Creating/Modifying Page layouts in 2004

[JonP]

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I am trying to move from Freelance to PPT and am so frustrated by the number of (apparently) missing features I could ...

Anyway - all I want to do is create a new layout that formats text examples (like HTML) in a non-proportional font. I see that it can be done in the 2008 version - but I'm so frustrated with what I have already paid good money for that I'm not about to hand over more cash until I'm sure I want to keep using PPT.

I have found several examples from the 2003 version for PCs that offer different ways of doing it, but the required menu options (e.g. Insert layout whenin Master view) are missing from my 2004 Mac version.

I have also tried modifying the content of an existing page assigned to an unwanted layout and then saving as a template and I can't get that to work.

Undoubtedly much of my frustration stems from PPT working differently, but I can't even find where to start and MS seems to have removed any tutorials for the 2004 version from their websites.

All and any help appreciated. Maybe if I can get this going I'll feel strong enough to tackle handout printing layouts again!

Jon P.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I am trying to move from Freelance to PPT and am so frustrated by the number of (apparently) missing

features I could ...

Now *that* is a major leap. FL+Windows to PPT+Mac.

FL, even back in the Win3.1 days, had some features that I'm still waiting to see in PPT.
Aside: do you know if they still ship the "For Dummies" book with FL/SmartSuite instead of a manual?

Anyhow, back on task ...

The simplest way to do this would be to leave the layouts/masters alone. Type your text into the body
text placeholder then press ESC (selects the entire text box) and set it to Courier or some other
non-proportional font. Once you manually format text differently from the master, PPT pretty much
leaves it alone, even if you switch masters.

Or if you don't need the HTML text to appear in the outline, you can add a new text box using the
drawing tools and format the text to taste.

================================================
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================

 

[Jon P.]

Now *that* is a major leap. FL+Windows to PPT+Mac.




Actually for the most part the move to OS/X from Windows has been remarkably easy - and immensely pleasurable. Actually having an OS that lets me use the power of the hardware I purchased rather that eat it doing goodness knows what the way Windows has done in recent years has been wonderful.

But as you note PPT is missing so much of what Freelance had years ago. Printing of handouts is just awful - so much wasted space and you can't control it!

Aside: do you know if they still ship the "For Dummies" book with FL/SmartSuite
instead of a manual?




As far as I can tell you can't really buy it now other than on a support contract basis - its really odd. I last purchased a copy 18 months ago to get an update so that it was stable on XP/SP2 from a third party vendor and it was just a CD box - no manual no nothing.

Lotus are now focussed on Symphony - which I discovered last night does a reasonable job of converting PRZ to PPT.

... non-proportional font. Once you manually format text differently from
the master, PPT pretty much leaves it alone, even if you switch masters.





Or if you don't need the HTML text to appear in the outline, you can add
a new text box using the drawing tools and format the text to taste.




Thank you Steve - I hadn't thought about that approach.

Do you know if it is possible to get an existing text block to "attach" to the master text block the way Freelance lets you? I can live with my HTML etc. stuff not being controlled by a master (although it is frustrating) but having to manually tweak every single page ...

Since you know Freelance some perhaps you also know if PPT has any way to allows you to pick up attributes for an object/text-block and apply them to another similar object?

Do you by any chance know if some of these issues are addressed by the 2008 version?

Many thanks.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

But as you note PPT is missing so much of what Freelance had years ago. Printing of handouts is
just awful - so much wasted space and you can't control it!

I had to wrestle mightily with FL at one point over similar issues. We had to produce hundreds of
manual pages from various FL presentations. While FL did a nice job, it didn't do what the client
wanted and my, did that ever turn into a tale.

There's a nice add-in for the Windows version that helps to solve that problem, but I doubt it
runs on Mac PPT of any version (and certainly not 2008).

But sometimes you can print 1-per-page slides rather than handouts to PDF then use Acrobat Reader
or the printer driver's n-up feature to print the PDF as n-up handouts.

Aside: do you know if they still ship the "For Dummies" book with FL/SmartSuite
instead of a manual?

As far as I can tell you can't really buy it now other than on a support contract basis - its

really odd. I last purchased a copy 18 months ago to get an update so that it was stable on XP/SP2
from a third party vendor and it was just a CD box - no manual no nothing.

Thanks ... I had a hand in writing the book and was curious to see if it was still floating around
out there. My last copy of SmartSuite came with a Tosh laptop but at least they included the CD.

... non-proportional font. Once you manually format text differently from
the master, PPT pretty much leaves it alone, even if you switch masters.

Or if you don't need the HTML text to appear in the outline, you can add
a new text box using the drawing tools and format the text to taste.

Thank you Steve - I hadn't thought about that approach.

Do you know if it is possible to get an existing text block to "attach" to the master text block

the way Freelance lets you?

Not that I know of.

I can live with my HTML etc. stuff not being controlled by a master (although it is frustrating)

but having to manually tweak every single page ...

Another trick, if you haven't already entered all the text:

Format one text block and add some dummy text, then copy/paste it into other slides as needed.
Then you can select all the text in the block and type or copy/paste the real text.

There's also the format painter ... if you doubleclick it, it should stay active for multiple
applications of the formatting it's stored, so you could pick up formatting from one text box then
skip through the pressie applying formatting to other text boxes as needed.

Since you know Freelance some perhaps you also know if PPT has any way to allows you to pick up

attributes for an object/text-block and apply them to another similar object?

See above ... I got ahead of myself.

Do you by any chance know if some of these issues are addressed by the 2008 version?

I'm mostly a Windows guy ... my main reason for using the Mac versions of PPT is to test the
add-ins and other VBA code I write. 2008 doesn't have VBA so I don't have 2008. Easiest upgrade
decision I've ever had to make. <g>

VBA is supposed to reappear in the next version; gives me time to save my pennies.

================================================
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================

 

[Jon P.]

There's also the format painter ... if you doubleclick it, it should stay
active for multiple applications of the formatting it's stored, so you
could pick up formatting from one text box then skip through the pressie
applying formatting to other text boxes as needed.




Bless you Steve - that's the one I was missing!

I'd been using the printer's 2-up capability to deal with the printing issue - but of course that means that student notes are unusable - you have to have actual slide pages for notes. It is beyond my comprehension why MS do not allow changes to the print layout.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

There's also the format painter ... if you doubleclick it, it should stay
active for multiple applications of the formatting it's stored, so you
could pick up formatting from one text box then skip through the pressie
applying formatting to other text boxes as needed.

Bless you Steve - that's the one I was missing!

I love "bingo" ;-)

I'd been using the printer's 2-up capability to deal with the printing issue - but of course

that means that student notes are unusable - you have to have actual slide pages for notes. It
is beyond my comprehension why MS do not allow changes to the print layout.

Hmm. Print notes pages (and you can modify the notes page layout, btw) to PDF, then print those
four-up?


================================================
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================

 

[Jon P.]

Hmm. Print notes pages (and you can modify the notes page layout, btw)
to PDF, then print those four-up?





I may be able to do something like that. I hadn't realized that you could modify the notes layout (which makes even less sense of the inability to do it elsewhere but ...)

Many thanks for helping to inject a little sanity into my dealing with ppt!

 

[CyberTaz]

Having snooped on the conversation it occurred to me that you may also be
interested in PPt's File> Send To> MS Word feature. If you aren't familiar
with it give it a try

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Having snooped on the conversation it occurred to me that you may also be
interested in PPt's File> Send To> MS Word feature. If you aren't familiar
with it give it a try

Thanks Bob. I couldn't remember whether that feature worked similarly x-platform
or not.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

================================================
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================

 

[CyberTaz]

Well, as usual Mac got the short end of the stick :>{

Whereas the PC version offers a number of different layouts as well as the
option to Link, Mac PPt just spits out a Word doc as an outline based on
Title, Subtitle & Bulleted List placeholder content. There's no graphics
slide thumbnails or page numbering & it isn't structured in a Table or....

Now I'm wondering why I even bothered to mention it :-\

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Jon P.]

"Whereas the PC version offers a number of different layouts as well as the
option to Link, Mac PPt just spits out a Word doc as an outline based on
Title, Subtitle & Bulleted List placeholder content. There's no graphics
slide thumbnails or page numbering & it isn't structured in a Table or....

Now I'm wondering why I even bothered to mention it"

Well I appreciate the thought anyway - I may still be able to make some use of it.

Does anyone know from a historical perspective why the standard handout layouts in PPT are so abysmal and can't be modified? It completely baffles me. In many ways it is a good product - although frankly it has too much emphasis on flash and too little on utility for my personal taste.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Well, as usual Mac got the short end of the stick :>{

Whereas the PC version offers a number of different layouts as well as the
option to Link, Mac PPt just spits out a Word doc as an outline based on
Title, Subtitle & Bulleted List placeholder content. There's no graphics
slide thumbnails or page numbering & it isn't structured in a Table or....

Now I'm wondering why I even bothered to mention it :-\

Ah. I remembered righter than I thought after all.




================================================
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Does anyone know from a historical perspective why the standard handout layouts in PPT are

so abysmal and can't be modified? It completely baffles me. In many ways it is a good
product - although frankly it has too much emphasis on flash and too little on utility for
my personal taste.

MS tends to respond with features that lots of users request. If we can judge by what we
see in this and the other PPT newsgroup, editable handout layouts would be hugely important
to some people, but apparently not all that many of 'em. It doesn't come up all that often.

And for the Windows version, there's an inexpensive add-in that pretty much takes care of
most needs unmet by PPT.


================================================
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================

 

[CyberTaz]

<snip>

Does anyone know from a historical perspective why the standard handout
layouts in PPT are so abysmal and can't be modified? It completely baffles me.
In many ways it is a good product - although frankly it has too much emphasis
on flash and too little on utility for my personal taste.

<snip>

I really can't say for sure, but my *guess* would be the age of the code
base on which PPt is built. It goes back to when graphics were a pup. The
arrival of 2008 possibly lays a foundation for enhancement, but I wouldn't
look for it any time soon.

As Steve suggested, customer demand also plays a big part. If you have any
suggestions/requests, use Help> Send Feedback to submit them to the MacBU
data bank - they do evaluate those submissions. It's suggested that if you
have multiple issues that you enter each one separately & include supporting
details for it's usefulness - Simply "I want..." just don't cut it

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

"Whereas the PC version offers a number of different layouts as well as the
option to Link, Mac PPt just spits out a Word doc as an outline based on
Title, Subtitle & Bulleted List placeholder content. There's no graphics
slide thumbnails or page numbering & it isn't structured in a Table or....

Now I'm wondering why I even bothered to mention it"

Well I appreciate the thought anyway - I may still be able to make some use of it.

Does anyone know from a historical perspective why the standard handout layouts in PPT are so abysmal and can't be modified? It completely baffles me. In many ways it is a good product - although frankly it has too much emphasis on flash and too little on utility for my personal taste.

Hi Jon,

Over the years the request to be able to modify the handout layouts has
come up over and over, but has been overshadowed by other cooler (eg
motion path animation support) or "must haves" (eg. new drawing engine)
that keep bumping the request down the list.

It's something that's been on my radar for a long time, yet when it
comes to making my top 10 priority list, that one doesn't make the list.

But maybe it should next time. A lot more could be done with the handout
and notes masters, and handouts really ought to be customizable. It's a
no-brainer when you think about it and should have been worked on years ago.

Please take a moment and send your feature request to Microsoft. Use
PowerPoint's Help menu and choose the send feedback option. Your request
will get to a PowerPoint product manager.

Thanks.

-Jim

--
Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

MVPs are independent experts who are not affiliated with Microsoft.


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