The Object Packager is a feature that's part of all versions of Windows since Windows 3.1. It provides a way to embed videos (or anything else) within a PowerPoint presentation.

1. In your active PowerPoint slide, choose the Insert | Object... option. This will present you with the "Insert Object" dialog box.

2. In the "Object Type" listing, choose the "Package" option. Make sure that the "Create New" radio button is checked and click OK. This will present you with the Object Packager interface.

3. Choose File | Import... , navigate to your video file and cick "Open". Within Object Packager, click File | Update followed by File | Exit. This will bring you back to PowerPoint.

4. Right click the object within PowerPoint and choose Custom Animation. In Powerpoint 2002 and 2003, this will activate the Custom Animation task pane. Choose Add Effect | Object Animation | Activate Contents within the task pane.

5. Drag the package icon slightly off and outside the slide area if required. You can choose the OnClick or After Previous option in the Start drop down menu of the Custom Animation task pane - but I would rather leave it at OnClick if the icon has not been dragged off the slide.

Using the technique above, you can embed almost any file in most Microsoft Office applications - but there are a couple of caveats you need to be aware of:

1. You will always get a warning message about viruses.

2. Object Packager is not a ery stable application - its looks confirm its Windows 3.1 ancestry.

3. The files packaged this way will always open in their associated application - and does not look elegant especially if you are presenting to an audience.

4. This technique will not work with the PowerPoint Viewer.

Having said that, this is a great way to embed those RealMedia and QuickTime files that PowerPoint will not play by default.

Related Link:

Create a ZIP EXE with a PowerPoint presentation:
http://www.indezine.com/products/powerpoint/cool/zipexe.html

Thursday, August 26, 2004