PowerPoint Slideshow in Help File

Peter Wyman · Unread post by **Peter Wyman** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 6:14 pm

I am tying to add a PowerPoint slideshow into a help and manual .chm file. I tried both OLE embedding and OLE linking without success (followed the process described in the help file - Choose Insert --> OLE Object --> Selected create from file --> Navigate to file --> either check or leave unchecked the LInk box). The resulting file works correctly and launches the PowerPoint slideshow in project format, but when I complie from .hmx to.chm, the slideshow no longer works.

What am I doing wrong?

Unread post by **Tim Green** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 6:21 pm

Hi Peter,

You're not doing anything wrong, it's just impossible.

OLE objects must be converted to bitmap graphics in all the output formats supported by Help & Manual, so you can only use formats that can be converted to static bitmaps. The only way to "include" a live PowerPoint slideshow would be to distribute the PowerPoint file together with your HTML Help CHM file and link to it with a file link, using Insert > Hyperlink > File Link. The PP file must be in the same folder as the CHM file, otherwise it will not work.

Dean Whitlock · Thu Jul 05, 2007 9:03 pm

Tim,

Would there be an advantage to using a video or Flash instead of the PowerPoint file? You would still need to use a file link and include the source presentation, but I would think you might find that more users can play the show, unless you're shipping a .pps file that includes the PowerPoint player. Any comments?

Thanks,
Dean

Peter Wyman · Unread post by **Peter Wyman** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 9:42 pm

Thanks for the assistance! Since I am publishing to a small number of in-house staff, I know that they have PowerPoint on their PCs so a .pps format works fine for this situation.

Unread post by **Tim Green** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 9:43 am

Dean Whitlock wrote:Would there be an advantage to using a video or Flash instead of the PowerPoint file?

This would really depend what is in the PowerPoint file. Generally it's a lot easier to create an interactive PPT presentation than it is to create the same thing in Flash -- and PowerPoint is a tool that most people are familiar with. I'm not sure whether there are any viable tools for converting PPT to Flash.

SteveBarnett · Fri Jul 06, 2007 10:17 am

Tim Green wrote:I'm not sure whether there are any viable tools for converting PPT to Flash.

We've had some success with Camtasia Studio if you get stuck for a tool.

Steve