Coding is not needed to do this.
Go into the slide master, then add an animation effect onto the placeholder.
Next, double click on the added effect.
Click Text Animation tab.
Under Group text, select By 1st level paragraph.
This will allow 2nd level paragraph and lower to animate TOGETHER with 1st
level para.
Once done, okay your way out.
If you do NOT want 2nd level para and lower to animate at all, expand the
effect list, set them to Appear effect and start With previous. This will not
work though, if you have more than one 1st level paragraph.
Holler back if you need more help.

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Shawn Toh (tohlz)
Microsoft MVP PowerPoint
Site Updated: Feb 20, 2008
(Amazing PowerPoint animations, artworks, games here)
http://pptheaven.mvps.org
PowerPoint Heaven - The Power to Animate
> In pp2k3 I need to add an animation effect to ALL 1st level paragraphs (in
> the hundereds of presentation slides)... but not to 2nd and so other 'lower'
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> Thanks in advance...!
MESCWB - 24 Apr 2008 12:33 GMT
Oh! Really, the issue is exactly I have more than one 1st level in several
slides (might be this uncommon? :), so I wanted to apply the effect in all of
them throughout the presentation...
> Coding is not needed to do this.
> Go into the slide master, then add an animation effect onto the placeholder.
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
> >
> > Thanks in advance...!
Pia Bork - 24 Apr 2008 18:11 GMT
> Oh! Really, the issue is exactly I have more than one 1st level in several
> slides (might be this uncommon? :), so I wanted to apply the effect in all
> of
> them throughout the presentation...
This is not uncommen and applying the effect to the master as tohlz
described will apply the effect to every 1st level in your presentation.

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Mit vielen Grüßen
Pia Bork
MVP Powerpoint
http://www.ppt-faq.de
http://www.office-training-muenchen.de
MESCWB - 24 Apr 2008 18:42 GMT
Yes, I did what Tohlz said and worked ok! Thanks a lot you guys. The trick
was exactly marking lower levels to 'appear' effect, not removing them...
> > Oh! Really, the issue is exactly I have more than one 1st level in several
> > slides (might be this uncommon? :), so I wanted to apply the effect in all
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> This is not uncommen and applying the effect to the master as tohlz
> described will apply the effect to every 1st level in your presentation.