Absolute Beginners Guide to Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003

In this chapter

• Find out what animation is and why you want to use it in slide shows

• Learn how to use preset animation schemes

• Find out how to apply slide transitions

• Explore how to animate nearly any object, including bullets, text, and graphic images

• Learn how to add sound effects to slide transitions and animations

• See how to animate data charts and diagrams

The word animation probably conjures up visions of Mickey Mouse or Woody Woodpecker. In cartoon animations, a sequence of still pictures shown rapidly gives the illusion of motion.

In PowerPoint, animations also create the sense of motion. Fortunately, however, you don't have to create a sequence of still pictures to get this effect. You simply tell PowerPoint where an object starts to move and where it ends, and PowerPoint does the rest.

This chapter explores the use of animations. Beyond discussing the mechanics of making things move, it also talks about why you use animations and what they can do to help improve presentations.