OpenOffice.org Training, Tips, and Ideas

Using the "Format > Default Formatting" feature in presentations

The best approach to formatting in OpenOffice.org presentations is to let all the formatting flow from the template.

If you do manual formatting on some words in the presentation, then that will stick when you switch or modify the template. Then you'll be stuck with a few red headings, or other formatting that doesn't look good in the new or modified template.

Here's what you do to remove all that manual formatting and let the template formatting flow through to every part of every slide.

1. Click the Outline tab at the top of the work area.
2. Click in the text area of the Outline tab and Select All.
3. Choose Format > Default Formatting.

And there you are. All the manual formatting is gone, and your presentation adapts to whatever template you're on.

Making a Specific Template Come Up When You Create Any New Document, in OpenOffice.org Writer, Calc, Impress, or Draw (repost)

This is a very useful feature, I think, so I'm reposting it.

Anytime you can help people do something without actually have them do anything is great for them and great for you.

Templates are a great way to save time. Set up templates with the styles, graphics, etc. that people need, and they don't need to re-create them. (Or create them in the first place.)

However, getting users to use the templates is another step. For them, choosing File > New > Templates and Documents might not be something some will want to do or remember to do every time.

What if one of the templates you've created is one that many or all users use all the time as the basis for new documents?   You can make it come up when users just choose File > New > [type of document] by setting it as the default template. I.e. the user uses the template but doesn't even need to select it.

First, create a new document and make it how you want it: create styles, apply styles, include canned text, whatever.

Choose File > Templates > Save. Select a category and name the template. Click OK.

Choose File > Templates > Organize.

Open the category your template is in, in the left side.

Right-click on the template and choose Set as Default Template.

Click Close. You're done! Choose File > New > [type of document] and you'll see the effect.

To switch back to the normal original boring blank document, repeat the steps but this time choose Reset Default Template > [type of document]

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Updated the 10th: An Impress PDF presentation on OpenOffice.org 3.0 features

I created this presentation  for a client, about the 3.0 features in OpenOffice.org. I'm going to do a more detailed article but I thought I would post this since I've done it. Here's the solver.ods spreadsheet you can use to fiddle with.

I got pretty excited about some of them, especially the 3-up layout with lines already in there, and the far easier Impress handout printing.

And for those who like a good cross-reference, you don't need to create them first; you can just point to a heading in a list and select it, to make the cross-reference.

Also very exciting is the PDF editing, which does some very Adobe Acrobat type things. It's in an extension you can get here.

In the words of Douglas Adams, share and enjoy!

The simple and elegant PhotoAlbum extension for OpenOffice.org Impress

Once I installed this extension, it took me about six seconds to create a presentation based on a directory of graphics, one slide for each graphic.

http://extensions.services.openoffice.org/node/419

Download the extension, don't unzip it, then choose Tools > Extension Manager as always to add it.

Then choose Tools > Addons > Create Photo Album.

Point to the directory where your graphics are. That's it. You get a presentation.

Only thing is, the randomly chosen slide transitions are a little annoying, so click the Slide Transitions item, select No Transition (or something you like), then click Apply to All Slides. And you can use that pane also to change the amount of time on each slide, or to switch it to manually going from one slide to another.

 

Creating templates, and documents based on templates

This is a "classic" post but important and useful. See also info on styles .

Let's say you have the following:

• A bunch of styles you need to have when you create a document.
• Some canned text, like your signature or a graphic logo, that you use in a lot of documents
• Or you just have to make sure that all your white papers or customer contracts or brochures follow certain formatting standards
  

You are an excellent candidate for using templates. Templates are documents that store styles, text, graphics, general formatting—whatever you want. You create a document, save it as a template in the Template Place, then point to that template when you want to create a new document using what it's got.

Making a Template

Open a new document.

Put in it what you want in the template. Styles, graphics, text of every kind and variety. Whatever.

Then choose File > Templates > Save.

Specify My Templates unless you have another idea for a category.

(To create a new category, click the Organizer button, select a category in the button that appears, right-click on it and choose New. An untitled category will appear. IMMEDIATELY start typing the name of your new category. Click somewhere else in the category list when you're done typing. Click Close.)

Type the name of your template like Meeting Minutes.

Click OK.

Now you've got a template.

Using a Template

You need to create a new document using that template.

Choose File > New > Templates and Documents.

Select the Template icon on the left.

Open the category you chose like My Templates. You'll see your template.

Click Open and you'll have a new untitled document based on that template.

The Coolest Part—Making That Template Come Up When You Create Any New Document

Choosing File > New > Templates and Documents is fine but what if that's your template you use all the time? You can make it come up when you just choose File > New > [type of document] by setting it as the default template.

Choose File > Templates > Organize.

Open the category your template is in, in the left side.

Right-click on the template and choose Set as Default Template.

Click Close. You're done! Choose File > New > [type of document] and you'll see the effect.

To switch back to the normal original boring blank document, repeat the steps but this time choose Reset Default Template > [type of document]

Pointing to an Existing Directory of Templates

If you have a bunch of templates, Microsoft or OpenOffice.org, set up OpenOffice.org to know where they are. Then you can get to them as above by choosing File > New > Templates and Documents.

Converting, If You Want to Point to Microsoft Format Templates
First, if they're in Microsoft format, you need to convert them to OpenOffice format. Choose File > Wizards > Document Converter. Follow the wizard through to create a converted set of copies of the templates.

Step 1.

Step 2, then just follow the wizard as prompted.

Pointing to Templates to Use
Now, choose Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org > Paths. Select the Templates line.

Click Edit, then click Add, and add the path to the templates you want to point to. (Click this image to see a larger version if you like.)

Click OK, and OK, and OK  again.

Now you'll see the templates when you choose File > New > Templates and Documents.

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Download this graphic if you want lines in your OpenOffice.org Impress presentations

If you want your handouts to look like this, with lines:

Then right-click on the following lines graphic and choose to download it. Put it somewhere you'll find it like your desktop or user directory.

Then when you want lines in your handouts, choose the three-per-page handout. Drag the little boxes representing the slides to the left side of the page. Then choose Insert > Picture > From File, find the graphic (linesgraphic_forhandouts.png or whatever you named it) and put in where you want  it in the handouts.

The graphic will look like this. If you don't see all the lines, don't worry. They're there; they just aren't always displayed because of some sort of pixel graphic thing. ;>

To print handouts, choose to print, then click Options. Select the Handouts checkbox, unmark Drawing, and click OK.

Then pick your printer and click OK.

User-defined motion paths in OpenOffice Impress 2.3 and higher

Back in the good old days of 1.x, you could draw a line, then draw an object, and make the object move along whatever line that was. It was great.

Then the lovely redesign of Impress came, and that user-defined motion path feature got lost along the way.  It was a sad time.

However, now in 2.3 it's back! It works slightly differently, but it's great. In addition, you can edit the existing motion paths like the stars, etc. Here's how it works.

Draw an object, then under Custom Animation’s Motion Paths tab, select any one of the first three effects.

Your cursor will change so that it will draw the kind of line you selected. Draw the path that you want the object to follow. Then run the presentation to see the effect.



To edit existing motion paths, just apply a standard motion path like Eight-Point Star or Diamond. The path will appear in the slide. Click on the path and expand it; you’ll get another path (there’ll be two diamonds, for instance). Delete the old path, and you’re good.

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Sun Presentation Minimizer for OpenOffice or StarOffice

I came across this a few days ago on Lifehacker.

"Windows/Mac/Linux: With pictures, videos, and high-resolution fonts, slideshows can make up some pretty big files—fine if you've got a large enough thumb drive or CD-R, but what if you have to email them? Sun Presentation Manager, a free extension for OpenOffice, shrinks down files by compressing graphics, deleting hidden slides, and creating static versions of linked objects. It works similar to the PowerPoint-based PPTminimizer, but without the $40 fee and exclusive Office platform—you can use the extension on either OpenOffice files or imported PowerPoint projects. Sun Presentation Manager is a free download, and requires OpenOffice 2.3 or StarOffice 8 or later."

http://lifehacker.com/350774/shrink-powerpointopenoffice-slides-with-sun-presentation-minimizer

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Resizing the slides in OpenOffice Impress Handouts

This excellent tip comes to me from Robert.

You can specify the number of slides in your Presentation handouts. Click the Handouts tab at the top  of the work area and you get this view. Pick 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6 slides per page.

But sometimes the slide placeholders are kind of small. Really small. It varies a bit depending on what your page orientation was when you made the change.

One thing you can do is switch between number of slides per page, like from 6 to 2 to 3. That can help.

Another approach, you're thinking is "Hey, why not resize the slides????" That would be nice, but when you move your mouse over the corner handle, you get the "denied!" ghostbusters symbol.

But, this is not the end of the line. Robert's type is that the size of the object is protected, with a window you've seen before, the run-of-the-mill Position and Size window. How to get to that window? Just select the slide object, and choose Format > Position and Size, or press F4.

See? The size was protected. No wonder you couldn't resize it.

So unmark the Size checkmark. It's that simple.

You might want to, just for consistency among the sizes of your slides, set the measurement of the slide here. It's easiest to select Keep Ratio, and just set the width. Click OK.

Or you can move your mouse over the corner handle and resize manually. Hold down the Shift key to keep the aspect ratio consistent.

Repeat for the other slides.

You will need to reposition the slides.  Drag them manually. To align them, select two or more, right click and choose Alignment, and the option you need.

Probably Unnecessary but Optional Additional Help for Even Spacing of Slides

Distribution, which helps you make slides evenly spaced apart, isn't available, so turn on View Grid and Snap to Grid if you want a little help.

To make the grid a little darker, choose Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org > Appearance.

To make changes  to the grid itself, expand the Impress option and make changes under the Grid suboption.

 

You can also zoom in for better magnification to help you make adjustments.

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Numbering in Impress slides

Numbering is....not perfect.

You can do this just fine. Select your bullet points, choose Format > Numbering and Bullets, click the numbering style tab, select a number format, click OK, and you're good.

But what if you want a normal unnumbered line in the main text area, then start with a numbered list that, of course starts a one? You can't (not easily) because numbering starts on the first item in the main text area. This is what happens if you select the second and subsequent items and apply numbering.

There is one hack and one workaround.

The Hack: Offset the first line so it starts a zero.
1. Select the items you want numbered. Choose Format > Bullets and Numbering, Njumbering Type tab, select your numbering format as usual.

2. Then click the Customize tab. Select Level 1 in the level list at the left.

3. Type 0 (zero) in the Start At field.

4. Click OK. Now the unnumbered item thinks it's 0.

Can you set it farther back like -1? No.

The Workaround: Just type your numbers.

It's easier than struggling to make Impress do something it won't, and of course there are no formatting snafus if you go back and forth between Impress and Powerpoint.

The Other Workaround: Does it really need to be a numbered list?

If not, use bullets.

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Sharing OpenOffice Impress (and Powerpoint) Presentations Online

If you find yourself emailing versions of a presentation around to collaborators, consider one or more of these instead. They're online sites that let you share your presentations.

http://www.kuanhoong.com/2008/01/08/5-ways-to-upload-store-share-or-present-your-powerpoint-files/

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Setting the default fonts for OpenOffice Writer

When you choose to create a new Writer document, you don't pick what font appears by default -- one is chosen for you. Often something like Thorndale, or a nice Nimbus Sans L, 12-point. If you then apply a heading, then a different font is used.

I don't really like the defaults, so I change the font.

Changing the font every time you create a new document is a bit of a pain, though. It's possible to set up OpenOffice so that when you create new documents, they're  the font you want.

Choose Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org Writer > Basic Fonts (Western). Click the following illustration to see it bigger.

Go through the window and just pick the fonts and font sizes that you want for the various categories. Click OK; if you want to get back to the original settings some other time, just click Defaults.

Default -- This is the font and font size for the normal text, Default and Text Body styles. If it's not a heading, it's this.

Heading -- This is the font used for anything you apply Heading1, Heading2, etc. to. The font size you pick is for Heading1 and it gets smaller from there.

List -- I couldn't get list to work. So it doesn't matter what you put here.

Caption -- If you click a picture or table and choose Insert > Caption, this is the font and size that will be used.

Index -- The font used for tables of contents and indexes.

Here's an illustration of a document with the settings shown in the Options window. Click the illustration to see it a little bigger. Note that the list content is the same as the text body content because the list font settings don't seem to work.

When you change the default font settings, only new documents are affected, not existing documents.

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