Insert Interactions and Manage in PowerPoint using Adobe Presenter

Adobe Presenter enables you to add interactions. So what are interactions? Essentially, these are static widgets in the form of SWF files. These widgets help you quickly set up standard user interactions, for example, interactions using accordions or tabs. Once you add an interaction on a slide within PowerPoint, you can customize it further. Follow these steps to learn how to insert an interaction:

1. Within PowerPoint, access the Adobe Presenter tab of the Ribbon, and click the top area of Interaction button (highlighted in red within Figure 1). Make sure to save the presentation once before adding an interaction.
2. 
   Figure 1: Interaction button
2. This opens the Insert Interaction dialog box, as you can see in Figure 2.
3. 
   Figure 2: Insert Interaction dialog box
4. Options within the Insert Interaction dialog box are explained below, as marked in Figure 2, above.

5. A. Categories

6. Here you'll find a sidebar with various types of interactions. Choose any one option.

7. B. Previews

8. Here you'll see a preview of the selected interaction and you can also make some basic edits.
3. Once you choose an interaction, you can do more. For example we chose the Accordion option -- note the preview area which now shows more options to make some basic edits to change the look of the interaction, as shown in Figure 3.
4. 
   Figure 3: Options to edit the look of the selected interaction
5. All the options within the preview area are explained below, as marked in Figure 3, above.

6. A. Themes

7. Here you can choose a different Theme for your selected interaction and change its look instantly. Note that this Theme has nothing to do with the Theme of your container PowerPoint presentation.

8. B. Preview / Edit Button Text

9. Shows the interaction after changes are applied. Although you can preview your interaction here, you can also make edits within this area. To edit, double-click the button text and the button content area to type your text. In addition within the button content area, you can also insert pictures (option highlighted in blue within Figure 4) and audio files (option highlighted in red within Figure 4).
10. 
    Figure 4: Editing button text

11. C. Custom

12. Click this tab to bring up the Custom options, as shown in Figure 5. There are three options within the Custom tab: Buttons, Content, and Header -- with the help of these options, you can choose the font type for text, text color, background color, or hide the header altogether.
13. 
    Figure 5: Custom options
14. For the Buttons, you can set colors for the three states: Up, Over, and Active, as shown in Figure 6.
15. Up is the state when users have not clicked the button.
16. Over is the state when users hover their mouse over the buttons.
17. Active is the state when users click the button.
18. 
    Figure 6: Button options

19. D. Full Screen

20. Click this button to hide the Themes and Custom tabs. To unhide the tabs back click the button which says Reduce Size, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 7, below.
21. 
    Figure 7: Reduce Size restores the tabs
22. The button with the Plus icon, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 3 earlier on this page, adds more buttons to the interactivity. To remove an existing button, just double-click it and click the button with the minus icon, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 8.
23. 
    Figure 8: Removing existing button
24. The example shown in this tutorial works with the Accordion interaction we selected. Other interactions any have different edit options.
4. Click the OK button to insert the interaction on the slide.
5. To preview the interaction, play your presentation by clicking the Preview button within the Adobe Presenter tab. To learn more about the Preview options, refer to our Preview Options in Adobe Presenter tutorial.
6. Make sure to save your presentation often.

There are some more options related to interactions. To explore them, click the down-arrow in Interaction button, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 9.

Figure 9: Interaction button down-arrow

This opens a drop-down menu, as shown in Figure 10.

Figure 10: Interaction drop-down menu

There are three options within the Interaction drop-down list, which are explained below:

1. Insert Interaction This option brings up the Insert Interaction dialog box, as shown in Figure 2 earlier on this page.
2. Manage Interactions When selected it brings up the Manage Interactions dialog box, as shown in Figure 11. Here you can see the list of interactions added within your presentation - whichever interaction you want to edit just select it and click the Edit button, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 11.
3. 
   Figure 11: Manage Interactions dialog box
3. Insert Scenario Interaction With this option you can create scenario-based training with easily customizable scenario interactions. Each scenario template contains the complete question vs answer flow. Learn more in our Insert Scenario Interaction using Adobe Presenter tutorial.