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Re: Using Mathematica notebooks in presentations?

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg97602] Re: Using Mathematica notebooks in presentations?
  • From: magma <maderri2 at gmail.com>
  • Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2009 06:28:30 -0500 (EST)
  • References: <gpl5t7$ouo$1@smc.vnet.net>

On Mar 16, 10:24 am, AES <sieg... at stanford.edu> wrote:
> Graphics material prepared in Mathematica (figures, charts, graphs,
> tables, animations, movies, demonstrations) can for the most part be
> exported to external files, which can then be inserted into or used in
> documents or presentations prepared in PDF, PPT, or other widely used
> formats using Acrobat, Word, PowerPoint, Preview, Keynote, QuickTime,
> and innumerable other editing and presentation tools.  
>
> In general tools like these (the presentation tools in particular) allow
> for either _embedding_ these materials within the presentation itself,
> or for _linking_ to these materials as separate free-standing (and hence
> separately updatable or replaceable) files, which are in some cases then
> actually displayed by their parent app, which is temporarily activated
> within the presentation itself.
>
> [Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Reader, and PowerPoint can, for example, link to
> and activate QuickTime movies and certain other apps from within
> presentations that they are presenting.]
>
> A quick experiment shows that PDF files in particular can also contain
> links to Mathematica notebooks, such that one can open and view or
> display notebooks within a PDF document or presentation that one is
> viewing or displaying using Acrobat (or, I suspect, Adobe Reader); and
> then revert back to or continue with the PDF presentation itself.  
>
> [PDF files seem to have the general capability in fact to link to, open,
> and let you execute most any kind of external file whose parent app is
> also present on your system.]
>
> Per a recent thread in this group, Mathematica notebooks can also be
> made auto-starting or auto-executing, such that they can begin executing
> immediately when linked to from within a PDF document.  
>
> I've yet to explore whether Mathematica-linking capabilities similar to
> the above are also available in PowerPoint, Keynote, or other widely
> used presentation programs (though programs like these can certainly
> link to and execute QuickTime movies and other dynamic media); and I've
> also yet to explore whether these links to notebooks from within PDF
> presentations can be made to display within a specific window within the
> underlying basic presentation (although this is also certainly possible
> with certain combinations of presentation apps and other external
> files).
>
> Because of its potential usefulness, I'd appreciate seeing posts from
> anyone else who has experience with this overall mode of operation --
> that is, with linking to notebooks (or any other Mathematica formats)
> from _within_ other varieties of presentation software -- and who can
> add further helpful hints, tricks, or pointers to tutorial material.
>
> [Debates on _whether_ one _should_ present Mathematica-generated
> material in this fashion -- that is, by starting with other presentation
> applications and linking from within them to Mathematica notebooks --
> are a separate topic, and might be be the subject of a separate thread.]

This is certainly an interesting set of techniques.
Especially practical is the combination PDF+Matheamtica, since virtually every
user has access to Acrobat technology (the Reader at least), so
virtually everyone who uses Mathematica can read/manipulate these PDF+Mathematica
files.
The other techniques (PowerPoint+Mathematica, ect) are perhaps a little more
platform/system/budget dependent, but certainly worth investigating.
The current slideshow tools  in Mathematica are still too basic to compete
with the commercial presentation packages, so these "hybrid"
techniques are a viable solution in the short term.

Another solution is to use the Presentations package by David Park, a
low-cost yet powerful set of tools to make your notebooks really stand
out. The only draw back with this solution is that your users need to
have the Presentations package installed on their system, but if you
only need to display and manipulate a presentation on screen in front
of an audience, this is probably the best solution.

AES are some of your PDF+Mathematica presentations publicly available? I look
forward to seeing some of them.


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