There may be circumstances where you do not have the whole slide area to show your image. If the image is too small for the human eye, you can always get your lens.
I had suggested the lens technique as a response to a template question last week. I got some emails asking me how I did this. So here is the explanation. Attached are the demo PPT and a `blank' png lens ready for your use.
This is a pretty common technique used in Flash. Very easy to create and what's cool about flash is that when the magnifying glass moves various sections of the image become larger. What I'm seeing with MS is that they like the cool tweening effects in Flash and they want to be able to create these same tweens in Power Point. However until MS comes up with frames and layers, you will never be able to create the awsome flash effects.
Basically to create in PPTx 2010 you may use shape subtract or a rounded marquee screen shot effect. I actually used Snag-it and Adobe CS3 Fireworks for the Ladybug effect.
What I did was this.
1. Opened Power Point
2. Searched for LadyBug in clipard
3. Inserted the image onto the desktop
4. Enlarged the image and grabbed a screen shot
5. I used fireworks to crop the rounded image.
6. I just copied the magnifying glass from Poornima's ppt.
7. I then ungrouped her image.
8. then I added my image and then I set the magnifying glass above the image.
10. Then I grouped them.
Again, this is a very simple effect to accomplish in power point 2007 or 2010.
When I try and do it with Snag-it magnify it doesn't do to good of a job. That's why I enlarge a copy of the original image to some enormous size, crop out what I want to add, and then use that in my magnifying glass. Another cool use of this effect is with a microscope.
I second what Venice said -- Poornima shares so many inspiring ideas!
Quick note regarding slide 2 in the PowerPoint file that Poornima attached above... it describes how to use the slide background as the fill for the circle within the magnifying glass. While that can work well with a straight PowerPoint file, unfortunately if you convert to Flash via publishing in Articulate Presenter, the background fill on the circle gets lost if the circle is grouped with the magnifying glass. So if you do plan to publish to Flash, best to use the approach described in slide 1 of her file, or keep the two objects (magnifying glass and circle) ungrouped. :)
James talked about Flash being able to accomplish the same effect. Here is a free tutorial on creating a Magnifying effect using Flash and Actionscript 3.0. The source code is provided in the tutorial. Create an Impressive Magnifying Effect with ActionScript 3.0
Because this Flash solution uses Actionscript 3.0, you will have to insert the Magnifying Effect as a Web Object for it to work in Articulate Presenter.
Bruce, that's the idea and the method is correct but I think this is a Rube Goldberg approach to a very simple technique. Check out this video. It's using masks and the two image technique that I was hinting at in my original post but I must say, Bruce your post is very cool way of doing this technique.
BTW - Poornima -- I think it's great that you are sharing some cool ideas and I hope some of my comments don't sound bombastic. I only wanted to point out that there are many ways to accomplish the same thing and my intent is to inspire people to think outside of the box. Again, keep up the posts. You really have some nice ideas.
13 Replies
Demo PPT attached in this post... Could not upload both the attachments together.
Poornima-
I'm learning alot from you. I just started with Articulate not to long ago and your work is awesome.
This is a pretty common technique used in Flash. Very easy to create and what's cool about flash is that when the magnifying glass moves various sections of the image become larger. What I'm seeing with MS is that they like the cool tweening effects in Flash and they want to be able to create these same tweens in Power Point. However until MS comes up with frames and layers, you will never be able to create the awsome flash effects.
Basically to create in PPTx 2010 you may use shape subtract or a rounded marquee screen shot effect. I actually used Snag-it and Adobe CS3 Fireworks for the Ladybug effect.
What I did was this.
1. Opened Power Point
2. Searched for LadyBug in clipard
3. Inserted the image onto the desktop
4. Enlarged the image and grabbed a screen shot
5. I used fireworks to crop the rounded image.
6. I just copied the magnifying glass from Poornima's ppt.
7. I then ungrouped her image.
8. then I added my image and then I set the magnifying glass above the image.
10. Then I grouped them.
Again, this is a very simple effect to accomplish in power point 2007 or 2010.
If you have SnagIt, you can do a magnify, (which I only just found recently), via Highlight image area> image > spotlight and magnify.
I went very heavy on the "background blur" option here.
Bruce
When I try and do it with Snag-it magnify it doesn't do to good of a job. That's why I enlarge a copy of the original image to some enormous size, crop out what I want to add, and then use that in my magnifying glass. Another cool use of this effect is with a microscope.
I second what Venice said -- Poornima shares so many inspiring ideas!
Quick note regarding slide 2 in the PowerPoint file that Poornima attached above... it describes how to use the slide background as the fill for the circle within the magnifying glass. While that can work well with a straight PowerPoint file, unfortunately if you convert to Flash via publishing in Articulate Presenter, the background fill on the circle gets lost if the circle is grouped with the magnifying glass. So if you do plan to publish to Flash, best to use the approach described in slide 1 of her file, or keep the two objects (magnifying glass and circle) ungrouped. :)
James talked about Flash being able to accomplish the same effect. Here is a free tutorial on creating a Magnifying effect using Flash and Actionscript 3.0. The source code is provided in the tutorial. Create an Impressive Magnifying Effect with ActionScript 3.0
Because this Flash solution uses Actionscript 3.0, you will have to insert the Magnifying Effect as a Web Object for it to work in Articulate Presenter.
Regards
Bruce, that's the idea and the method is correct but I think this is a Rube Goldberg approach to a very simple technique. Check out this video. It's using masks and the two image technique that I was hinting at in my original post but I must say, Bruce your post is very cool way of doing this technique.
BTW - Poornima -- I think it's great that you are sharing some cool ideas and I hope some of my comments don't sound bombastic. I only wanted to point out that there are many ways to accomplish the same thing and my intent is to inspire people to think outside of the box. Again, keep up the posts. You really have some nice ideas.
Here is the video of the masking magnifying technique.
Found another cool example in MS Clipart.
Jeanette is right; last year when I made the Screenr on this technique https://player.vimeo.com/video/204928437, it worked well in PowerPoint, but not Articulate. However, I came up with some workarounds for Articulate users that you can see here https://player.vimeo.com/video/204930270
LindaLor
Great to know that the lens has triggered a lot of brain storming ideas.
@ James Brown - Its very encouraging to learn new ideas from you! Thanks for all ur effort.
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