PowerPoint has an extensive feature set which can handle almost any task a user would want for building a presentation. Many users limit themselves to only the basic task of creating a static visual layout on a series of slides. However this program also provides the option to animate elements and slide transitions in a vast array of ways, as well as add narration and automation to the presentation.
Since Six Sigma teams sometimes use PowerPoint presentations as visual aids when members are providing live updates on a project and sometimes send them out as stand alone documents, they may want to create two different versions of a presentation. One can be a basic visual aid with text and graphics that they manually walk an audience through in a meeting. The other can have a built-in soundtrack that walks the viewer through the presentation as if he or she were seeing a live presentation. PowerPoint lets you save versions of the slide show with and without the narration and animation enabled. Another option is to save one version with timing automated, as for standalone presentations, and one with manual slide advancing, as for walking through updates with a project team. Handouts with slides plus additional information are also useful in some situations.
Users can even determine the appropriate timings to set for each slide using the "Rehearse Timing" feature, which records how long each slide is shown during a run-through of the presentation. One can keep notes with each slide and with the use of two monitors, view the notes, along with the slides, in "Presenter View" while the audience sees only the slides.
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Animation features include numerous options for sound and visual effect upon transitioning to a new slide, which can be set individually for each slide. Slides can include text, graphics created in other programs, charts, SmartArt graphics and WordArt. The program includes about 20 design themes that can be used or users can customize their own using different colors, background styles, fonts and more.
For advanced users, PowerPoint includes the ability to create Macros.
