This article explains the main basic actions when setting up ACTIV presentation slides.
Managing Slides
Creating a New Slide
To add a new slide to your presentation, click the + button in the upper left corner of the tool.
Once you do this, you will be asked to choose a slide template, after which you will be able to start adding items/elements to your slide.
Tip: Enable the Copy background from selected slide option to include the background of the slide template, as this will save you some time (if you do not wish to use a different one).
Setting the Slide Title
Slides have titles, which will appear on the left-hand side of the page (beneath the slide thumbnail). By default, all slides will have a title of 'Slide' appended with a number starting from 1. So, each time you add a new slide, the number will be greater by 1 - e.g. Slide 1, Slide 2, Slide 3 and so on.
To add/change the title of a slide, update the text in the Slide title field (as per your requirement).
Tip: This is a handy way of 'labeling' your slides, as opposed to having to remember them by their default number (e.g. Slide 2, Slide 6 etc.).
Note: The Slide title field uses an auto-update function, so you do not need to press ENTER to save the new title. Notice how the slide title beneath the slide thumbnail (left-hand side of the page) changes automatically as you update the field.
Setting the Background
Slides can have backgrounds, which can either be a solid colour, or an image - or even a mix of both (if the image does not take up the full width of the slide).
To add a background to a slide, please do one of the following:
• Solid Colour: Click on the colour to open the swatch (default is white). Here you can choose your colour by clicking and dragging your mouse around the swatch, or you can enter your own colour via Hex or RGB.
Tip: Alternatively, if you wish to copy the colour from an element (within the editor screen) but are unsure of how to match it, click on the 'eye-dropper' icon instead. As you hover your mouse around the page, you'll notice a little box next to your mouse cursor that will change colour as per the element you are hovering. Once you are happy with the selection, simply click (once), and this will automatically set the slide background colour to the match the element you selected.
• Image: Click on the Add image button, which will open the presentation 'Library'. Here you can choose from the available (shared) images, or upload your own.
Note: If the slide already has a background set, you are given the option to replace it (using the Change image button), or delete it (using the 'trash can' icon).
Setting the Audio File
Slides can have an audio file attached, which will automatically play in the background once the slide is viewed/activated.
To add an audio file to a slide, click on the Add audio button, which will open the presentation 'Library'. Here you can choose from the available audio files, or upload your own.
Important: The file must be in .mp3 format, as this is the only allowed file type.
Note: If the slide already has an audio file set, you are given the option to replace it (using the Change audio button), or delete it (using the 'trash can' icon).
Cloning Slides
If you are creating slides that are quite similar, you can 'clone' an entire slide, which will create an exact duplicate (including any/all elements within).
To clone a slide, select the slide's thumbnail, then click on the clone 'double box' icon.
Arranging Slides
To change the order of your slides, click, hold & drag the slide's thumbnail to the position that you would like it to be in.
Deleting Slides
To delete an entire slide, click on the slide's thumbnail, then click on the delete 'trash can' icon.
Note: You will see a prompt asking you to confirm if you want to delete the slide.
Adding Items to Slides
All available items (also referred to as elements) that can be added to a slide are listed along the top side of the editor. To utilise them, click on an item (to select it), then click anywhere on the slide (to add it).
Once an item has been added to a slide, you will need to configure it to appear and/or behave how you would like. For specific information about the different items, please see our ACTIV Elements article.
Tip: Whilst there is no resolution size limit for images, they will be scaled down to 900 x 550 pixels within the ACTIV presentation.
Item Depths
Each item that is placed on a slide has its own 'depth' property/value. It is represented as X/Y, where X is how deep the item is among the other items on the slide, and Y is the total number of items within the slide (overall). This depth property affects which items appear on top of each other, and in some cases, can affect whether an interactive item is clickable or not. Basically, a higher item depth is in front of items with a lower depth (where Y/Y is the highest item depth).
Note: By default, each item that is added to a slide will have a higher depth value than the last. However, you have the option to change this at any time, which is recommended to ensure the best use case of each element.
To set the depth value of an item, click on it, then use the 'down arrow' and 'up arrow' icons to set the desired depth.
Previewing Slides
You can preview the slide you are editing at any time, by clicking on the 'preview' button in the upper right corner of the tool.
When you do this, any editor-related elements on the canvas will disappear, and you will see a close approximation of how the slide will appear to your end-users. Any interactions on the slide will also be functional, so you can test out slide-to-slide navigation this way too.