• Registered: 2006-08-29
  • Posts: 272

Topic: Adobe Presenter

From what I understand, Adobe Presenter (released today?) is a plug-in that lets you convert Powerpoint presentations to Flash format for display on the net.

I am wondering if we could use this to convert animations/presentations created in Powerpoint to Flash...which can then be used as widgets for displaying on Chumby.

There is a free trial download available here: http://www.adobe.com/products/presenter/

Could someone possibly explore this and let me know the result?

This would make Chumby widget-making heaps more accessible for mere mortals like me and a lot more accessible to the "connected youth" who, in Australia at least, all learn Powerpoint at school. Powerpoint is also freely available in local libraries/telecentres etc. I have used Hypercard and Powerpoint to create animations over the years but haven't had the opportunity to play with Flash, as yet.

If this works, it would make chumby Flash hacking/widget creation accessible to a much greater number of people than it is at present, enhancing chumby's appeal for people who prefer creating with technology rather than just consuming.

I could then see Chumby being used as a study aid...displaying flashcards of notes created by the student...sent to other students...(huge marketing angle here if you would like to grab this idea chumby people!).

Perhaps, the Chumbians could have a chat with their Adobe contact person.... smile

(And then me...I'm a teacher by trade...willing to freelance...adores chumby...cute...funny... big_smile )

  • Duane
  • Duane
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  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2006-08-24
  • Posts: 8,197

Re: Adobe Presenter

It's hard to tell from their presentation, but most of the newer Adobe/Macromedia products seem to be targeting Flash 8 or 9.

Duane's Website

  • From: United Kingdom
  • Registered: 2006-08-28
  • Posts: 245

Re: Adobe Presenter

somebody could maybe write an application that makes it easy to make chumby widgets. anybody seen LCD studio? im thinking something like that. it could have modules for say RSS feeds, mp3 player, clock, everything you could want, and be WYSIWYG.

need upload space for the forums or a chumby blog? right here then
http://www.nophus.com/useru
username is chumby
password is chumby

chedabob's Website

4 Reply by Angela (edited by Angela 2006-09-20 01:20:19)

  • Registered: 2006-08-29
  • Posts: 272

Re: Adobe Presenter

I think Duane did say they are working on something like this. I think it is essential. It would just open chumby up to so many more people...including me. The will is there...I need the way!

I think Adobe Presenter is replacing an older Macromedia product called Breeze...perhaps the older product would be compatible with Flash 7...I have no real clue about all this...but shouldn't the new product be backwards compatible anyway??? Is there another solution?

Might this work?

http://jooreports.sourceforge.net/?q=jooconverter/

  • Registered: 2006-08-27
  • Posts: 37

Re: Adobe Presenter

Forget Adobe Presenter (and I know more than enough about it smile)
It generates Flash 7 files but they are too big for everything.

(also, it's not a new product. It's just Macromedia Breeze Presenter renamed to Adobe Presenter).

You may have more luck with Captivate (Macromedia or Adobe). It also generates Flash 7 files but they are single SWF and I think there are some options to generate FlashLite content (or at least something more suited for mobile devices).

  • From: United Kingdom
  • Registered: 2006-08-28
  • Posts: 245

Re: Adobe Presenter

isnt captivate just for tutorials?

need upload space for the forums or a chumby blog? right here then
http://www.nophus.com/useru
username is chumby
password is chumby

chedabob's Website

  • Registered: 2006-08-27
  • Posts: 37

Re: Adobe Presenter

It actually let you make things like picture slideshows and basic slides, on top of creating application demos and tutorials and instructional courses

  • Registered: 2006-08-29
  • Posts: 272

Re: Adobe Presenter

Um...maybe this could work....could someone software-smart give me some feedback?

http://labnol.blogspot.com/2006/09/embe … flash.html

It looks like a workaround that will change .ppt files to .png which then can be uploaded to flickr and then embedded in a website using Flash.

Well....we have a flickr widget....we have FlashLite....so???

Could we program the flickr widget to play all photos in a set...possibly in relatively quick succession....like a slideshow???

Duane? How 'bout it?

                           ** IIIII wanna make widgets toooooooooo!! *stomp, stomp* tongue **

  • Registered: 2006-08-27
  • Posts: 37

Re: Adobe Presenter

If you are ok converting PowerPoint to static images that would do the trick. And it's pretty easy to convert PNG files to SWF (since FlashLite cannot load PNG natively) and write a widget that plays the slides one after the other.

There should be tools out there to convert PNG to SWF or we can quickly put one together.

I'll see if I can come up with something to post.

-- Raffaele

10 Reply by Angela (edited by Angela 2006-09-22 14:55:15)

  • Registered: 2006-08-29
  • Posts: 272

Re: Adobe Presenter

Thank you Raff!

I love that chumby is "open"...but some days it feels like it is "open" only to people with fairly high-end tech and craft skills. I imagine that most people working with chumby and on this forum have reached, or are capable of reaching in round-about ways, pretty high levels of skill/education...but this is meant to be an "open" product targetted to the general consumer market (alongside the hacker/gearhound market).  I am feeling quite passionate about making it even more accessible to young teens/tweens (also less tech-confident individuals), in particular.

I shouldn't have to have access to an A$1500 piece of software in order to be able to create for chumby. That is not "open". It has an "open" price tag of US$150...but it needs to be a bit more "open" when laypeople would like to modify it or they will feel jipped once they get chumby home. It promises openness and creativity...but not to your average 13 year old...which I think is kinda contradictory given the marketing message (my reading of it anyway!).

This is not exactly a negative though!! Don't take this the wrong way! I see it as an opportunity that I hope chumby's developers leave us with!  smile

I see the developer playing the role of technology mediator. The developer's role as being the ability to interpret this product to the end user. Interpret meaning not only explanation but also products that make chumby a little more accessible and easy to use. Does that make sense? That is our gap to fill.

That's my rant on "openness" for the day...heading back to the workbench for a bit more chumby hack planning! Gotta keep watering those blooming flowers! wink

  • Hammy
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  • Registered: 2006-12-05
  • Posts: 2

Re: Adobe Presenter

raff wrote:

If you are ok converting PowerPoint to static images that would do the trick. And it's pretty easy to convert PNG files to SWF (since FlashLite cannot load PNG natively) and write a widget that plays the slides one after the other.

There should be tools out there to convert PNG to SWF or we can quickly put one together.

I'll see if I can come up with something to post.

-- Raffaele

I think PPT format pretty nice too. And I think it's easy to use than PNG...
Well If talking about conversion PPT could be possible imported to FLASH or VIDEO in one two click. For example I use for this "presentation to video converter" at geovid. But anyway tastes differ and everyone work with more useful for him or her prog. That's my opinion. smile)

  • Registered: 2006-08-27
  • Posts: 37

Re: Adobe Presenter

Converting PPT to Flash is not easy (and I can tell you that smile) and the generated output, specially with animation would be too big and slow on a Chumby.

But you can build your slide show in PowerPoint and save it as images. With that it's easier to write a "player" that display the slides in sequence, possibly with an audio commentary (or just music).

PPT to video, even assuming you can view it on the chumby: it's probably going to be too much for the chumby to chew.

  • Alex
  • Alex
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  • Registered: 2007-06-07
  • Posts: 1

Re: Adobe Presenter

raff wrote:

Converting PPT to Flash is not easy (and I can tell you that smile) and the generated output, specially with animation would be too big and slow on a Chumby.

why do you think so ??
I use my geovid's ppt converter & haven't any problem with it.
I like this software for a simple understanding & ability to burn powerpoint to DVD among it's features.

http://www.geovid.com/Presentation_to_Video_Converter/

  • Registered: 2006-08-29
  • Posts: 204

Re: Adobe Presenter

Sorry, I didn't read the whole thing, so I may be a broken record here:

OpenOffice Presenter can open PPT's, and you export in Flash with and without the animations, in a size of your choosing.

  • Maha
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  • Registered: 2007-09-03
  • Posts: 4

Re: Adobe Presenter

Hello, I can a advice you to use VisiPPT on visifly.com if you want to make a real film from your PPT!!!
it is a very good program, i use  it long time and haven't problems smile)

16 Reply by jgaither (edited by jgaither 2007-09-05 12:31:22)

  • Registered: 2007-08-06
  • Posts: 36

Re: Adobe Presenter

Open Office can read power point  and it can export a Flash .swf file.  You can actually create the slides in Open Office too.  I have done this and put it on a USB stick and played it on the Chumby without any problems.

So forget Adobe Presenter, Open Office does it for free.

Just notice some before mentioned this.  So here is some more details

Limitations:
    Everything becomes a slide show, there can be no action buttons.  I tried setting it up to run a script but when exporting everthing gets flattened to just a slide show.

I wish there was an easier way to create widgets without learning how todo flash programming.

Can someone make a generic widget that used a replaceable image file for background, read a parameter file which would put 1to n buttons on the display.  And pressing the button would execute a script on the chumby (script path provided in parameter file).

I think this would enable alot of more novice script folks like me to do some cools stuff.

  • Registered: 2007-08-22
  • Posts: 29

Re: Adobe Presenter

what are we even talking about anymore? Pretty much, you're going to have to put your ppt onto some kind of remote server (eg gmail) and then run it through some external app to turn it into a readable flash movie in the form of a widget. I don't think there's any intention of putting openoffice.org or adobe presenter onto the chumby itself. To my understanding all apps on the chumby need to be able to run remotely. The general thing here is that you should be able to create a ppt, convert it to swf or whatnot and fetch it with the chumby. The only thing to make this process more efficient is if you could automate it so that you could just enter in a ppt, and it would be automatically converted into an swf and then entered into a database that was accessable from some kind of a chumby fetch widget. Please correct me if any  of this is totally off base. (sorry if I seem angry, I'm just not in a very good mood this evening)

  • gexy
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Re: Adobe Presenter

Alex wrote:
raff wrote:

Converting PPT to Flash is not easy (and I can tell you that smile) and the generated output, specially with animation would be too big and slow on a Chumby.

why do you think so ??
I use my geovid's ppt converter & haven't any problem with it.
I like this software for a simple understanding & ability to burn powerpoint to DVD among it's features.

http://www.geovid.com/Presentation_to_Video_Converter/

yeah i agree with you
i use it too and think that its great and very usefull))