Moving PP Files with Quicktime Movies

[buckster]

we produce many powerpoint presentations with quicktime
movies placed on slides.

if a presentation is transferred from one mac to another (either via
osx server, burning a cd, via target disk, etc) the powerpoint file
always loses track of the placed movie files. this happens even if
the files are transferred with the movie and keep the same
relative location.

so, each time a powerpoint file is moved the movies have to be
re-placed. i assume this is a problem with the old-fashioned way
powerpoint hardcodes file-paths of linked files. for example, if you
open a powerpoint file in BBedit you will see a the path of the
linked files is not relative to the file... it is the complete path from
the desktop of the machine from which the movie was placed to
the movie file itself.

our workaroud has been to create an identical read/write disk
image called 'media masters' on every mac. the movies realting to
a project can be copied to the 'media masters' image on each
mac involved with the propect so they are always in the same
relative place. this allows multiple users to progress a file without
having to replace movie files.

does anybody have a better way of having powerpoint remember
the location of the quicktime files? ideally i'd just like to keep
movies and powerpoint files together in a single folder which can
be moved around machines.

thanks for reading,

b.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

In most, but not all cases on the PC, if you do this, you'll get a relative
link:

- Save the PPT file at least once or open an existing file

I'd be inclined to always start PPT first, then choose File, Open to locate the
file

- Put your media files in the same folder as the PPT

- THEN insert the media files.

On the PC, this will produce a pathless link to the media files. If the link
is pathless, PowerPoint will look for the file on the current path - which it
generally sets = wherever the current PPT file is when you open the PPT file.

"Think Different" may be at work though. Different platforms, different
behaviors, possibly.

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Hi

Steve's advice should work fine across platforms.

It's important that the presentation be saved first and that the media files
be placed into the same folder *at the same directory level* (not a
subfolder). Create links to media files that are within the same folder as
the presentation. Don't change any file names or the name of the folder and
things should be OK.

-Jim

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

It's important that the presentation be saved first and that the media files
be placed into the same folder *at the same directory level* (not a
subfolder). Create links to media files that are within the same folder as
the presentation. Don't change any file names or the name of the folder and
things should be OK.

Thanks for the add'l info - and note that if you do run into problems on the PC
end, if you've got access to the PC, you can install our free FixLinks demo
(http://get.pptools.com) and use the Links Reporter to check on what PPT/Win
thinks the links should be vs. what they are.