PowerPoint 2010's default Animation Pane
allows you to perform many tasks such as
adding animation
to any slide object, changing the
animation event, and setting the
speed of the animation, as required. Most of the time, that may be all you need -- but at times, you may want more minute
control. You might want two animations to start at the same time, but you want one of them to start just two seconds before
the other. In situations like these, you'll need to use the Advanced Timeline option. Unlike in PowerPoint 2007 and previous
versions, you no longer need to change to the Advanced Timeline since that's the one that is active by default. However, you
may have turned it off to enable the Basic Timeline -- read on to find out how you can make the Advanced Timeline visible or
invisible by following these steps:
- Open your PowerPoint presentation which at least has one slide object animation. Now, access the
Animations tab of the Ribbon,
and click the Animation Pane button, as shown highlighted in red in
Figure 1. Remember that this is a toggle button. So, if your Animation Pane is
already visible, then clicking this button will make the pane disappear.
Figure 1: Animation Pane button
- You should now see the Animation Pane, with any animations on the slide visible, as
shown in Figure 2. If you see no animations listed, this means that none of the slide objects on your active
slide are animated. Go ahead and add at least one
animation.
Figure 2: Animation Pane with animation list
Within the Animation Pane, the Advanced Timeline is visible displaying the Timeline of the selected animation,
as shown highlighted in red in Figure 2, above. To ascertain whether this is
indeed the Advanced Timeline, select any animation in the list, and click the downward arrow, as shown highlighted in
red in Figure 3, below. Alternatively, just right-click on the animation --
either way you will reveal a drop-down menu as shown in Figure 3. Within the drop-down menu, do you see
the Hide Advanced Timeline option (highlighted in blue in
Figure 3)? In that case, you are already seeing the Advanced Timeline. You can go ahead and
click the Hide Advanced Timeline option.
Figure 3: Hide Advanced Timeline option to be selected
- Your Timeline will now no longer show the Advanced Timeline, as shown in Figure 4 -- compare
Figures 2 and 4. Whereas Figure 2 showed the Advanced Timeline,
Figure 4 shows you the Basic Timeline.
Figure 4: Basic Timeline
- You can quickly switch back to the Advanced Timeline by first selecting any animation in the list, and
click the downward arrow, as shown highlighted in red in Figure 5, below.
Alternatively, just right-click on the animation -- either way you will reveal a drop-down menu as shown in
Figure 5. Within the drop-down menu, do you see the Show Advanced Timeline option
(highlighted in blue in Figure 5)? In that case, you are not
seeing the Advanced Timeline. You can go ahead and select the Show Advanced Timeline
option now to go back to the Advanced Timeline.
Figure 5: Show Advanced Timeline option to be selected
- At this point of time, the Timeline is not too easy to edit since it is restricted to a very thin pane. However,
you can click on the handle of the Animation Pane (highlighted in blue in
Figure 2, shown earlier on this page) and drag it off to a new area on the screen that provides enough
space for a longer Timeline.
- Figure 6, below shows the Animation Pane is moved to the bottom of the
Slide Area. This will provide a longer
area to tweak the Timeline. Compare Figures 2 and 6 to see how the same Timeline now
is placed in a less restrictive area. Also if you are working on an extended display system with multiple monitors, you
can drag off the Timeline to a second display.
Figure 6: Animation Pane moved to the bottom of the slide
Tip: Once you are done using the Timeline, you can drag the Animation Pane back to its
default position in the same way as you dragged it away earlier.
- Save your presentation often.
Learn how to control
animation timings with advanced Timeline in PowerPoint 2010.
See Also:
Show/Hide the Animation
Advanced Timeline in PowerPoint 2013 for Windows
Show the Animation
Advanced Timeline in PowerPoint 2007 for Windows
