Import PowerPoint

This page deals with the option to import a Powerpoint 2003 file into Moodle's Lesson module. If you simply wish to display a Powerpoint in your course, then see File. If you have a Powerpoint 2007 or 2012 file, this will not work.

Importing a Powerpoint presentation - Why and Why not

If you have a Powerpoint 2003 presentation already made, you can - with many limitations- import it into your Moodle Lesson to save recreating each slide from scratch. However; the method outlined below is not really recommended. It will not bring complex elements such as background images, multiple text boxes and multiple images on a page. It is not a particularly successful way of creating lessons, and does not work with later versions of Powerpoint. There is a tracker entry MDL-21801 requesting that Import Powerpoint be removed from the Lesson module because it does not work properly.

Powerpoint 2003 Instructions

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.

Documentation