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Create Flash Presentations - Powerbullet Presenter

September 22, 2010
Create Flash Presentations - Powerbullet Presenter

Powerbullet Presenter: A User-Friendly Flash Animation Tool

Recently, MakeUseOf hosted a giveaway featuring a useful flash conversion utility. Such tools are often difficult to obtain without cost, particularly those capable of tasks like transforming flash videos into animated GIFs or screensavers.

Previously, guidance has been provided on converting PDF documents into flash movies, developing flash-based websites, and both downloading and playing SWF and FLV files.

Furthermore, instructions were given on crafting personalized flash galleries. Now, the creation of flash animations and presentations is achievable through the exceptionally intuitive application, Powerbullet Presenter.

Key Features and Capabilities

Powerbullet is a compact download, initially measuring 2.6MB, but expanding to 7.41MB upon installation. The application’s official website states its purpose is to enable users to create:

multi-page presentations commonly utilized in electronic sales brochures and catalogues, splash screens, tutorials, slide-shows, and student projects.

A significant advantage of Powerbullet lies in its accessibility. It empowers users without extensive technical skills to produce polished animations.

The software excels at simplifying the animation process. Creating visually appealing content doesn't require a steep learning curve.

Powerbullet Presenter provides a straightforward method for generating dynamic presentations. It’s a valuable resource for a wide range of applications.

Adding and Constructing Page Components

Various image formats, including PNG, GIF, and JPEG, can be added to the Powerbullet workspace via drag-and-drop functionality (or by using the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + I for image insertion). Similarly, MP3 and WAV audio files, or recorded voice notes, can be incorporated.

The Powerbullet work area functions as a page, conceptually similar to a slide in presentation software like PowerPoint.

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A product can be structured with multiple pages, allowing for the development of sequential animations. When utilizing multiple pages, options are available to include navigable arrows for manual transitions.

Alternatively, automatic progression to subsequent pages can be enabled.

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Text can be inserted into your presentation (using the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + T). A variety of shapes are also supported, including ovals (Ctrl + Shift + O) and rectangles (Ctrl + Shift + R).

These rectangles can be utilized as colored backgrounds for enhanced visual appeal.

Lines (Ctrl + Shift + N), bulleted lists (Ctrl + Shift + L), and tables (Ctrl + Shift + B) can also be added.

Images copied from the clipboard can be pasted directly into the work area with the command Ctrl + Shift + P.

For quick access to these elements, the Insert bar provides readily available buttons.

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To achieve a visually appealing gradient background, consult the tutorial provided by YouTube technology expert, Tinkernut.

Enhancing Web Pages with Animation

To imbue dynamism into your webpage, right-click on any incorporated image or text element. Then, select Item effects from the context menu (or utilize the keyboard shortcut Ctrl +\). Alternatively, an element can be selected and the animation options accessed via Selection > Animation and effects.

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A diverse collection of over 20 distinct effects is available to elevate the visual appeal of even the most static presentation.

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Furthermore, the ability to loop animations and introduce delays is provided. This allows for staggered appearances, creating a more engaging and visually interesting experience.

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A preview of these effects, as applied to the current page, can be initiated by pressing the F2 key. Alternatively, navigate to Page in the menu bar and choose Preview.

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This action will launch your default web browser and display the flash presentation. To view the complete presentation, rather than just the current page shown in the Preview mode, it is necessary to save your work and utilize the Export function (Ctrl + E).

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Following the export process, a Powerbullet folder will be created in your designated save location (in this instance, a Dropbox folder). This folder will contain several files ready for sharing, including a Windows executable, the flash file itself (in SWF format), and an .htm file.

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The flash and .htm files can then be uploaded to your FTP server. This is a method employed by services like Tinkernut to create quick, interactive introductory banners that direct users to a website. This redirection is easily implemented by inserting a hyperlink (accessible via Insert > Page link).

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The .htm file should render correctly within your web browser. However, you may also experiment with SWF and FLV players for alternative viewing options.

Below is a concise flash presentation crafted using Powerbullet:

Should you be aware of comparable, freely available software, please share your recommendations in the comments section!

Image credit: Scott Copeland

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