, I found it.

I must not have had the object selected when I was setting up the
link. Doing so adds an 'Object actions' submenu to select from.

 

[Mark]

Nevermind, I found it.

I must not have had the object selected when I was setting up the
link. Doing so adds an 'Object actions' submenu to select from.

Ok, now I have a new problem/question. Doing the above works, but only
on a PC. When I bring the presentation over to a Mac, then the links
don't do anything. Is there a reason why this is not cross-platform?

This is very frustrating. there are going to be at least 20-30 linked
files in this presentation, and the fact that I will need to include
all of them together just for cross-platform sake is really a major
problem for me, instead of just being able to send one file with all
of the embedded files for a PC.

I know that there are often problems with links or hyperlinks to
external files if the filepath doesn't match exactly when the file is
sent to anothe machine. If I do have to go the hyperlinked route, am I
going to have problems with the hyperlinks not working on someone
else's computer? I believe this problem is only with linked file
objects within the presentation, not hyperlinks, but I want to be sure
before I go this route.