[Solved] Master slide problem :: adding second title

[vagoos]

I want my slides to have the following format
up: title
middle: text
bottom: footer.

I want to be able to control the format of these area from the master slide, in order to be able to change the format of these areas universaly from the master slide. For example increase the font size or the fill color.

Then, after exiting master slide mode, I go to my slides, click and enter the text I want.

The problem is that the default master slide has a title and a text area (the odject area for autolayouts). However there is no footer area (or a second title) and I can't put one in.

PS I don't want to have the same footer on each slide. I want each footer to have the same format (controlled by the master slide) and then on non-masterslide mode be able to edit the text content.

[acknak]

I'm afraid you're not going to get what you want.

First, the title slide layout already includes a subtitle: it's the large box that looks like a text area, but it's actually a subtitle. Click there and you'll see that the text has the "Subtitle" style.

Second, you can't set up a footer that works the way you want it to. You can't create "layout areas". If you put something on a master slide, then it appears on each slide that uses that master, unchanged. You can't change the text on a slide in the show.

The best you can do is to copy/paste from one slide to the others.

[vagoos]

First, the title slide layout already includes a subtitle: it's the large box that looks like a text area, but it's actually a subtitle. Click there and you'll see that the text has the "Subtitle" style.

You mean in "Master Slide" mode?

Second, you can't set up a footer that works the way you want it to. You can't create "layout areas". If you put something on a master slide, then it appears on each slide that uses that master, unchanged. You can't change the text on a slide in the show.

Yes I know, if I put a text area it remains unchanged outside master slide mode (like a backroung image)
...so, there is no simple way I can create a new "Object Area for AutoLayouts"?

The best you can do is to copy/paste from one slide to the others.

Yep, but this includes big manual overhead, in case I want to change something trivial...


## 2nd question
I saw in the styles.xml that there is a office:master-styles tag. I tried to inserting another draw:frame tag manually.
However my problem was that the editors I used (Bluefish, Gedit, nano) show all the XML in one line only and I can't edit the file properly. I am totaly new to XML editing and OO formats. Do you have any XML editor recommendations (and something OO specific)?

## 3rd question
How can I save my master slide in order to make it available for another file? Ok I always can open the file in which I have the master slide I like, delete all the slides and start over again.

[acknak]

Whoa, I'm afraid you're alrady way beyond what I know about Impress. I remember reading is that there's no way to make new autolayouts, and my 5 minutes of testing got me nothing like what you seem to be looking for.

I can only suggest that you look through the Impress guide: OOo Guides, especially the chapter on styles and templates.

I don't know of any free XML editing tools that are useful with OOo. I just use a text editor and the command line XML utilities that are available on Linux, such as "xmlindent" to convert from OOo's "one long line" to a nicely indented file. You can also set an option under Tools > Options > Load/Save > General > Size optimization for XML format: NO (unchecked) and OOo's XML output will be nicely formatted by default.

[vagoos]

Whoa, I'm afraid you're alrady way beyond what I know about Impress. I remember reading is that there's no way to make new autolayouts, and my 5 minutes of testing got me nothing like what you seem to be looking for.

I can only suggest that you look through the Impress guide: OOo Guides, especially the chapter on styles and templates.

Well I don't know much about the OO suite. I've used it for a couple of presentations and lots of small texts. But I don't am not aware of the "neat" features.

I'll check the documentation you provided. I'll get back if I have something

I did edited the ODP and I kinda added a second autolayout/placeholder. However, it appears in the master slide mode but it disappears ouside that mode, even if I do "Apply to all slides" to the master slide. So I guess I didn't do much...
If I understand correctly the master slide resides on a "hidden page" or kinda a different "layer" OO-internally - I don't know if OO can handle "layers" or a layer-like behavior.

I don't know of any free XML editing tools that are useful with OOo. I just use a text editor and the command line XML utilities that are available on Linux, such as "xmlindent" to convert from OOo's "one long line" to a nicely indented file. You can also set an option under Tools > Options > Load/Save > General > Size optimization for XML format: NO (unchecked) and OOo's XML output will be nicely formatted by default.

Yep that did the trick, thanks!

I don't know if its fine with the netiquette of the forum to leave the thread unmarked as solved. You DID solved the issue (and thanks for that!) that you can't make new autolayouts but maybe I someone has an idea on this.

[vagoos]

I'm afraid you're not going to get what you want.
The best you can do is to copy/paste from one slide to the others.

Hi again,
In order to get things working I followed your advice and did a workaround.

Moreover, I used a custom Graphics Style. Right now I am able to change trivial formatting things like font, font size just by modifying the style. and all the footers I have change their format.

The ONLY thing I can't do is to change, the position and size for all of them together. But that's no big deal for the moment.

Thanks!

[acknak]

Great! I agree; that's the best approach I'm aware of. Thanks for the follow up.