Using the PowerPoint Viewer
The PowerPoint Viewer is an application that enables people who don't have PowerPoint installed on their computers to view a PowerPoint presentation. You can freely distribute the viewer without any license fee. Using the Pack and Go Wizard, you have the option of including this viewer in your presentation package.
To learn more about how to use this wizard and how it works with the PowerPoint Viewer, see "Using the Pack and Go Wizard,"
The PowerPoint Viewer's filename is PPVIEW32.EXE. If you installed the viewer on your computer, it should be located in the Program Files Microsoft Office Office Xlators folder. From the CD-ROM, you can access it in the Pfilesrdrw10 Msoffice Office Xlators folder. Finally, you'll also find this application on the PowerPoint Web site (www.microsoft.com office powerpoint).
Tip
PPVIEW32.EXE is also compressed when you use the Pack and Go Wizard and is extracted to the folder you indicate when you run PNGSETUP.EXE to decompress your presentation.
To run the viewer, follow these steps:
Double-click PPVIEW32.EXE from within Windows Explorer. Figure 7.32 illustrates the Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer dialog box.
Figure 7.32. The PowerPoint Viewer enables you to deliver slideshows on computers without PowerPoint.
Specify whether you want to advance slides Manually or Using Timings, If Present.
Click the Print button if you want to print this presentation. The standard Print dialog box displays, in which you can set print options.
Click the Options button to set presentation and viewer settings, shown in Figure 7.33.
You can select Use Settings Saved with File or Override Saved Settings.
Note
These are the settings you specified in the Set Up Show dialog box.
→ For more information on the Set Up Show dialog box, see "Setting Up a Show,"
If you want to override, you have the following options:
Loop Continuously Until 'Esc'Plays the presentation over and over again until you press the Esc key.
Figure 7.33. Specify settings in this dialog box.
Show without Narrations Temporarily deactivates any accompanying narrations.
Show without Animation Temporarily deactivates any accompanying animations.
You can also set the following Viewer Settings:
Popup Menu on Right Mouse Click Displays a subset of the menu options that are available within PowerPoint during a slide show.
→ To learn how to use these options, see "Previewing Your Show,"
Show Popup Menu Button Displays the pop-up menu button in the lower-left corner.
End with Black Slide Finishes the show with a black slide.
Click OK to return to the main dialog box.
Click the Show button to run the show with the parameters you set.
Click Exit to close the PowerPoint Viewer.
You can also play multiple shows with the viewer by creating a playlist file with Notepad. To do this, follow these steps:
Open Notepad by choosing Programs, Accessories, Notepad from the Start button.
Enter each presentation and its path on a single line in Notepad, avoiding any spaces between lines. Figure 7.34 provides an example.
Figure 7.34. Enter multiple presentations files in Notepad.
Choose File, Save to open the Save As dialog box, shown in Figure 7.35.
Figure 7.35. Save your playlist.
Enter a name for the file in the File Name field and click Save.
Caution
You can't use long filenames or folder names in a playlist.
Choose File, Exit to close Notepad.
Next, you have to rename the playlist with the extension .LST. The playlist must have the extension .LST or it won't run. Then you can return to the PowerPoint Viewer and run the playlist. Be sure to select playlist in the Files of Type field.
Tip
For more information about the parameters you can use in setting up a playlist, click the About button in the Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer dialog box.