Countdown Timer for PowerPoint.

Jason King

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Jul 29, 2004, 1:29:58 PM7/29/04

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Hi,

I want to use a countdown timer movie (quicktime format) or
presentation file within powerpoint before a church worship service. I
want to display minutes, seconds, tenths of seconds. Are there any
resources out there that would meet this need?

Thanks in advance.

Jason King

David M. Marcovitz

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Jul 29, 2004, 1:38:50 PM7/29/04

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You might check out Clocks and Timers for PowerPoint in the PPTFaq, but
I'm not sure if any of the recommendations work on the Mac:

http://www.rdpslides.com/pptfaq/FAQ00081.htm

--David

--
David M. Marcovitz, Ph.D.
Director of Graduate Programs in Educational Technology
Loyola College in Maryland
Author of _Powerful PowerPoint for Educators_
http://www.loyola.edu/education/PowerfulPowerPoint/

jaso...@bfchemet.org (Jason King) wrote in
news:b1b558e4.04072...@posting.google.com:

Jim Gordon MVP

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Jul 29, 2004, 8:12:42 PM7/29/04

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Hi

It sounds like Presenter Tools is exactly what you are looking for:
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/powerpoint2004/powerpoint2004.aspx?pid=highlights

They are free with your purchase of PowerPoint 2004.

-Jim

--
Jim Gordon
Mac MVP
MVP FAQ
<http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;mvpfaqs>

Jason King

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Jul 30, 2004, 2:58:04 PM7/30/04

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Thanks for the suggestions. I should have been more specific in my
request. I want to display a countdown clock on a sanctuary screen,
via PowerPoint, that would communicate to a church congregation that
the worship service would begin in x minutes, seconds, hundreds of
seconds. Sorry for not being more specific.

Jason

jaso...@bfchemet.org (Jason King) wrote in message news:<b1b558e4.04072...@posting.google.com>...

David M. Marcovitz

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Jul 30, 2004, 3:45:03 PM7/30/04

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The following macro might do what you want.

Create a presentation.

Go to the Tools menu - choose Macro - choose Visual Basic Editor.

Go to the Insert menu and choose Module.

Copy and paste the following (everything from the line that starts with
Sub to the line that has End Sub) into the module.

Choose Close and Return to Microsoft PowerPoint from the PowerPoint menu.

On the first slide put a button, and set the Action Settings to run the
macro BeginCount.

On the second slide, make the slide a title slide and put anything you
want in the title area (the code will change it).

Run the Slide Show and click on the button on the first slide. It will
ask you how many minutes until the start of the service. Type in a
number and hit OK. Voila.

It's not perfect, but it should do the trick. The biggest flaw is that
when the seconds are at 0, it won't display 00.

I'll send you a copy of the presentation to your email listed here.

Sub BeginCount()
Dim serviceStart As Long
Dim serviceStartTime As Long
Dim minutes As Long
Dim seconds As Long

serviceStart = _
InputBox("How many minutes until the service will begin?")
If serviceStart > 1000 Or serviceStart < 0 Then
MsgBox "Sorry, you must pick a number between 0 and 1000"
Else
ActivePresentation.SlideShowWindow.View.Next
serviceStartTime = (serviceStart * 60) + Timer
While Timer < serviceStartTime
DoEvents
minutes = Int((serviceStartTime - Timer) / 60)
seconds = (serviceStartTime - Timer) Mod 60

ActivePresentation.SlideShowWindow.View.Slide _
.Shapes(1).TextFrame.TextRange.Text = _
"The service will begin in " & minutes & ":" & seconds
Wend
End If
End Sub

--
David M. Marcovitz, Ph.D.
Director of Graduate Programs in Educational Technology
Loyola College in Maryland
Author of _Powerful PowerPoint for Educators_
http://www.loyola.edu/education/PowerfulPowerPoint/