The easiest way to insert Flash content is to use the Flash Movie tool, which is part of Shyam's toolbox, on the CD that comes with this book.
| Note |
The Flash object will always remain on top in the presentation. You can't layer it or place anything on top of it. |
You can also set it up manually, but it's a bit complicated. Before you start, make sure you have the Shockwave Flash ActiveX Object installed. If you have ever visited a Web site that uses Flash and downloaded the control when prompted, then you already have it.
Then follow these steps:
Display the Control Toolbox toolbar.
Click More Controls.
Choose Shockwave Flash Object. Draw a box where you want the content to be placed.
Right-click the box and choose Properties. This will open a Visual Basic code window.
In the Movie property, in the Value box, type the full path to the file. Make sure the Playing property is set to True.
Return to PowerPoint and save it. Then, try running it.
The preceding steps, by the way, are based on an excellent article found at www.flashgeek.com/index. If you need more detail, check out that original article.
If you get a red X instead of the object, check the version of the Shockwave component and the version of the Flash movie. The Flash ActiveX component must be at least as high a number as the Flash movie. If you are creating the Flash movie yourself, save it as Flash 3 so it will run on any machine.
| Tip |
To make a Flash movie rewind automatically, get the FlashBack add-in, available at www.mvps.org/skp/flashback. |