PPT97: Using Transitions to Achieve Smoother Branching (189694)

SUMMARY

It is possible to use Play Settings in PowerPoint 4.0 to display a branched slide show before the slide in which the branch is inserted. This has two advantages:

It helps to ensure a smoother-looking transition when the branch is activated.
It ensures that the host slide (the one the branch is inserted on) displays only once, rather than twice.

While the same Play Settings are not available in PowerPoint for Windows 95, version 7.0 it is possible to simulate the same behavior. This article lists a number of steps to help ensure a smooth transition to branches.

MORE INFORMATION

The following steps assume you have not yet inserted the presentation to which you want to branch.

Add a new slide to your host presentation. (You will insert the branch on this slide.)
On the Insert menu, click Object. Click Create From File and Display As Icon.
Click Browse to find the presentation you want to branch to, select it, and then click OK.
Click OK again.

You should see the icon for the branch on your new slide.
On the Slide Show menu, click Custom Animation, and then click the Play Settings tab. Set the Object Action to Show.
Click the Timing tab. Set Animate to "Automatically after 0 seconds" and "Hide while not Playing." Click OK two times.
On the Format menu, click Background. Choose Black as the background color and click the "Omit Background Graphics from Master" option. Click Apply (not Apply To All).

That should complete the formatting and play settings needed for this effect.

Return to the previous slide and run the slide show. You should encounter a black slide, and the branch should execute shortly thereafter. You may want to apply a timing to the host slide, so you don't have to click to advance to the next slide.

If you have a number of branches to execute, you may want to duplicate this slide by switching to Slide Sorter view and using CTRL+D to duplicate the slide (complete with formatting, branch, and animation settings).