change pointer to something more outstanding in presentation

  • Thread starter Thread starter Gabriel Zachmann
  • Start date Start date
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Gabriel Zachmann

I have to give several presentations in front of a large audience
(a few hundred people, i suspect).

During the presentation, I'd like to point at things on the slides.
The screen is too large, so a stick won't work.
I hate laser pointers.
I think, the mouse pointer the Powerpoint offers is almost indiscernible
(I use a white background).

So, what I would like to do is: I would like to change the pointer during
the presentation to something more discernible,
such as a large colorful pen.

Any ideas how to do it?

Any suggestoins and hints will be appreciated.
Gabriel.


--
/-------------------------------------------------------------------------\
| The society which scorns excellence in plumbing |
| because plumbing is a humble activity, |
| and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy |
| because philosophy is an exalted activity, |
| will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. |
| Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water. (John W Gardner) |
| |
| (e-mail address removed)-bonn.de __@/' (e-mail address removed) |
| web.informatik.uni-bonn.de/~zach __@/' www.gabrielzachmann.org |
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Gabriel,

It's a good question! It may be possible with vba to change something such
as a pen, but moving a mouse or a pen is, I feel, a bit clumsy in a
presentation. I do also agree with you about laser pointers.

One solution is to have a good think about what you will need to highlight
before hand. Then, put actual highlights on those parts, before the
presentation. This may be a semicircle around an object, a semi-transparent
fill, or special highlights. The Emphasis animation is also a good tool to
use sparingly. So, as no-one can really see what you will point to, use
PowerPoint's own features to pre-plan your highlights. Plus, make the
highlights part of your talk.

But please don't overdo it or it will be distracting.

This will, of course, work well unless you must demonstrate something on
your computer. Any suggestions, anyone, for that scenario?

--
Regards,

Glen Millar
Microsoft PPT MVP
http://www.powerpointworkbench.com/
Please tell us your ppt version, and get back to us here
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Gabriel Zachmann said:
I have to give several presentations in front of a large audience
(a few hundred people, i suspect).

During the presentation, I'd like to point at things on the slides.
The screen is too large, so a stick won't work.
I hate laser pointers.
I think, the mouse pointer the Powerpoint offers is almost indiscernible
(I use a white background).

So, what I would like to do is: I would like to change the pointer during
the presentation to something more discernible,
such as a large colorful pen.

Any ideas how to do it?

Any suggestoins and hints will be appreciated.
Gabriel.


--
/-------------------------------------------------------------------------\
| The society which scorns excellence in plumbing |
| because plumbing is a humble activity, |
| and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy |
| because philosophy is an exalted activity, |
| will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. |
| Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water. (John W Gardner) |
|
| (e-mail address removed)-bonn.de __@/' (e-mail address removed) |
| web.informatik.uni-bonn.de/~zach __@/' www.gabrielzachmann.org |
Click to expand...
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------/
 
It is possible to change the mouse pointer to a 'pen' during a
presentation. Since I use the mouse right button to go back one, I
can't use it for displaying a pop up menu to choose the pen. So, in
Tools | Options... | View tab, I enable 'Show popup menu button.'

Now, in slideshow mode, there's a small semi-transparent button on the
lower-left of the slide. If it's not there move the mouse around a bit
and it will show up. Click it and select Pointer Options > Pen. Use
the mouse to control the pen.

Works wonderfully well with a tablet PC where you can write directly on
the PP slide. IMO, justifies the cost of the PC. And, an added bonus
is that on the tablet, PP offers a choice of ballpoint pen/felt
pen/highlighter.

And, why won't a stick do? If you are use the laws of physics -- as
this professor I know -- you will realize that sticking an object (the
good professor uses his finger; I've experimented with a pen) into the
projected light beam at the right distance between the projector and
the screen will let you point to anything on the screen no matter how
large / high / wide the screen! Of course, it can't be a rear- or a
ceiling-projector.

--
Regards,

Tushar Mehta, MS MVP -- Excel
www.tushar-mehta.com
Excel, PowerPoint, and VBA add-ins, tutorials
Custom MS Office productivity solutions
 
You can change your mouse pointer -- both the look and the size -- in
the Windows Control Panel, Gabriel. Would that work for what you need
here?

I don't know that that would affect the pen size when you right-click
and draw in PPT, though. PPT 2003 offers better options in that area
than previous versions, so it might be worth a look when it releases
October 21.
 
And, why won't a stick do? If you are use the laws of physics -- as
this professor I know -- you will realize that sticking an object (the
good professor uses his finger; I've experimented with a pen) into the
projected light beam at the right distance between the projector and
the screen will let you point to anything on the screen no matter how
large / high / wide the screen!
Click to expand...

The laws of physics would probably (given an audience of several hundred)
require Gabriel to go bounding off the stage and down the aisle and then run
across the laps of the people in the center section in order to get the size
right.

If the laws of physics don't, those of Murphy certainly will.

Entertaining? Very! (except for those sitting directly in the traffic
pattern).

Practical? Less so. There's the time it takes to run back and forth.
There's the dry cleaning bills to pay when you leave footprints on the
audience. There's the speaker starts to pant from all the exertion after
the fourth or fifth commute ... all in all, no fun.
 
Funny image. Maybe, the expert on visual presentation of data can add
it to his list of why PP goes against the laws of nature. Makes
presenters jump through hoops. Fall on audience. Sends them to
hospital. Tch, tch, tch!

More seriously, if the laser pointer is unacceptable, the mouse is
unreliable, the tablet PC is a no-no, and one still wants to point to
segments of a large screen...

Clear a section of the room, find a spot where the stick/finger/pen
works, and stay there for the duration of the pointing exercise.

Or learn to love the laser pointer. Personally, I don't understand how
it is inferior to pointing with a telescoping (or non) pointer. But,
then, that's me.

--
Regards,

Tushar Mehta, MS MVP -- Excel
www.tushar-mehta.com
Excel, PowerPoint, and VBA add-ins, tutorials
Custom MS Office productivity solutions
 
Funny image. Maybe, the expert on visual presentation of data can add
it to his list of why PP goes against the laws of nature. Makes
presenters jump through hoops. Fall on audience. Sends them to
hospital. Tch, tch, tch!
Click to expand...

Yup. At least if you're said expert, you're just holding a book over your
head pointing at things.
Worst you could do is maybe drop the book on yourself, or maybe sprain your
wrist or your ego. The audience is safe.

Other than finding a mongo big cursor to substitute for the standard one
(assuming that works in slide show mode?), I have to agree.
Or learn to love the laser pointer. Personally, I don't understand how
it is inferior to pointing with a telescoping (or non) pointer. But,
then, that's me.
Click to expand...

Another mental image: Somebody gave the General the wrong device. Um.
Sir? That's not a pointer, that's ... Sir? Wait, sir! That's the Compact
Anti-Personnel Attack Laser and .... SIR! Be careful!! You've got it set
on high and ...

Great swaths of rear projection screen material curl out of the projected
image and flop onto the floor.
 
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