Import PowerPoint: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 19:21, 18 October 2012

Importing a Powerpoint presentation

If your Moodle 2.3 installation dates from before October 18th 2012, you will have an option "Import Powerpoint" in your Lesson settings.

It has been removed since, as it does not work. See tracker MDL-21801

NOTE: If you simply wish to display a Powerpoint in your course, then see File.

The following page explains alternatives for Moodlers who still have the "Import Powerpoint" option.

Powerpoint 2003 Instructions

It is possible to import Powerpoint 2003 presentations but animations and transitions are not retained.

Create your MS Powerpoint 2003 presentation.
- In the "File" menu click on "Save as Webpage"
- Change or note "Save In" setting location and name
  - The Save "file type" should be "Web Page"
- Click on "Save"
  - This will create a file and a folder. The HTML file has links to files in the new folder of the same name as the HTML file.
Using Windows Explorer or your favorite program
- Zip the new folder that contains the webpage files ***NB - DO NOT INCLUDE THE HTML FILE OR THE IMPORT WILL FAIL***
  - This is the file you will import into a new lesson.

Moodle instructions

After you have created the zip file above

Add a new Lesson activity to a course; set the settings; save settings
- This will bring you to a screen with several choices
Select "Import PowerPoint"
Use the browse button to select the zipped file that contains the webpage folder
Select "Continue"
Start editing the Content pages

Basic tips

Keep it simple: text only is best
- No page numbers (see masterslide)
- No text boxes with graphic or filled backgrounds
- Masterslide content will not import, but delete all the footers
- Watermarks and text over graphics is probably not a good idea
- It will import some bullet formats but not all
- It probably does not like "special characters" (any non-english letters)
Graphic images can be imported as a part of the presentation but
- Graphic images will have to be moved in the Lesson page
- More than one graphic image might not always import to a Lesson page

An alternative method of importing presentation pages

It is possible to save presentation slides as images by selecting an image file type such as .png from the save as... drop down menu in either Powerpoint or Open/Libre Office. These images can then be embedded into individual content pages of a lesson. As with the previous Powerpoint 2003 option however; this is only suitable for plain text and images. Animations/transitions will not work and care also must be taken regarding the dimensions and loading time of the images in each content page.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Lessons}}
+{{Lesson}}
-{{Moodle 1.6}}
+==Importing a Powerpoint presentation==
+If your Moodle 2.3 installation dates from before October 18th 2012, you will have an option "Import Powerpoint" in your [[Lesson]] settings.
-The goal of this feature is to capture text and and graphics from a series of MS PowerPoint presentation slides and insert them into the content area of a series of branch tables, as text and images.  The title of the page come from the title of the PowerPoint slide.  The descriptions on the branch page are blank, so the initial settings will follow the flow control parameter in lesson settings.
+It has been removed since, as it does not work. See tracker MDL-21801
-Simple text presentations with simple graphic images can be imported without much trouble. It will not import things like underlining but will import some of the simple bullets. At the moment this feature is best used by teachers who want to do an initial lesson outline in MS PowerPoint. Do not expect it to handle the rich outlining and graphics potentials of  MS PowerPoint. It does not work with PowerPoint 2003 onward.  See tips below.
+'''NOTE:''' If you simply wish to display a Powerpoint in your course, then see [[File]].
-Remember, a poorly designed course will not magically improve when placed in Moodle.  And poorly designed PowerPoint will not  improve when it is imported into a Lesson.  In other words, a page with 20 bullets and text in a tiny font, might not work on a Lesson page for students or with the importPPT function.
+The following page explains  alternatives for Moodlers who still have the "Import Powerpoint" option.
-== The instructions ==
-#Create the Web Folder
+=== Powerpoint 2003 Instructions===
-#*Open the MS PowerPoint presentation
+It is possible to import Powerpoint 2003 presentations but animations and transitions are not retained.
-#*In "File" click on  "Save as"
-#*Change or note "Save In" setting
-#*Set Save "file type" pulldown menu to "Web Page"
-#*click on "Save"
-#Zip the folder
-#*Find the folder you just created
-#*Zip the folder with your favorite program
-#In Moodle, import the PowerPoint
-#*Create the Lesson, set the settings, save settings
-#*Select "Import PowerPoint"
-#*Select "Continue"
-#*Start editing the branch pages
+#Create your MS Powerpoint 2003 presentation.
+#*In the "File" menu click on  "Save as Webpage"
+#*Change or note "Save In" setting location and name
+#**''The Save "file type" should be "Web Page"''
+#*Click on "Save"
+#**''This will create a file and a folder. The HTML file has links to files in the new folder of the same name as the HTML file. ''
+#Using Windows Explorer or your favorite program
+#*Zip the new folder that contains the webpage files ***NB - DO NOT INCLUDE THE HTML FILE OR THE IMPORT WILL FAIL***
+#**''This is the file you will import into a new lesson. ''
-== Tips ==
-# Keep it simple, text only is best
+===Moodle instructions===
-#* No page numbers
+After you have created the zip file above
+*Add a new Lesson activity to a course; set the settings; save settings
+**''This will bring you to a screen with several choices''
+*Select "Import PowerPoint"
+*Use the browse button to select the zipped file that contains the webpage folder
+*Select "Continue"
+*Start editing the Content pages
+===Basic tips===
+# Keep it simple: text only is best
+#* No page numbers (see masterslide)
 #* No text boxes with graphic or filled backgrounds
-#* Don't worry about your masterslide, none of its content will import
+#* Masterslide content will not import, but delete all the footers
 #* Watermarks and text over graphics is probably not a good idea
 #* It will import some bullet formats but not all
+#* It probably does not like "special characters" (any non-english letters)
 # Graphic images can be imported as a part of the presentation but
 #* Graphic images will have to be moved in the Lesson page
 #* More than one graphic image might not always import to a Lesson page
-# Check each page in student view
-#* Make sure all your bullets are there
-#* Double check your text when there is a lot on a page
-#* Did it import the right number of graphic objects
-# Did not import data?
-#* Import PowerPoint does not work on PPT 2003 nor
-#* some non english presentations due to characters-fonts
-# Want to import a word document as a series of slides in a Moodle Lesson?
-#* Read Microsoft's tips on how to create slides from word text (ie [http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;q198212 MS help page)]
-#* Hint, use outline feature and only two levels in Word
-#* First level is page title, Second level is content
-#* Save Word file, then file, import outline in PPT
-#*    takes a little tweaking in word but it is consistant
-#* Then follow the instructions above.
-==Examples==
-# Use PowerPoint as a story board with simple text content and include descriptions for the branch table button. Remember the first line of text in outline view, will be your Lesson page title.  So you can also put in the jump for each description as text as a reminder where to set the jumps. After the import into a lesson,  go into edit mode.  In each page cut and paste the description text from content area to the description areas.  Sorry, you can not cut & paste the jump text, so set the jumps and then delete the jump material in content.
-# Edit down a PowerPoint that was designed to run off a CD and import it as the basis of a lesson. Sometimes creating a new PowerPoint is easier than cleaning up an old one.
-==Legacy method of importing==
-There is a manual way of adding what looks like PowerPoint slide to a Lesson.  This is useful when a few slides need to be imported or the slides.
+==An alternative method of importing presentation pages==
+It is possible to save presentation slides as images by selecting an image file type such as .png from the ''save as...'' drop down menu in either Powerpoint or Open/Libre Office. These images can then be embedded into individual content pages of a lesson. As with the previous Powerpoint 2003 option however; this is only suitable for plain text and images. Animations/transitions will not work and care also must be taken regarding the dimensions and loading time of the images in each content page.
 ==See also==
-*Using Moodle [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=24572 Import Powerpoint html to lesson] forum discussion
+* MDL-17413 to vote for an improvement to insert (by importing) a series of pictures or a series of text pages into a series of lesson branch pages at any point in the lesson. (Like a series of questions).
+* [[Inserting content into a lesson activity]] - some alternatives suggested in Lesson forum
 [[Category:Teacher]]
 [[Category:Lesson]]
+[[fr:Importer un fichier PowerPoint]]
+[[de:PowerPoint importieren]]

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