Add-ins are special supplemental programs, usually provided by third-party sources to extend and enhance the capabilities of PowerPoint. Add-ins range from programs that add multimedia capabilities to those that simply enhance PowerPoint's default menus or toolbars.
Some add-ins are free; others you will have to pay for. You can even write your own custom add-in programs by using PowerPoint's Visual Basic Editor. Also, you can find many add-ins on the Web. Look at the Microsoft Web site for those provided by Microsoft or do a Web search for "addins" and "PowerPoint" to find possible PowerPoint enhancements elsewhere on the Web.
Suppose you find an add-in that enhances the shadow control toolbar. Although not an earthshaking add-in, it does add some helpful controls for dealing with object shadows. To add this, or any other add-in, follow these steps:
Choose Tools, Add-Ins. PowerPoint displays the Add-Ins dialog box that lists add-ins that have already been installed (see Figure 20.38).
Choose Add New. PowerPoint opens the Add New PowerPoint Add-In dialog box (see Figure 20.39). By default, PowerPoint looks in the AddIns folder (for example, C: Windows Application Data Microsoft AddIns) to find add-in programs that have a .PPA filename extension. If the add-in you're looking for isn't in the default folder, browse to its location.
If the add-in contains macros, as virtually all add-ins do, a warning message appears that allows you to disable the macros (see Figure 20.40). However, if you want the full functionality of the add-in, you'll need to enable the macros.
Caution
Macros can contain viruses that in turn can wreak havoc on your computer. You should always exercise caution when enabling macros from unknown sources. Knowing the source of the add-in can help protect you from such viruses. If you're not sure, it's probably best not to use an add-in that contains macros.
After the add-in is installed, its name appears in the Available Add-Ins list (refer to Figure 20.38) with an "x" to the left of it. This means that the add-in is also loaded and ready to use.
Choose Close to return to PowerPoint.
You now can use the add-in as you work with your PowerPoint presentation.
Note
Add-ins do use some memory and can slow PowerPoint's performance. When you're not using an add-in, unload it by choosing Tools, Add-Ins, and then after selecting the add-in, choosing Unload. The add-in remains installed but inactive, and you simply load it again when you need it.