PowerPoint Publisher - Tutorial

A shortcut to creating a full Campaign of slides using a PowerPoint file.

Intro to the PowerPoint Publisher

In this article, we will review PowerPoint Publisher within the Apps section in CommandCenterHD (CCHD).

PowerPoint Publisher allows a User to upload a PowerPoint file and have the system automatically create a full Campaign using the slides in the file. This helps to cut down time in the system for customers that already use PowerPoint slides as their main Images for playback.

Accessing PowerPoint Publisher

1. On the Navigation Bar at the top of CCHD, click Apps.

2. In the Apps section, use the Search Bar to find PowerPoint Publisher.

3. Select the PowerPoint Publisher App.

Creating a PowerPoint Publisher Campaign

1. In the PowerPoint Publisher App, click Upload PowerPoint.

2. Fill out the fields detailed below:

Campaign Name - Give the Campaign a unique name that is easily recognizable to users who will need access to it in CampaignsHD and ChannelsHD.
Slide Duration - The Duration is the length at which each Slide will remain in playback before moving to the next Slide. The Duration is shown in Seconds.
Campaign Format - Choose a format that matches the orientation of your digital signage monitor: Horizontal or Vertical.
Select Template - Choose a Template, based on the Campaign Format chosen.
Position - Choose the position for the PowerPoint Slides to reside on the Campaign Slide. You can choose either Fullscreen or from a list of Custom options saved in the App.
PowerPoint File - Choose a PowerPoint file from your computer. The maximum amount of slides allowed is 50.
Notify by email when finished processing - Once the PowerPoint file has started uploading, CCHD will begin the process of converting each slide into a campaign which can range up to 30 minutes to complete the process. Select this option if you'd like an email to be sent to your User's Email Address when the PowerPoint Campaign is finished processing.

3. Once finished configuring the settings, click Upload File.

Managing Custom Positions

Custom Positions allow for you to place the PowerPoint slides into a designated area that works with the Template being used.

While configuring a new PowerPoint Campaign, scale the Orange Placeholder Box, from the bottom righthand corner, in the preview window to the size that you would prefer:

You can then move it by dragging it to the location you want it to be placed:

Or, you can use the the fields below the preview to manually set the position and dimensions of the placeholder:

Position Name - A unique name for the custom position, will
Width - The width, in pixels, of the placeholder box.
Height - The height, in pixels, of the placeholder box.
X Offset - The horizontal placement of the placeholder box.
Y Offset - The vertical placement of the placeholder box.

Once finished, click Save Custom Position. The option will then show in the Position dropdown.

You can add, edit, or remove Custom Positions by navigating to the Manage PowerPoint Campaigns page and selecting Manage Customer Positions:

Editing or Replacing a PowerPoint Publisher Campaign

To edit the individual slides within the PowerPoint Campaign, you can access the Slide Editor by clicking on the Notepad Icon under the Manage column in the PowerPoint Publisher App or in CampaignsHD on the Manage Campaigns page:

Need to update an existing PowerPoint with another file? No need to create a new PowerPoint Campaign. You can simply replace the PowerPoint file and your new slides will replace the existing slides.

Open the PowerPoint Publisher App.
Click on the name of your PowerPoint Campaign.
Select Choose File towards the bottom of the page and upload your new/updated PowerPoint file.
Select Upload File.

Once processed, the new slides will replace the existing slides in the Campaign.

Scheduling PowerPoint Publisher to a Channel

To schedule a PowerPoint Campaign to a Channel, it's the same steps taken to schedule a standard Campaign.

When selecting a Campaign from the options, scroll down the available list and find the designated section for PowerPoints. Any Campaign created through the PowerPoint Publisher App will populate under this section.

PowerPoint Publisher FAQs

Q: Once the upload has been completed, can slide durations be adjusted?

A: Yes. You can manage the Campaign in CampaignsHD or in the PowerPoint Publisher App and adjust the duration for any individual slide in the Campaign.

Q: Does the app support transitions, embedded video or audio files?

A: No. If you need to include any of these options, then we would recommend converting it to a video file in PowerPoint and then upload the video into CCHD.

Q: What if I use Google Slides or Apple iWork/Keynote?

A: The PowerPoint Publisher App accepts only PowerPoint files. If you use another platform, just be sure to save, download, or export the file as a .pptx file.

Q: Does the app support special characters in the PowerPoint file?

A: No. Special characters can cause issues during the conversion of the file into a Campaign.