How can a PowerPoint presentation be shown inside the front panel of a given application ?

[Giovani]

I´m developing a application and I thought it would be a great idea if I could somehow show a PowerPoint presentation inside its front panel. Can it be done using LabVIEW active x vis or can´t it be done at all ?

Thanks in advance !!

[tst]

This should be easy using ActiveX. Try this - drop an ActiveX container (from the containers palette) on the front panel, right-click it and select "Insert ActiveX object", search the list for a PowerPoint object and select it. Then, using invoke nodes and property nodes you should be abble to control this.

[Dominj]

I too would like to integrate a PP presentation into the front panel, and I can't find anything that has powerpoint in it when I try to insert an Active X object. I'm using version 7 professional. Do I need to download something for this to work or am I missing something?

[tst]

Interesting, I don't have it in the list either.
The example finder has an example called "slideshow", which has the reference.
Also, when selecting the ActiveX object, you can choose "create new document" from the top and select "Powerpoint presentation".

[Giovani]

First of all, thanks for the input everyone !!

But tst, the example you mentioned will open powerpoint but what I want to do is to insert a powerpoint presentation inside my labview aplication; reading some active x documentation available at the ni site i found it is possible but i didn`t find i way to achieve it. If someone knows how to do it please put me in the light, okay?

See you all next post !!!

[tst]

Oh, you're right.
To be honest, I don't know. I'm not big on ActiveX and I don't know exactly how the registering works. I have managed to run a presentation in the AX container both by using an Internet Explorer control and wiring in the file as a URL (which is basically using the PP AX control that's in IE, which is no good) and by playing with the "create new document" option together with the existing example (some type casting and other stuff), but both ways looked bad, and the second one is "not right".
Maybe someone who's more knowledgable on AX can enlighten us (and maybe tell us why the powerpoint object isn't in the list).
As another solution, you can search google for AX controls you can install. Once you install them, they should appear in the list.

[AnalogKid2DigitalMan]

I have PP listed, when you go to insert the AX object, choose Create Document from the combo box (default is Create Control). MS PP Slide and MS PP Presentation are shown as objects. From there I do not know where to go, there are GOBS of properties.

[tst]

Like I said, I tried that option (and even got it work somehow, by connecting nodes from other places and using type casts), but I don't think it can manage that in a real app.
After thinking about this some more, I've come to an unlikable conclusion - it's possible that there is no AX control for PP. Not for animation, anyway. If I remember correctly, when you open a PP presentation in Internet Explorer, you see the slides, but not the animation. If an AX control would exist, I'm sure IE would use it, which is why I think there probably isn't one.
You can get a presentation into an AX container very easily by choosing the third option (open from file). Then, if you select a PP presentation, it will open in the container. However, if I remember correctly, you have no properties and methods to control it, and I don't think it will show the animation, so it's a bit useless.
Maybe someone does know of a way...

[Giovani]

Once again, thanks everyome for the input !!

tst and AnalogKid2DigitalMan, I´ll try to implement your suggestions and I´ll let you know if I succeeded.

See you all next post !!!

[Dominj]

I'm not even sure how to display the PP presentation in IE. What do you have to do to accomplish that? Also, if the best that can be achived is a slideshow of pictures, is there an eaiser way to do that, or would a PP in IE be the best way?