How to Create Animated PowerPoint Slides on Mac

Edited 4 weeks ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

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Creating animated PowerPoint slides can greatly enhance the visual appeal of your presentation, capturing your audience's attention and emphasizing key points. This guide will walk you through the process of creating engaging and dynamic animated PowerPoint slides on a Mac. Whether you're creating a business presentation, educational lesson, or another type of informative slideshow, animations can add an extra layer of interest and retention for your audience.

Getting started with PowerPoint on Mac

Before diving into the animation aspects, make sure you have Microsoft PowerPoint installed on your Mac. You may already have it as part of the Microsoft Office suite or Microsoft's Office 365 subscription. If not, you can download it from the official Microsoft website. Make sure it's installed and up to date to take advantage of all the latest features.

Create a new presentation

To begin, open PowerPoint on your Mac. You'll see several options:

1. Choose to create a new presentation by selecting "New Presentation" from the Home menu.
2. Alternatively, you can select a template that suits your theme and style by clicking "From Template."

Once your new presentation or template is open, you can add slides by going to the "Home" tab and clicking "New Slide." You can choose from different layouts to suit your needs.

Understanding the basics of animation

Animations in PowerPoint can be divided into two main categories: transitions and animations. Transitions are effects that occur between slides, while animations are effects that are applied to individual elements on a slide, such as text or images.

Apply transitions to slides

To apply a transition, follow these steps:

1. Select the slide you want to add the transition to.

2. Click the "Transitions" tab located on the ribbon at the top of the PowerPoint window.

3. Choose from the various transition effects available by clicking on the transition you like. You can preview these transitions by hovering over them.

4. Adjust transition settings using options such as "Duration" to set the duration of the transition, or "Effect Options" for variety in the transition style.

5. To apply the same transition to all slides, click "Apply to All."

Animating elements on a slide

Animating elements such as text, shapes, and images can make your slides more interactive and visually engaging.

1. Select the text box, image, or other object on the slide that you want to animate.

2. Go to the "Animations" tab in the ribbon.

3. Click "Add Animation" to see a list of animations you can apply.

4. Choose an animation from the categories of entrance, thrust, exit, and motion path. You can preview each one by selecting it.

5. Adjust the animation's start options: You can choose a start action such as "On Click," "With Previous," or "After Previous."

6. Use the "Animation Pane" to effectively manage multiple animations and adjust their order.

7. Modify the animation's duration and delay as needed.

Advanced animation techniques

For more elaborate animations, you can use advanced features such as custom paths or combine multiple animations for a single object.

Custom motion paths

Custom motion paths allow you to animate an object along a defined path. Here's how to create one:

1. Select the object you want to animate.

2. In the "Animations" tab, click "Add Animation" and scroll down to "Motion Path."

3. Select "Custom Path" from the list.

4. Create the path you want to follow by clicking to create points and dragging to create curves.

5. Double-click to complete the path.

Combining animations

To add multiple animations to a single object:

1. Select the object on your slide.

2. Go to the "Animations" tab and select an animation effect.

3. To add a new animation without losing the current animation, click "Add Animation" instead of selecting another effect.

4. Use the “Animation Pane” to rearrange and adjust how animations play, including their timing and triggers.

Using the Animation Pane

The Animation pane is a tool that provides an overview of all the animations within a slide, allowing precise control over their sequence and timing. To open the Animation pane:

1. Click the "Animations" tab on the ribbon if it isn't already open.

2. Click the "Animation Pane" to open it on the side of the PowerPoint window.

3. From here you can:

   • Drag the animations up or down to change the order of the animations.
   • Right-click on animation entries to adjust settings such as start options, timing, and effects.
   • Preview the animation by pressing the "Play" button at the top of the pane.

Setting up animation triggers

Triggers can be used to start animations in response to specific events. This feature is especially useful for interactive presentations.

1. Select the object to be animated.

2. In the Animations pane, right-click the corresponding animation and select "Timing."

3. Go to the "Triggers" section in the Timing dialog box.

4. Select "Start effect on click" or other available options, such as object actions.

Previewing and testing your animation

Before finalizing your presentation, it's important to preview your animations to make sure they run smoothly.

1. With your slide open, switch to the "Slide Show" tab.

2. Click "From Current Slide" to view your slides as a presentation and test your animation step by step.

3. Alternatively, in the "Animations" tab, you can click "Preview" to view the animation without playing the full slide show.

4. Make any necessary adjustments to the animation pan or timing settings based on your preview.

Using the Slide Master for consistent animation

Slide Master is an excellent tool for applying consistent animations to multiple slides without having to manually configure each slide.

1. Go to the "View" tab on the ribbon and select "Slide Master."

2. Select the master slide or specific layout slide that you want to animate.

3. Apply animations to elements on these master slides, and every corresponding slide in your presentation will adopt these animations.

Additional tips for animation

When creating animated slides, remember these additional tips to enhance the impact of your presentation.

• Be consistent: Use the same animation styles and transitions throughout your presentation to maintain a professional look.
• Don't overuse it: Although animations can enhance a presentation, too much animation can be distracting. Use them purposefully.
• Focus on clarity: Animations should not overpower the content. They should help explain your points more effectively.

Saving and exporting your animated presentation

Once your animation is complete, be sure to save your presentation. Use "File > Save As" to choose your location and file format.

If you want to export your animated presentation to share, consider exporting it as a video:

1. Go to "File" and select "Export."

2. Select "MP4" or "MOV" as the video format in the "File Format" menu.

3. Select the video quality you want and include the time if necessary.

4. Click "Export" to save it as a video file.

Once your animated PowerPoint slides are ready, you can deliver the presentation with confidence and captivate your audience with eye-catching visuals.

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