Apache OpenOffice Community Forum

Does anyone know how to save an Impress presentation in a slideshow format, so that all you have to do is click on the file and the slideshow will start automatically? This is possible in MS PowerPoint, where you can save your .ppt file as a .pps file. But, I haven't seen an equivalent to this format in Impress. Any ideas, workarounds?? Thanks!

Impress does not support that feature.

If you can tell us what you want to do, there may be another another approach.

Export the slideshow as Shockwave Flash and play it in a browser.

Wow, I can't believe a program designed to create a slide show can't save the file as a slide show ( like a .pps in Powerpoint). What good is it? I thought this could replace MS Office but obviously it is lacking in critical features. Does anyone else have any ideas on this?

You can try http://extensions.services.openoffice.o ... ressRunner, but it still won't be "just like powerpoint".

Please don't post the same question in multiple places--the Forum Survival Guide explains why. As moderator, I've marked your other post to be removed.

You can also tie the event of opening the document to the world's shortest macro
The macro code can be stored in the document through Tools -> Macros -> Organize Macros -> OpenOffice Basic. Choose the document, select New and Choose OK for the new module name. Then type in the two lines between the Sub Main and End Sub
To trigger the macro on opening, go to Tools -> Customize -> Events. Select Open Document and then Click on Macro, navigate to the document and expand the sub folder to choose the Main routine you just created.

This also won't be just like a .pps, but it will get the slide show open without extra clicks or keys.

acknak wrote:You can try http://extensions.services.openoffice.o ... ressRunner, but it still won't be "just like powerpoint".

It will if:

• There is the 'autostart' string in an info field of the file metadata
• The machine has OOo installed on it

Even in the best case, Impress starts first in the editing screen, then proceeds on to the show. At the end of the show, Impress returns to the editing screen.

Yes, it's a "little thing", but if it matters that a show should auto-start, then it probably matters about this too: it makes for a confusing and unprofessional presentation.

Of course, the real answer if you need an auto-running show is to not use a presentation file format at all, for all the reasons mentioned already. Use PDF, or Flash, or some video format. But there are gaps in the support for those options as well.

Indeed, I remember that one: Hyperlink opening another presentation.

The MACRO solution to auto run the slide show works well for my application. Thanks for the suggestion.

I have one additional requirement. I am using a VB6 application to launch my various slide show files and again using the suggested MACRO works perfectly. What I need to do is have the OpenOffice slide show accept LEFT & RIGHT arrow key commands from the same VB application.

It seems that when in Slide Show mode the key codes are ignored. When in design mode I can tell Impress is receiving these key codes as the cursor seems to change positions or sometimes the "File" icon on the tool bar gets focus then loses focus.

Is there any reason Impress would ignore these key codes while in Slide Show mode as it is the foreground application.

I have tried both the VB6 SendKeys and the Windows API for SendKey with similar results.

I just wasted a lot of time creating a slideshow that won't run automatically !!

A little bit of a work-around, I know, but ...

In WinXP you can make a 'batch file' that will do the job of starting your slideshow automagically.

This line worked for me : "C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 3\program\soffice.exe" -show "C:\Documents and Settings\My Name\My Documents\test.odp"

Obviously, you need to change the 'PATH' to where your OOo is installed, and also the 'PATH' to your slideshow.

Now you can just 'double-click' the 'batch file' to get your 'Impress Slideshow' off and running.

For the "Newbies":
To make a 'batch file' in WinXP, just open a new '.txt' file, (right click on a blank area of your "My Documents" folder and select New -> Text Document) then type in something similar to what I typed (see above). Now do a "Save As ..." and give it a name and then end the name with '.bat' -- (in the "Save As" window, make sure that you first change "Save as type" to "All Files" so that Windows doesn't automatically use the '.txt' extention)

It should be something similar in Linux, but I have not tried it as yet.

Hope this helps.

Pete.

To save your slideshow and export it to a cd .
Go FILE then SEND in Open Office to "email as Microsoft power point presentation".

This opens an email after a few seconds.
The file is there as an attachment.
Open a new folder, or open the CD you want to burn.
Drag , or copy and paste the attachment into it .

That's it.
And mine has just opened and played automatically on another computer.
Good luck.

The issue for me is how to run an Impress slide show on a machine that doesn't have OpenOffice installed (those boring MS junkies).

I assume the "email as Microsoft power point presentation" is the solution?

Hmmm... on closer inspection this is nothing more than a save-as-a-MS-PowerPoint-ppt-file -- which inevitably creates hiccups in various layout and animation/transition features.

Do not save as ppt. Dump a portable version of OpenOffice or LibreOffice on a stick.

I have the same problem. I need to mail a copy of this presentation to my clients and would like it to open like a .pps would. I've tried the convert to flash thing. But when I open the flash file in my browser, it removes the animations, the auto timer, the music attached etc. Is there some way that this can be done? Also can these flash presentations be used in websites?

Thanks in advance

Regards

Anand

P.S. Sorry if the questions seem basic, but am a non IT small business owner trying to do everything and save myself the expenditure.

If you want to make a movie you need a movie editor rather than a presentaion program.

Hi Villeroy,

Thanks for the answer. I'm not really looking for a movie per se. Am looking for an animated slide show. The movie thing would be a bonus! But the animated slide show with sounds is a must. Like I said, my solution should ideally open like a .pps file in a system which does not have Open Office installed. Would you by any chance have an answer to that?

Thanks

Look at
AutoStarter for Presentation Documents

I'm not certain if this works with OO 4

vivekanand wrote:... the animated slide show with sounds is a must. ...

Umm ... that IS a movie

You can get a slideshow from a pdf (most viewers have a slide show mode, I think) but sound is not available.

A video format is the best way to condense a presentation into a single file that most people can play without special software. I wish OO could do it out of the box, but as far as I know, you have to export to PPT and then find a PPT to video converter.

Oh ... maybe an alternative would be one of the presentation-hosting sites. I've seen those used quite a bit but I've never run into one with sound--I don't know if that's possible or not.

I created a presentation for my mother and wanted to save to a flash drive so she could just plug it into her computer and view it. However,this did not seem possible if she didn't have Open Office installed. Also,I wanted her to be able to view it as a presentation without the edit mode. I searched the net trying to find ways to do this and ended up at this thread. It didn't really help me directly but did lead me to a solution. I am in no way tech savvy but this solution is so simple and exactly what I wanted.

First off,you want to download and install Microsoft Power Point viewer. https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/downloa ... aspx?id=13
This is a small file just to allow viewing.

Then in Open Office open
Tools .
Options
expand the Load/Save section in the menu and then
put a check in the box next to PowerPoint to OpenOffice Impress or reverse under S and
click OK
Then save your document using the file format of Microsoft PowerPoint 97/200/xp (.ppt) (*.ppt)
I have Windows 8.1 and this works fine for me.

I did notice this thread is a year old and sorry to those that could have used this information but hopefully will save others the stress this issue caused me.

@Philphee Thanks. Soon the PowerPoint Presentation Viewer will be retired.

The Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer is being retired in April, 2018. At that time, the Viewer will no longer be available for download and will no longer receive security updates. See Details for more information.

It will probably be available for D/L somewhere, but will not get the TLC as before. Still looking for portability, as in an AAO version of PPT viewer, but at this time, continues to retreat like a mirage.
Or even, (other than YouTube) something browser based. There's a thought.