In most cases we work with a computer full of our own applications and files that we use and manage on a daily basis. But there are more used than others in general terms, as happens with some of the importance of Word, PowerPoint, Photoshop , Excel, etc.
Depending on the type of work we carry out with our computer, the programs installed on it can vary to a great extent. But the truth is that in the market there are some important common references in many of the teams. In fact, these usually refer to office environments and for working with images and videos. And it is that who does not have a word processor, a photo editor or a video player on their PC .
Probably the majority, because today we use the equipment not only for work, but also for our leisure time. In addition, something similar happens with the program in which we precisely want to focus on these same lines. Specifically, we refer to what could be considered as the benchmark in the multimedia presentation sector. We refer, as you can imagine, to Microsoft‘s PowerPoint . This is another of the applications that is integrated into the Redmond office suite, Office, and that we have been using for many years.
Advantages and uses of Microsoft PowerPoint
As many of you probably already know, this is a valid software solution both for environments of use in education, in the office, or for personal use. And it is that the program puts at our disposal a huge amount of functions to adapt to the needs of most users . In addition, over time the firm has integrated new elements that we can use in order to be up to date with the latest technologies.
Keep in mind that when we talk about Microsoft’s office suite , we are referring to one of the best known and most used applications in the world. It is composed of several widely used independent programs, among which we can find the mentioned PowerPoint. Thus, from this specific software solution, we will be able to create and customize multimedia presentations based on the slides that we are generating. This is something that we can carry out in our own project from scratch, or through predesigned templates.
Keep in mind that as a general rule these presentations are usually carried out in large meetings. That is why the program itself tries to facilitate and improve the experience in real time while we expose the projects developed. As we mentioned, there are many years of experience, hence the enormous utility that this specific program presents us with. The function that we are going to focus on here and of which we are going to show you how to get the most out of it is a clear example.
Use a laser pointer in PowerPoint presentations
Many of you know the small laser pointers that we can carry in our pocket and that are extremely useful in this type of use. But what we now want to show you is how to use the laser pointer that Microsoft’s own program implements. And it is that the use of these elements when carrying out a presentation with the public, is very common. So below we will show you the easiest way to take advantage of this PowerPoint feature.
First of all, it must be taken into account that the fact of using a laser pointer in a presentation is a way to attract the attention of the audience . In this way we achieve that it pays attention to a specific part of said presentation or to a specific content. But in the event that we do not have a physical element of this type, PowerPoint helps us. Thus, we will always have the possibility of using a program function to convert the mouse pointer into a laser one. Therefore we are going to see how we can achieve it and configure it.
How to activate the built-in laser pointer in PowerPoint
To begin with, it must be borne in mind that although many of you do not know it, this is a functionality that we can use from PowerPoint in its 2010 version. With all this, what was tried is that those who made the presentations , forgot their physical laser pointer and use the one that is already integrated. What’s more, it is so easy to use that the program itself turns the mouse pointer into a laser pointer.
Well, to say that this is a very simple function to put into operation. Of course, to take advantage of its functions, this is something we can do during the presentation itself, in front of the attendees. As you probably already know, to start this it is enough that, once designed, we use the F5 key to start it. Therefore, during the process, when we need to point to a specific content and we need to change the mouse cursor to a laser, we hold down the Ctrl key while we click the main mouse button.
At that precise moment we will realize that the cursor turns like a red laser to indicate what we want to highlight. On the other hand, for it to return to its usual state during the presentation, we just have to release the mouse button.
Customize the PowerPoint laser pointer
Something to keep in mind is that the default color of the laser we create here is red. This is perhaps the most used tonality when it comes to drawing attention to something, but it is not always the most convenient. And it is that this color may not be distinguished depending on the background color of the slides that we have designed.
We tell you this because we also have the possibility to modify this color parameter and customize the pointer. To do this, the first thing we do is go to the Slide Show menu and then opt for Slide show settings. Here we find several customizable parameters, among which we see the so-called Color of the laser pointer .
Here we will be able to choose between three tones that are red, blue and green. Therefore and as it is easy to suppose, that will be the default color that will be used when we activate this function in PowerPoint.
