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PowerPoint Plus
PowerPlugs PhotoActive FX
by Geetesh Bajaj, August 2nd 2003
Introduction
Download & Installation
About PhotoActive FX
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Introduction
Adding some pizzazz to your next PowerPoint presentation can be
easy with PhotoActive FX from CrystalGraphics. This two volume
add-in for PowerPoint allows you to create photo effects right
inside PowerPoint. It also includes a video rendering engine that
creates customized video clips that integrate seamlessly within
your presentation.
CrystalGraphics, based in Santa Clara, California, United States
is probably the largest provider of PowerPoint add-ins. Their PowerPlugs
series of add-ins include Transitions, Music, SuperShapes, Headings
and PhotoActive FX, the subject of this review. In addition, CrystalGraphics
also creates a combo collection of PowerPoint add-ins called the
Ultimate Combo.
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Download & Installation
You can download a demo version of PhotoActive FX from the CrystalGraphics
website:
Download
Demo
The download weighs over 9 mb. Installation is simple - just click
the downloaded file to install the product. The next time you run
PowerPoint, you'll find a small PhotoActive FX toolbar within the
program. Also, you'll find two new options in your Format menu.
In addition, you'll find a new PhotoActive FX group within your
Windows Start menu.
If you have more than one version of PowerPoint installed on your
system, you'll find that PhotoActive FX shows up only in the latest
version of PowerPoint. To enable it in an older version of PowerPoint,
follow these steps:
- Open the version of PowerPoint in which PhotoActive FX does
not show up.
- While PowerPoint is still active, go to your Windows Start
menu and choose the 'Reconfigure' option from the PowerPlugs/PhotoActive
FX group.
- Within the Reconfigure dialog box, click the Remove option.
Thereafter, click the 'Add into PowerPoint button.
- PhotoActive FX should now show up in the open PowerPoint window.
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About PhotoActive FX
Now that we have got the installation issues resolved, let's get
to actually using PhotoActive FX. PhotoActive FX comes in two volumes
and each volume contains both still and animated effects. For this
review, I have both volumes installed. CrystalGraphics sells both
volumes individually - you can also buy a combined version. In
addition, PhotoActive FX is also available as a component of the
Ultimate Combo suite of PowerPoint add-ins.
The current version of PhotoActive FX is 1.33 and it works with
PowerPoint 97, 2000 and 2002. I had no problem using the add-in
(version 1.33) with a pre-release copy of PowerPoint 2003 as well.
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