Spicing up PowerPoints?

[hut49]

Preparing and using PowerPoint presentations are pretty much a way of life for me. I've reached the point where I need to be able develop some extra graphics capability to add visual cues and interest. The content is high tech and medical.

Any suggestions of suitable software that would give me some graphic capability on my PC that will interface well with PowerPoint?

[Stig]

Most professional presentations are prepared using external applications for the 2D work, then use Powerpoint as a frame store to replay.

I use Photoshop, 3D Studio Max etc.

[smeagol]

Photoshop is excellent for photo images but not that hot on graphics/diagrams a "better" package IMHO is CorelDraw as you get a graphics program for presentation diagrams etc. and a photo editor which is on par with photoshop. If its for home/small business use buy an older version as its cheaper and has the features for the majority of requirements.

Both work within Powerpoint as a direct Import.

If you want animation then a trick is to use a flash movie and import it as an object. However you will have to justify the cost as Flash ain't that cheap.

Hope that helps.

[hut49]

Great advice - thanks. I'm going to download free trial versions of both Adobe (162Mb) and CorelDraw11 (221Mb) - gulp! - may be out of touch with PH for a while!

[Robertuk]

Adobe is a 'bitmap' package.

Great for photos and hi-res work.

For line drawings /diagrams /art
(basically illustration)

you have a selection to choose from:

Macromedia Freehand is pretty good.
www.macromedia.com/software/freehand/

OR Adobe Illustrator
www.adobe.com/products/illustrator/main.html

If you do not currently use one, a tablet and stylus by
someone like Wacom (www.wacom.com) is useful.
*Especially if you can draw with traditional art skills*

Good Luck !

Ramesh

[hut49]

Thanks Ramesh - I'm favouring the Adobe product. The tablet and pen solution sounds fun but I may lack the artistic basics to make this a productive use of my time. I'm more into handling images creatively to maximize the impact of technology presentations.

[judas]

Beware of too much spicing up!

[pdV6]

...and I thought that this was going to be a thread about wiring up the garage.

Must need glasses.

[hut49]

[Robertuk]

forgot to mention a great *Free/open-source* package called The Gimp:

www.gimp.org

will open photshop .PSD files (with layers intact)

bit of a steep learning curve, but as someone whos used photoshop for over 7 years it does things well and is inexpensive.

Photoshop is easier to learn and more intuitive.


Ramesh
PS: checkout www.cooltext.com it runs The Gimp

[simonrockman]

I haven't played with it for several generations but I suspect Visio is what you need for diagrams.
I also had a flowcharting program that was great - you didn't need to be able to draw because it used a scrpting language.


Simon

Edited to add. Found it at www.igrafx.com/products/flowcharter/

But they seem to have done away with the scrpting.

Simon

>> Edited by simonrockman on Wednesday 30th July 22:13

[robp]

A lecturer of mine used to have a different .wav file play for each slide.

The only problem was that they were all from Star Wars!
What a gimp