- A Mac screencast tool that provides a full list of functionality, including advanced audio editing, color correction, customizable cursors, picture-in-picture, and multiple export options.
- When you're showing a presentation, you can turn your mouse into a laser pointer to draw attention to something on a slide. Press and hold the Ctrl key, and then click and drag the left mouse button to point to the contents on the slide that you want to draw attention to. Tip: If you want your.
- Third Light Desktop Upload Tool for Mac OS v.1.2 This tool provides a drag-and-drop upload interface, to help you conveniently upload media to your Third Light IMS server directly from MacOS X. Third Light IMS is a networked digital media storage / digital asset management system, used for.
- You can do this using the Action tool. In the particular slide, click on the object you want to move. Mac Tips, Presentations, Slideshow.
- Mouse Cursor Mac Informer. Featured Mouse Cursor free downloads and reviews. Latest updates on everything Mouse Cursor Software related. Follow Mouse is a Mac tool that comes in handy during presentations or when creating a video tutorial.colored trail of your mouse cursor, a path which.trail of your mouse cursor on the screen.
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Keynote is the simplest way to make a beautiful presentation on your Mac. If you pick a template you like and let the defaults do the trick, you’ll always end up with something decent. But there’s a lot more to Keynote after you’ve mastered the iWork basics.
Keynote sneaks in amazing features for animations, transitions, shared elements, and more. Keep reading to find out the best Keynote tips that will boost your presentations.
1. Master Keynote’s Slide Transitions
Transitions and animations are the two biggest reasons to use Keynote for making a presentation. It’s the subtle effects that will set your presentation apart from others using Microsoft PowerPoint or—heaven forbid—a PDF slideshow.
To add a transition effect, select the slide from the slide navigator on the left. From the right sidebar, click on the Animate tab. Then select the Action option and you’ll see a big blue Add an Effect button. That’s your cue.
When you click on it, you’ll be able to select from more than a dozen effects. Pick something basic like Confetti, or go fancy with a Swish or Swirl.
Once you select a transition, you’ll be able to define the duration, the direction, and the start time.
2. Animate Individual Objects on the Slides
Once you’ve got the right transition effect, you can move on to animating specific parts of the slides. Here, you can do two tasks: animate objects as they come into the slide, and move their position at a later time.
This feature gives you incredible control over exactly when and where the objects show up. You can animate a bullet list to show up one after the other, or have an image bounce in from the right edge of the screen.
To animate objects as they come into the slide, use the Build in section in Animate.
Select the object you want to animate and then from the Build in section, choose Add an Effect and select an animation. Click the Preview button to see how it looks. If you want to animate multiple objects together or one after the other, select all of them when defining the Build in effect.
When multiple objects are involved, click on the Build Order button from the bottom of the sidebar. Here, you’ll be able to define the order in which the objects show up on the screen.
3. Move Objects Within Slides
To make your presentation extra groovy, you can even move objects within slides. Say you’re showing a process chartThe 7 Best Free Online Flowchart MakersThe 7 Best Free Online Flowchart MakersNeed the ability to create flowcharts anywhere at any time without spending much, if any, money? Here are the best online flowchart tools that are free or reasonably priced.Read More in your presentation. It would be helpful to actually move an object from one section of the screen to another.
You can do this using the Action tool. In the particular slide, click on the object you want to move. Then from the sidebar, go to the Action tab and select the Move effect.
The object will now duplicate. Move the duplicated object where you want it to end up. You’ll see a line linking both objects. That’s the path the object will take as it animates. Click on the line and drag it from the middle if you want to add a curve to the animation.
From the sidebar, you can define the duration, delay, and acceleration as well.
4. Master Magic Move
Magic Move is a legendary feature. This mind-blowing little utility has been in Keynote for ages.
Magic Move combines the transition and animation features we’ve talked about above. Instead of moving an object from one position to another in one slide, you can directly move an object from one slide to another, with complete control over the animation.
First, place the objects on the slides the way you want. From the Slide Navigator, duplicate the slide by using the Cmd + D shortcut.
Now, change the position of the objects on both slides. The first slide will have objects in the default state. In the second slide, position the elements where you want them to end up.
Select the first of the two slides (not both) and from the sidebar, click on the Animate tab. From the Add an Effect section, choose Magic Move.
Preview it and you’ll instantly see a smooth animation going from one slide to another. Keynote takes care of the transition and animation automatically. But if you want, you can change the duration, match it with text instead of objects, and define when to start the transition.
5. Use Master Slides for a Consistent Design
If you’re working on a big presentation and you want to have a consistent styling, get into the habit of using Master Slides. These let you define particular layouts for designs you use frequently.
Right-click on a slide and click on Edit Master Slides. The content from your slides will swap to the default template. You can now move the default objects around and when you save it, your current presentation’s slides will update to match the template.
If the default templates don’t do it for you, why not try these great free Keynote templates12 Free Keynote Templates to Make Your Presentations Stand Out12 Free Keynote Templates to Make Your Presentations Stand OutLooking for the best free Keynote templates to improve your presentations? We've got you covered with several options for any occasion.Read More?
6. Update Fonts Throughout Presentation
If you always fiddle with fonts until the last minute, you’ll appreciate this one. Keynote has a useful feature where you can apply a font change across the entire presentation.
Say you change the font size of a title in one slide and you want it updated everywhere else too. After making the change, click on the Update button next to the text style dropdown. This saves you from tracking down everywhere else you’ve used that style.
7. Embed a YouTube Video in Keynote
Unlike Google Slides, there’s no straightforward way to embed a YouTube Video directly into a Keynote presentation. But you can use a different method. You’ll first need to download the YouTube video, which we can’t help you with here.
Next, create a new blank slide and from the menu bar, select Insert > Choose. Select the video you downloaded and it will instantly show up in the slide. You can use the same steps to embed music as well.
While we’re talking about media, let’s discuss the aspect ratio of Keynote presentations. By default, Keynote formats presentations to a 4:3 aspect ratio. That’s fine if you’re presenting it on a projector. But if you’re using a TV or recording the Keynote as a video, you’ll want to use widescreen instead.
From the sidebar, switch to the Document option and from Slide Size, choose the Widescreen format.
8. Make Your iPhone or iPad a Keynote Remote
Forgot to bring a clicker for your big presentation? Don’t worry, you can use your iPhone or iPad as a remote for your Keynote presentation.
On your Mac, go to Keynote Preferences and choose Remotes. Click on the checkbox next to Enable. Then on your iOS device, click on the remote icon from the top toolbar and press Continue.
Now, on your Mac, you’ll find your iOS device listed in the Remotes section. Confirm the passcode and your devices will link. Simply press Play on your iOS device. You can now control the presentation and read presenter notes as well.
9. Customize Your Toolbar
Once you start working with Keynote more often, you’ll figure out which features you use most. Like with everything else on your Mac, you should take the time to customize it.
Click on View from the menu bar and select Customize Toolbar. You’ll see a huge array of icons. Drag in the features you use often and remove the ones you never touch. While you’re working on this, you may want to customize your keyboard behavior6 Apps to Customize Your Mac's Keyboard Behavior6 Apps to Customize Your Mac's Keyboard BehaviorThese Mac keyboard apps will take your productivity to the next level. Here are some great keyboard apps for faster typing, navigation, and more.Read More too.
10. Make Use of Action Buttons
There’s a hidden feature in Keynote that lets you turn any object into an interactive button. You can create a shortcut to jump to a particular slide, open a web page, or even end the presentation.
Select a shape and use the Cmd + K keyboard shortcut. From here, select if you want to link to a slide, web page, or an email.
Getting Advanced With iWork
Now that you’ve dug a bit deeper into the world of Keynote, why not dive into our advanced tips for the whole iWork suite18 Advanced Tips for Pages, Numbers, and Keynote18 Advanced Tips for Pages, Numbers, and KeynoteWant to become more productive in the iWork suite? These advanced tips will help any Mac user create better documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.Read More? Just like Keynote, there’s a world of customization waiting inside them.
Explore more about: iWork, Mac Tips, Presentations, Slideshow.
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Targus Bluetooth Presenter
Among the myriad uses for a laptop is giving presentations using PowerPoint or, for Mac users, Keynote. In fact, for many notebook owners, it’s a primary use. Those who move around while speaking know the value of being able to control your presentation from across the room or stage, and Apple's recent laptops include an infrared sensor that provides basic remote control of your slides using Apple's Remote. But the Remote, while compact and light, lacks features and works only if you’ve got a direct line of sight between the remote and your MacBook’s infrared sensor.
If giving presentations is one of your primary duties, Targus’s Bluetooth Presenter is a more-capable alternative to Apple’s Remote. At 5.1 inches long, 1.7 inches wide, and 1 inch thick, the Presenter is chunky, but that size makes it large enough to feel solid in your hand, but small enough that even those with small hands should be able to hold and use the Presenter comfortably. The sides and bottom of the Presenter are covered in matte plastic that offers a bit more grip than the glossy finish of Apple’s Remote, and at just under 4 ounces, the Presenter feels considerably heftier without adding much weight to your laptop bag.
The Presenter, a Mac-only product that’s part of the Targus for Mac line, uses Bluetooth wireless instead of infrared, which means better range without requiring a direct line of sight; you can use the Presenter from up to 33 feet (10 meters) away from your Mac, even if there are objects in between. Pairing the remote with your Mac is a simple, one-time process, much like the one you’d use to pair a Bluetooth mouse. Targus claims the Presenter will get up to six months of use from two AA batteries. (I haven’t used the Presenter long enough to test that claim.)
The Presenter offers considerably more functionality than Apple’s Remote, split between two modes: Presenter and Mouse. You switch between these modes using a slider switch on the face of the remote. In addition to this slider, the remote hosts a circular button surrounded by two large arrow buttons, left and right; and two smaller buttons near the top edge. A rocker switch on the right-hand side lets you adjust your Mac’s volume level, and there’s a power button on the left.
In Presenter mode, the large arrow buttons let you move forward or back in your presentation; the smaller button on the right starts your presentation; and the smaller button on the left blanks the screen during the presentation. The circular button activates the Presenter’s built-in laser pointer.
In Mouse mode, the left arrow button acts as a standard mouse click; the right arrow button acts as a control/right-click; and the circular button becomes a touch-sensitive control pad that lets you move your mouse cursor around your Mac’s screen—sort of like a tiny trackpad. (Targus calls this optical touch pad the Touch Scroll.) In Mouse mode, the two smaller buttons are programmable using Targus’s downloadable Mac driver, currently at version 1.0.0b1. (I found that all features except the programmable buttons worked without the driver installed.)
The Presenter’s Mouse mode worked better than I expected; I was able to control my MacBook’s mouse cursor adequately, despite the small size—less than half an inch across—of the sensor. However, you definitely lose accuracy compared to a mouse or the laptop’s built-in trackpad, and because the Touch Scroll is so small, it takes several swipes to move your cursor from one side of the screen to the other. In other words, you won’t want to use the Presenter as your primary input device; it’s for occasionally controlling your cursor during presentations.
Targus’s driver is technically still beta software right now, but it worked well during my testing. Using a new Targus pane in System Preferences, you can choose whether the Presenter’s two programmable buttons are configured for Keynote or PowerPoint (the two programs use different control schemes), and you can also choose custom actions for those buttons when the Presenter is in Mouse mode. Available actions include launching an application, performing a keystroke, running an AppleScript, as well as a number of predefined functions. Those functions include eject, print screen, select all, volume up or down, mute, Expose actions, Dashboard, play/pause iTunes, and back or forward in Firefox. Unfortunately, you can’t choose different actions for different programs; you get only a single custom action per button.
For a configuration example, I set the left programmable button to perform the keystroke Command+H in Mouse mode, setting the right programmable button to launch Keynote. With these settings, if I need to do a live demo during a presentation, I just flip to Mouse mode and press the left programmable button to hide Keynote; when I'm done, I press the right programmable button to switch back to Keynote, right where I left off.
Mouse Tool For Presentations Mac
The Targus software’s interface is somewhat confusing. When I first attempted to configure the Presenter, I interpreted the interface, shown at right, as letting you choose different custom button settings for Keynote and PowerPoint. However, these settings are independent: first you choose which presentation software you use, which determines the behavior of the various buttons in Presenter mode; then you configure the custom button settings for Mouse mode.
The Presenter isn’t the most-configurable presentation remote I’ve seen, but it offers a good deal of functionality while keeping the number of buttons to a minimum. (Some remotes offer so many buttons that it's difficult to keep track of which is which—not good when giving an important presentation.) In addition, the buttons the Presenter does provide are shaped obviously and arranged intuitively; it’s easy to use the remote by feel without having to worry that you’re going to accidentally press the wrong button. It’s not an inexpensive accessory, but if you’re a Keynote or PowerPoint pro, it's definitely worth checking out.
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Targus Bluetooth Presenter