Topic 27: How to Work with PowerPoint 2007 Motion Paths?

[seema]

PowerPoint 2007 motion paths enable you to make an object fly onto or off of the slide, and also make it fly around on the slide in a particular motion path.

PowerPoint 2007 comes with dozens of motion paths, in every shape that you can imagine. To choose one of them for an object, follow the tutorial here.

To use preset PowerPoint 2007 motion paths

• On the slide, click the object to which you want to assign the motion path.
• The Custom Animation pane should contain an Add Effect ****on. If not, this means that you have not clicked the object on the slide.
• Click Add Effect ****on and point to Motion Paths and choose one of the paths or choose More Motion Paths from the submenu.
• If you choose More Motion Paths, the Add Motion Path dialog box appears.
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• Click the path that you want and click OK ****on.

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[seema]

• The motion path appears on the slide, next to the object.
  
  

• A green arrow shows where the object will begin, a dotted line shows the path that it will take, and a red arrow shows where the path ends.

• To change the starting point for the motion path, drag the green arrow. To change the ending point, drag the red arrow.

• You can change settings in the Custom Animation pane for the motion path, just as you would for any other custom animation. Remember to select the motion path first.
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• The Path: drop-down list have the following options:

• Unlocked/Locked: If the path is unlocked and you move the animated object on the slide, the path repositions itself with the object; if the path is locked, then it stays in the same place, even when you move the object on the slide.
  Edit Points: This option enables you to change the motion path.
  Reverse Path Direction: This option makes the animation run in the opposite direction.

• You can resize or reshape the motion path by dragging its selection handles (the circles around its frame); just like resizing any other object.

• To move the motion path, just click and drag the motion path to other place, just like moving any other object.

• You also can rotate the motion path by dragging the green circle at the top of the path; like rotating any other object

[seema]

To edit a motion path

• Select the motion path on the slide (not the object itself).
• In the Custom Animation pane, open the Path: drop-down list and choose Edit Points. Small black squares appear around the path.
  OR
  Right-click on the motion path and choose Edit Points.

• Point to one of the black squares; a slightly larger white square appears. These white squares are handles that you can drag to modify the point.

• Drag the square(s) to the intended direction to change the motion path.

To draw a custom motion path for an object

• On the slide, click the object to which you want to move.
• Display the Custom Animation pane and it should contain an Add Effect ****on.

• Click Add Effect ****on, point to Motion Paths then Draw Custom Paths and choose the type of path that you want: Line, Curve, Freeform, or Scribble.

• Drag to draw the path on the slide. Here are some hints:

• Line: Drag from the start point to the end point. The start point will have a green arrow, and the end point will have a red one.
  Curve: Click at the beginning of the line, and then move the mouse and click again to anchor the next point. Keep creating points until you have completely defined the curve.
  Freeform: Click for each anchor point that you want; straight lines will appear between the anchor points. You can click and drag to create non-straight lines too. Double-click when you are finished.
  Scribble: The pointer changes to a pencil. Draw on the slide with the mouse ****on held down. Double-click when you are finished.
  
  
  With this, I hope you can see the effects of the PowerPoint 2007 motion paths feature on the objects of your slides. Please note that the motion paths are different from the PowerPoint 2007 animation effects.