How to Add Flash in PowerPoint

Microsoft PowerPoint is an application in the Microsoft Office suite that is used to build slide presentations. Different types of objects and animation can be added to the slides, including movies. Adobe Flash is a graphics and animation package that can save files in a format that is compatible with PowerPoint. However, the format necessary for the Windows version of PowerPoint is different from the format needed in the Macintosh version of PowerPoint.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 for Windows A .SWF Flash file (for Windows users) Adobe Flash (for Macintosh users) Microsoft PowerPoint 2004/200 for Macintosh

PowerPoint 2007 for Windows

1. Click the "Office" menu in the upper left of PowerPoint 2007 and choose "PowerPoint Options."

2. 
    
   Developer under PowerPoint options

   Click the "Popular" category and click to check off the box next to "Show Developer Tab in Ribbon." Click "OK."

3. Click the "Developer" tab at the top of the screen and click "More Controls" (bottom right) in the "Control Panel."

4. 
    
   Shockwave Flash Object in the Control Window

   Choose "Shockwave Flash Object" from the alphabetical list. Click "OK."

5. 
    
   Flash object placeholder

   Click and drag on the slide to create a box to contain the flash video. It will look like a rectangle with a big X in it.

6. Click the "Office" menu and the command "Save" to save your presentation changes.

7. Right-click the flash object box on the slide and choose "Properties" from the pop-up menu.

8. 
    
   Flash Object Properties Windows

   Click the box to the right of "Custom" at the top of the "Properties" window and click the button on the far right of that line with three dots on it.

9. Enter the path on your computer to the SWF file you want to embed, and click the check box next to "Embed Movie." If your SWF file is in the same folder as your PowerPoint Presentation, just enter the filename. Click "OK."

10. Close the "Properties" window and click the "View" tab, then "Slide Show" (upper left) to preview the presentation and test the flash movie on the slide.

PowerPoint 2004/2008 for Macintosh

11. Open Adobe Flash and open the flash file (extension .FLA) you want to include in the PowerPoint presentation.

12. Click the "File" menu, then "Export" and "Export Movie." Choose "Quicktime Video" as the file type to export.

13. Give the Quicktime Video a name and save it to your hard drive. It will have the .MOV extension.

14. Close Flash and open "PowerPoint."

15. Click the "New Slide" button at the top of the window to add a new slide to the presentation.

16. Click the "Insert" menu and choose "Movie."

17. Select the .MOV file you just exported from Flash.

18. Click the "File" menu and "Save" to save the changes to the presentation. Then click the "Slide Show" icon in the lower left to preview the presentation and test the video.

Tips & Warnings

• In older versions of PowerPoint for Windows, the Controls Panel is accessed from the View menu Toolbars command. Third party companies, such as Wondershare, produce add-ons that place an "Insert Flash" button on the PowerPoint 2007 ribbon for adding Flash to a slide in one step.

Resources

• PowerPoint for Windows home page
• PowerPoint for Macintosh home page
• Adobe Flash