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How to Create a Flash for PPT

by William Harrel

  • Overview

    Most recent versions of Microsoft PowerPoint (PPT) support Small Web Format (SWF) files, the native Flash Player format (sometimes called "Shockwave"). Creating Flash movies for use in PowerPoint presentations doesn't require a lot of preparation or a third-party converter program. You can simply export your Flash movies as you normally would. The tricky part is getting your movie files onto your PowerPoint slides. The options for linking Flash movie files in PowerPoint are hidden deep inside the "Microsoft Office Fluent User Interface."
    Flash makes your PowerPoint presentations soar.
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  • Preparing the Flash Movie

 

  • Step 1

    Open an existing Flash FLA movie file or create a new one.

  • Step 2

    Click the "File" menu and choose "Export," then choose "Export Movie" from the Export fly-out menu.

  • Step 3

    Navigate to the folder where you saved the PowerPoint presentation where you want to play the movie. Save the movie as a SWF file. You can put the SWF anywhere on your hard drive, but this step just makes it easier to move the presentation and SWF files to another computer, a CD or network server.

  • Linking the Movie in Your Presentation

    • Step 1

      Open the presentation in PowerPoint where you want to play the Flash movie. Click the "Microsoft Office Button" (the Microsoft Office logo in the upper-left corner of the document window) then click the "PowerPoint Options" button in the lower-right corner of the menu pane. This will open the PowerPoint Options dialog box. Click "Popular" in the left pane. In the right pane, select the "Show Developer tab in the Ribbon." Click "OK." This adds a new menu, or tab, named "Developer" to the PowerPoint interface.

    • Step 2

      Click the."Developer" tab, then click the "More Controls" button (the hammer and wrench icon) in the Controls section of the Toolbar. This opens the "More Controls" dialog box. Find and select "Shockwave Flash Object" in the list of controls. Click "OK." Your mouse cursor will change to a cross icon for drawing on the slide.

    • Step 3

      Drag the mouse cursor on the slide to draw an object control box. Select and place the box in the desired position on the slide.

    • Step 4

      Right-click the box and choose "Properties" to open the Properties dialog box. Click in the value field next to "Movie" and type the SWF file name. You can link to a movie on the Internet by typing the entire URL in the Movie value field.

    • Step 5

      Change the "Width" and "Height" values to match the size of your Flash movie. You can also use these fields to resize the movie. If you do, however, make sure you change the Width and Height values by equal amounts. Otherwise, you'll distort the movie playback. For example, if the movie is 600 x 400 pixels, and you want to make it half the original size, set the values to 300 x 200, reducing each value equally.
    • 2
    • Set the "Playing" value to "True." This tells PowerPoint to play the movie automatically when the slide displays. If your movie has built-in Start and Rewind controls, you can set this value to "False" to allow the viewer or presenter to start the movie. To test the movie, click the "Slide Show" tab and choose "From Current Slide" in the Start Slide Show section of the Toolbar. Your slide should display and play the movie. If you don't want the movie to play repeatedly, set the "Loop" value in Properties to "False."
    • Set the "Playing" value to "True." This tells PowerPoint to play the movie automatically when the slide displays. If your movie has built-in Start and Rewind controls, you can set this value to "False" to allow the viewer or presenter to start the movie.
    • To test the movie, click the "Slide Show" tab and choose "From Current Slide" in the Start Slide Show section of the Toolbar. Your slide should display and play the movie.
    • If you don't want the movie to play repeatedly, set the "Loop" value in Properties to "False."
    • It's seldom a good idea to enlarge a movie in PowerPoint. This can cause poor, pixilated playback quality.
    • It's seldom a good idea to enlarge a movie in PowerPoint. This can cause poor, pixilated playback quality.

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