More control over slide transition timing

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Dave James - 29 Mar 2007 22:22 GMT

Individual slide transitions should be able to be set to hundredths of a
second on a time line, just as individual object transitions

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Bill Dilworth - 31 Mar 2007 05:52 GMT

It is a good idea Dave, but could run into some problems.

1) Software
What happens when the virus scan software, your email, and the 25 other
background apps, all start calling for CPU cycles? Should PowerPoint skip
slides or just take over all the CPU cycles?

2) Hardware
What if the system is under RAM'd and needs to offwrite memory to the
hard drive? Most users have no idea what a pagefile is, or why the computer
needs one. When should PowerPoint find the time to get the information on
the next slide from the hard drive?

If the timing needs to be controlled that precisely, than PowerPoint is
usually the wrong application for your needs.
I have heard of folks trying to use subliminal messages in their
presentations to "Keep the audience focused". Aside from the legal and
moral issues, which are not petty, there is the risk that the program might
hang for a brief moment while this message is on the screen. If that were
to ever happen, and the audience became aware that they were being tricked,
I would not want to be anywhere near the podium.
I've also heard of folks using PowerPoint for create music videos. If
the timing is that structured (based on a recorded music track), go ahead
and use a Movie Maker type software. I have done this several times and
find it much easier than I would have thought.

Could you tell us a bit about the project that requires such fine control
over the transition time Dave? We may be able to suggest a better way to
accomplish the goal.

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> Individual slide transitions should be able to be set to hundredths of a
> second on a time line, just as individual object transitions
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx?mid=336381a9-3e72-4
e29-afff-5afa1df1e2ff&dg=microsoft.public.powerpoint

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Dave James - 31 Mar 2007 09:36 GMT

I think my point was missed because of the way I stated it.

I'm not talking about the need for control that precise - but rather the
need for more control than fast, medium, slow.

The issues you raise are equally true when talking about object animations -
and yet they are controllable down to 1/10 of a second - which is what I
should have suggested concerning slide transitions.

At least three things should happen:

1. Make the object animations available as slide transitions as well.
2. Make the object animation control of transition speed available on a
timeline or as a spinner control with 1/10 increments as are the object
animations.
3. (Repeating myself) spend 10 minutes with a demo version of ProShow - to
see what it can do in terms of kinds of transition (incredible and many more)
and control along a timeline by simply dragging as they do object animations
at the present.

I now work with other programs usually professional video editing software
when I need to precise control - especially in relation to music. But even
ProShow is timeline driven, allowing you transition control in relation to a
music track. In fact, if you lay down a music track you can automatically
adjust the length of the entire presentation to exactly fit the length of a
music track.

Being a teacher, who tries to be creative in my use of PowerPoint - there
are times when it would be nice to be able to have a sequence of slides
timeline driven. Photodex has proven it can be done (and they have done this
for years). And all they do is drop a frame or two in a transition of
something else demands CPU cycles and it is usually unnoticeable. Even Corel
Presentations can drop frames (apparently) to keep overall timing precise -
down to a couple of seconds in 3 minutes - and this without a timeline - but
is a pain because you have to keep replaying it to get it to come out just
right.

Over the years I have done things with Presentations and PowerPoint that
most people have considered impossible - so without wanting to sound
self-serving I'm not a noobie in the area of multimedia.

I do understand all the implications you mention. All I'm suggestion is
basically making object animation technology available for slide animations
(plus the addition of the stunning transitions that ProShow has done for at
least 5 years - they have to be seen to be believed.) I would encourage you
to take a few minutes to download and try a demo - it will completely open up
your eyes to what can be done - and without almost any CPU degradation -
which is amazing.

Thanks for taking to time to reply in detail.

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