how to get last image and music to fade out ?

[Michael Redbourn]

powerpoint 2007

Hi,

I'm a Powerpoint newbie (used it for the first time yesterday) and
have been asked by a friend to make a small album presentation for her
father's birthday.

So what's my question ?

I have got the skeleton of the thing in shape (18 pictures with
captions and music) but can't see how to get the last picture and the
music to fade out ??

At the moment there is a kind of hiccup (after the 7 seconds that I've
allowed for the last shot and then the presentation starts all over
again.

Any help on this would be appreciated.

thanks

Mike

P.S. I'm certain that there will be more when I start to flesh out the
'skeleton'.

 

[Guest]

To fade out an image, you can click Animations > Custom Animations.
Then, select the image, click Add Effect > Exit > Fade.

Alternately, you can fade off the slide. To so so, add a new slide, then set
fade transition on the new slide. Right click on the slide now, select Format
Background > Solid Fill. Set the color to black and click ok.

As for music, you can't fade a music in PowerPoint. You will need a sound
editor such as Audacity to do the fade off.

You can download Audacity for free at:
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

There is also a tutorial here on:
"Creating Fades using Sound Forge"
http://www.indezine.com/products/sound/sf/fade.html
--
Shawn Toh (tohlz)
Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP PowerPoint)

Site Updated: July 23, 2006
3 New PowerPoint Games
http://pptheaven.mvps.org
PowerPoint Heaven - The Power to Animate

 

[Michael Redbourn]

To fade out an image, you can click Animations > Custom Animations.
Then, select the image, click Add Effect > Exit > Fade.

Alternately, you can fade off the slide. To so so, add a new slide, then set
fade transition on the new slide. Right click on the slide now, select Format
Background > Solid Fill. Set the color to black and click ok.

As for music, you can't fade a music in PowerPoint. You will need a sound
editor such as Audacity to do the fade off.

You can download Audacity for free at:
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

There is also a tutorial here on:
"Creating Fades using Sound Forge"
http://www.indezine.com/products/sound/sf/fade.html

thanks for the quick and helpful reply.

I will give it a try a little later. I have Adobe Premire (I was sound
editor in Hollywood and London for 30 years and I can easily put a
fade on the music but how do I time it in PP so that it will end in
the right place ?

regards,

Mike

 

[Michael Redbourn]

To fade out an image, you can click Animations > Custom Animations.
Then, select the image, click Add Effect > Exit > Fade.

Alternately, you can fade off the slide. To so so, add a new slide, then set
fade transition on the new slide. Right click on the slide now, select Format
Background > Solid Fill. Set the color to black and click ok.

As for music, you can't fade a music in PowerPoint. You will need a sound
editor such as Audacity to do the fade off.

You can download Audacity for free at:
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

There is also a tutorial here on:
"Creating Fades using Sound Forge"
http://www.indezine.com/products/sound/sf/fade.html

thought that I'd add a PS to my last message.

Well the fade works fine, but only if I play the last shot and not if
I play the last sever shots.

The music which I did using custom animations has now disappeard ?

And finally on the left side of the last caption there is a a small
box with another box inside it.

I won't ask any more questions until I've sorted out these queries and
until I run into another brick wall - I promise !

Mike

 

[Guest]

You can have the slide show automatically advance, and set every slide to
have equal amount of timing. These timings will then add up to be the total
for the total music time. Take note that PowerPoint doesn't synchronize
events in your presentation. Hence, you may not get exactly the result you
want. Check this out:
"Synchronizing Sound, Video, Animation, Etc"
http://soniacoleman.com/Tutorials/PowerPoint/synchronizing.htm
--
Shawn Toh (tohlz)
Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP PowerPoint)

Site Updated: July 23, 2006
3 New PowerPoint Games
http://pptheaven.mvps.org
PowerPoint Heaven - The Power to Animate

 

[Guest]

"Well the fade works fine, but only if I play the last shot and not if
I play the last sever shots. "
What do you mean by last show and last sever shots?

"The music which I did using custom animations has now disappeard ?"

Disappeared in the slide show? Go back to the slide where you add the music.
Double click on the play effect. Under stop playing, set it to "After 999
slides" so that it will play throughout the slideshow, even if you go back
and forth between slides.

"And finally on the left side of the last caption there is a a small

box with another box inside it. "
Can you explain in details what you are trying to achieve? Can't see what is
happening on your side, so you will have to provide clearer details.
--
Shawn Toh (tohlz)
Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP PowerPoint)

Site Updated: July 23, 2006
3 New PowerPoint Games
http://pptheaven.mvps.org
PowerPoint Heaven - The Power to Animate

 

[Michael Redbourn]

Disappeared in the slide show? Go back to the slide where you add the music.
Double click on the play effect. Under stop playing, set it to "After 999
slides" so that it will play throughout the slideshow, even if you go back
and forth between slides.

Well 'we' are making very good progress !

The reason that I couldn't hear the music after adding the fade out on
the end was because the music starts on the first image but I started
the playback 2-3 images from the end.

That would seem to be the problem anyway.When I play from the
beginning all is OK

1) I have selected 'hide during show' as I don't want to see the
speaker icon during playback but it still appears.

2) I have one photo which is smaller than the others and when I
insert it it looks OK but when I 'save' the program then it becomes
distorted.

2) On the last image which is only text 'The End' and 'Now Enjoy
Your Birthday', I wondered if it is possible to make the text come in
later - like two or three seconds after we see the black (in my case)
frame ?

3) If I later switch the order of some photos which duration will
be remembered? If a picture was in position 3 and the duration of
position 3 is 7 seconds and I then I move something from position 7 to
position 3 which has a 12 second duration - will postion 3 now be 7
seconds or 12 ?

It must be said that PP is very user friendly. After only using it for
one day and with your help I have almost put together a simple
presentation!

I shall have to get you an invite to the party - if I get one

thanks,

Mike

P.S. If I posting my messages the wrong way - bottom posting instead
of top or whatever - or if I am inserting them in the wrong place then
I'll be happy to learn about that too.

 

[Echo S]

1) I have selected 'hide during show' as I don't want to see the
speaker icon during playback but it still appears.

It may be a bug in PPT 2007. But you can just drag the bullhorn icon off the
edge of the slide so it doesn't show during the presentation.

2) I have one photo which is smaller than the others and when I
insert it it looks OK but when I 'save' the program then it becomes
distorted.

Can you describe "becomes distorted"?
How did you insert the photo? Did you use Insert|Picture, or did you click
in a placeholder "click to add picture"?

One thing I can think of off the top of my head is the automatic compression
of inserted images. Select a picture, go to the Picture Tools Format tab,
and click "compress pictures." Turn off the automatic compression setting --
or at least set it higher than it is. Then insert the problem image and
save. Is it still "distorted"?

2) On the last image which is only text 'The End' and 'Now Enjoy
Your Birthday', I wondered if it is possible to make the text come in
later - like two or three seconds after we see the black (in my case)
frame ?

Yes, you just need to add a delay to the animation on the text.
http://www.echosvoice.com/individualbullets.htm#BulletedTextAnimation should
get you going. This is a 2003 tutorial, but the animation is pretty much
identical in 2007. You'll hit Custom Animation on the Animations ribbon to
open the custom animation task pane that link refers to.

3) If I later switch the order of some photos which duration will
be remembered? If a picture was in position 3 and the duration of
position 3 is 7 seconds and I then I move something from position 7 to
position 3 which has a 12 second duration - will postion 3 now be 7
seconds or 12 ?

The duration stays with the slide. You can go to View|Slide Sorter, and the
durations for the slide transitions should show. (Or there's a slide sorter
view icon in the lower right of the screen -- it's the one with 4 squares.)
Move them around there, and you can see what the durations do.

It must be said that PP is very user friendly. After only using it for
one day and with your help I have almost put together a simple
presentation!

Yes, that's the great thing about PPT. It can be frustrating, absolutely --
but it's sure user friendly and easy to learn!

P.S. If I posting my messages the wrong way - bottom posting instead
of top or whatever - or if I am inserting them in the wrong place then
I'll be happy to learn about that too.

You're doing fine. We don't get too bent out of shape about posting
posititon (or too much else, actually) here.

 

[Michael Redbourn]

strange, (or perhaps not I posted a reply to this yesterday and it
hasn't appeared.

It may be a bug in PPT 2007. But you can just drag the bullhorn icon off the
edge of the slide so it doesn't show during the presentation.

There are two bullhorns, one in the middle of the screen and one
bottom right. If I drag the one from the middle to the bottom the in
just creates a copy. Maybe I'll copy the file to my laptop which is
running an older copy of PP and then copy it back again ?

I deleted the photo and 'inserted' a new one and and turned off
compression for that photo only and all is well.

This leads to the question - what size (physical and not Mgs) is it
best to use in PP. I have no idea how the program decides on the image
size when one inserts it. I have opened up (dragging a corner) a
couple of pix and they look fine.

This presentation will be shown in a restaurant on a big screen and
most of the original pictures are terrible quality - 30 years old and
black and white which I'm fixing or trying to in photoshop.

Yes, you just need to add a delay to the animation on the text.
http://www.echosvoice.com/individualbullets.htm#BulletedTextAnimation should
get you going. This is a 2003 tutorial, but the animation is pretty much
identical in 2007. You'll hit Custom Animation on the Animations ribbon to
open the custom animation task pane that link refers to.

I think that I solve this by inserting a 2 second blank slide and
having no transition between it an the incoming one (the one with the
text)

One click, with previous and after previous seem 'fairly clear' but
some of my slides are showing 'next click' when the presentation is
set up to run from beginning to end ?

The front slide won't fade in and the final one won't fade out ?

Once again, thanks for all the help - on the 1st of the month this
presentation will become a dream. But then I shall have people at the
party begging me to do their presentations

 

[Echo S]

There are two bullhorns, one in the middle of the screen and one
bottom right. If I drag the one from the middle to the bottom the in
just creates a copy. Maybe I'll copy the file to my laptop which is
running an older copy of PP and then copy it back again ?

Two bullhorns means two sounds.

If you're getting a copy when you drag, it could indicate your CTRL button
is stuck. Pressing Ctrl while dragging is one way to create a copy of an
object.

Right-click each bullhorn, select "edit object,"

ah, crap. 2007 doesn't have this. Grrr.

Okay, head to the custom animation task pane (Animations|Custom Animation)
and see what file name is listed for each file. (The sounds must each have
animation applied -- like play automatically -- in order for it to show up
on the list.) If it's the same name, then you can delete one.

I deleted the photo and 'inserted' a new one and and turned off
compression for that photo only and all is well.

Good. I'm surprised it resized your image.

This leads to the question - what size (physical and not Mgs) is it
best to use in PP. I have no idea how the program decides on the image
size when one inserts it. I have opened up (dragging a corner) a
couple of pix and they look fine.

This presentation will be shown in a restaurant on a big screen and
most of the original pictures are terrible quality - 30 years old and
black and white which I'm fixing or trying to in photoshop.

The projector still only projects so many pixels. Usually 1024x768 for a
full-slide-sized image is a good bet.

I think that I solve this by inserting a 2 second blank slide and
having no transition between it an the incoming one (the one with the
text)

I'm not convinced this is the best solution, but if it works, go for it.

One click, with previous and after previous seem 'fairly clear' but
some of my slides are showing 'next click' when the presentation is
set up to run from beginning to end ?

Can you be more specific about where they are showing "next click"?
Remember, we can't see what you're doing there.

How did you set up the file to run from beginning to end?

The front slide won't fade in and the final one won't fade out ?

Well, are you working with animations or transitions?

Transitions move you from slide to slide. Animations move stuff around on
the slide.

In 2007, on the Animations ribbon, there is an Animations group and a
Transition to This Slide group. Click Custom Animation to get to the
animation task pane and make things fade in or out on your slides. Click a
transition in the ribbon to make the slide itself fade in or out to the next
slide.

 

[Michael Redbourn]

Two bullhorns means two sounds.

If you're getting a copy when you drag, it could indicate your CTRL button
is stuck. Pressing Ctrl while dragging is one way to create a copy of an
object.

Right-click each bullhorn, select "edit object,"

ah, crap. 2007 doesn't have this. Grrr.

Okay, head to the custom animation task pane (Animations|Custom Animation)
and see what file name is listed for each file. (The sounds must each have
animation applied -- like play automatically -- in order for it to show up
on the list.) If it's the same name, then you can delete one.

Well I had lots of bull horns ! And now all is well

I really only saw them all when I clicked on 'outline' instead of
slides.

Good. I'm surprised it resized your image.

It didn't really resize the image but more like what happens in front
page if you have an image that's 120x120 and the size is set for
120x185 or whatever. Misshapen ...

The projector still only projects so many pixels. Usually 1024x768 for a
full-slide-sized image is a good bet.

Thanks - I like to have some idea of what is good, or better. I will
resize all of the images to appoximately that size.

I'm not convinced this is the best solution, but if it works, go for it.

Now that I understand your last comment about transitions and
animations, this is clear.

Can you be more specific about where they are showing "next click"?
Remember, we can't see what you're doing there.

How did you set up the file to run from beginning to end?

I'm set up for, use rehearsed timings and kiosk.

Well, are you working with animations or transitions?

Transitions move you from slide to slide. Animations move stuff around on
the slide.

In 2007, on the Animations ribbon, there is an Animations group and a
Transition to This Slide group. Click Custom Animation to get to the
animation task pane and make things fade in or out on your slides. Click a
transition in the ribbon to make the slide itself fade in or out to the next
slide.

Wow! Doing !!

I didn't understand that. Didn't realize that one place refers to the
slides and one to the pictures and texts etc

Now I understand what the numbers on the screen refer to and also
'start with previous' etc.

Now I'm seeing through a dark glass clearly

 

[Michael Redbourn]

A PS to the last post.

Now that I understand the difference (I hope) between transiations and
animations, how do I make a slide (transition) fade out (for example)?

Under the bar at the top it says 'transition to this slide' - what
about 'transition from this slide'. ?

Especially at the end when I want the slide to fade out. I have the
text fading out.

thanks,

Mike

P.S. I just noticed the title of my original post

 

[Echo S]

Well, you have to kind of fake it.

Transitions are applied to a slide, and they do act as the "transition to
thi slide." So you need to add one more slide into your presentation. It's a
blank slide, and it's the very last one. Right-click it and make its
background black. Delete any and all items on the slide.

Or you can even just draw a rectangle the size of the slide and fill it with
black.

Then add a fade smoothly transition to this last slide. It will seem as if
the slide before is fading out, but what's really happening is the black
slide is fading in.

 

[Echo S]

Well I had lots of bull horns ! And now all is well

LOL! Good.

I really only saw them all when I clicked on 'outline' instead of
slides.

Huh. Interesting. I don't see anything in the outline that would indicate
sound.

It didn't really resize the image but more like what happens in front
page if you have an image that's 120x120 and the size is set for
120x185 or whatever. Misshapen ...

Ahhhh. Pixellated. Got it. I would expect that, but I wouldn't expect an
actual resize. (And in fact, I'm very relieved to know it's not actually
*resizing.*)

I'm set up for, use rehearsed timings and kiosk.

Is this still a problem, or did the information about animations vs
transitions resolve it?

Wow! Doing !!

I didn't understand that. Didn't realize that one place refers to the
slides and one to the pictures and texts etc

Now I understand what the numbers on the screen refer to and also
'start with previous' etc.

Now I'm seeing through a dark glass clearly

It's amazing how much difference some smallish piece of information can
make, isn't it? You're not the first to not readily see the difference
between animations and transitions, and I'm sure you won't be the last.
It's not necessarily an intuitive thing.

 

[Michael Redbourn]

Well, you have to kind of fake it.

Transitions are applied to a slide, and they do act as the "transition to
thi slide." So you need to add one more slide into your presentation. It's a
blank slide, and it's the very last one. Right-click it and make its
background black. Delete any and all items on the slide.

Or you can even just draw a rectangle the size of the slide and fill it with
black.

Then add a fade smoothly transition to this last slide. It will seem as if
the slide before is fading out, but what's really happening is the black
slide is fading in.

Ok - that's working thanks and I recieved a replacement for my midi
file which is an mp3 with a .wav extension Embedded now and not
linked.

So how about the first shot fading in ?

I can't really use the above 'trick' because I want the second shot
(after the black) to fade in. Seems like telling the black to fade out
won't make the second shot appear to fade in ?

Someone asked me yesterday, 'why don't you just do it in Premiere?'.

My answer was 'because almost everyone has PowerPoint on their
computer'. The person that I'm doing this for will want to change my
English texts to Russian. Not sure how she'll do this (must be a way
although I have my pc set up for 3 languages and hitting 'shift-alt'
doesn't change the language in PowerPoint - she will be much more
tuned into this than me or they will learn to love the English
captions ;-)

BTW - I have some very nice title/caption transitions which don't look
as good in older versions of PP. One fading out and one in etc.

You once said 'the sound won't necessarily do what you expect' (or
words to that effect) and I can see that it is probably not possible
to get the slides to change exactly on the beat as I'd like ?

thanks for the ongoing help,

Mike

 

[Michael Redbourn]

LOL! Good.


Huh. Interesting. I don't see anything in the outline that would indicate
sound.

Probably because you don't have multiple bull horns. Doesn't appear in
the 'outline' column but they can be seen on the bottom right (if I
remember correctly) when you're set to outline. You can see more of
the screen. Going from memory now ..

Is this still a problem, or did the information about animations vs
transitions resolve it?

Not a problem now that I understand the difference between transitions
and animations ..thanks,

Mike

 

[Echo S]

So how about the first shot fading in ?

Put a black slide in as the first slide. Give it an 00-second or 1-second
"advance slide automatically after" setting. Then on your first slide
(that's now the second slide), add the fade "transition to" effect.

This would cause your show to start on a black slide -- just looks like a
blank screen to the audience, and then your "first" slide would fade in
automatically (because of the 1-second automatic "advance slide" setting on
the first slide).

Alternatively, there's a "fade through black" transition you might try
giving the first slide. Setting it to "slow" speed might help.

I can't really use the above 'trick' because I want the second shot
(after the black) to fade in. Seems like telling the black to fade out
won't make the second shot appear to fade in ?

I don't know what you're referring to when you say "shot" here, so I'm not
sure why you can't use the black slide trick. If you want a picture on the
slide to fade in, use an animation on the picture.

Someone asked me yesterday, 'why don't you just do it in Premiere?'.

My answer was 'because almost everyone has PowerPoint on their
computer'. The person that I'm doing this for will want to change my
English texts to Russian. Not sure how she'll do this (must be a way
although I have my pc set up for 3 languages and hitting 'shift-alt'
doesn't change the language in PowerPoint - she will be much more
tuned into this than me or they will learn to love the English
captions ;-)

Heh. PPT is good if you're having translations done, but Premiere might have
indeed been a better choice in the long run. MPEGs play on more systems than
PPT files.

BTW - I have some very nice title/caption transitions which don't look
as good in older versions of PP. One fading out and one in etc.

You once said 'the sound won't necessarily do what you expect' (or
words to that effect) and I can see that it is probably not possible
to get the slides to change exactly on the beat as I'd like ?

Yes. PPT is not known for its synchronization ability.
http://www.soniacoleman.com/Tutorials/PowerPoint/synchronizing.htm has some
good information on that.

thanks for the ongoing help,

You're very welcome.