Bonus Impress Project: Creating Interactive Presentations with Hyperlinks and Custom Animations

In this intermediate project, we’ll explore how to create an interactive presentation using LibreOffice Impress. This kind of presentation allows the viewer to navigate through slides non-linearly using hyperlinks and experience enhanced visual effects through custom animations. Interactive presentations are ideal for product demos, tutorials, or training modules, where you want to give users the ability to choose their own path through the content.

By the end of this post, you’ll have created a dynamic presentation that includes navigation buttons and custom animations that enhance the user experience.

Step 1: Setting Up the Presentation Structure

First, let’s plan the structure of your presentation. You’ll create an overview slide that acts as the main navigation menu and link each section to relevant content slides. You can add as many sections as you need.

Step-by-Step: Planning Your Slides

1. Create an Overview Slide:
   • This will serve as the navigation hub. Include buttons or text links for each section of your presentation.
   • Add the title “Interactive Demo” at the top.
2. Create Section Slides:
   • For each topic or section, create a series of slides that present the content. You might have sections like Introduction, Product Features, FAQs, and Contact Information.
   • Make sure each section is clear and easy to navigate.

Step 2: Adding Hyperlinks for Navigation

Hyperlinks allow users to click on text or buttons to jump to different slides or external content. You’ll create links from the overview slide to the individual sections of your presentation.

Step-by-Step: Adding Hyperlinks

1. Insert Text or Shape Links:
   • On your Overview Slide, type the names of your sections (e.g., Introduction, Product Features, FAQs).
   • Alternatively, use shapes or buttons as clickable links. Go to Insert > Shape > Rectangle (or any other shape), and place it where you want.
2. Add Hyperlinks:
   • Highlight the text or select the shape you want to turn into a hyperlink.
   • Go to Insert > Hyperlink.
   • In the dialog box, choose Document from the left sidebar.
   • Under Target in Document, click the target icon and select the slide you want the link to navigate to (e.g., Slide 2 for the Introduction section).
   • Click Apply to finish.
3. Test the Hyperlinks:
   • To test the links, start the slideshow by pressing F5 and clicking on the linked items. They should take you to the respective slides.

Step 3: Creating Custom Animations

Animations add a dynamic feel to your presentation, making elements appear, disappear, or move based on user interaction. You’ll add custom animations to control how text, images, and shapes behave on your slides.

Step-by-Step: Adding Animations

1. Select the Object:
   • Click on the text, image, or shape you want to animate.
2. Open the Custom Animation Panel:
   • In the Sidebar, click on Custom Animation.
3. Add an Animation Effect:
   • Click Add and choose an animation effect (e.g., Appear, Fly In, Fade).
   • For example, you could have bullet points appear one by one, or an image fly in from the left.
4. Set Timing and Triggers:
   • In the Start dropdown menu, choose when the animation starts:
     • On Click: The animation starts when you click the slide.
     • With Previous: The animation plays simultaneously with the previous animation.
     • After Previous: The animation starts immediately after the previous one.
5. Rearrange Animation Order:
   • In the Custom Animation panel, you can drag animations to reorder them. Ensure the animations play in the desired sequence.

Step 4: Enhancing the User Experience with Transitions and Effects

You can further enhance the experience by adding transitions between slides and ensuring smooth navigation between sections.

Step-by-Step: Adding Transitions

1. Select the Slide:
   • Click on the slide thumbnail in the Slides Pane on the left.
2. Open the Slide Transition Panel:
   • In the Sidebar, click on Slide Transition.
3. Choose a Transition Effect:
   • Select a transition effect (e.g., Fade, Wipe, Slide).
   • Set the Duration for how long the transition should last.
4. Apply to All Slides:
   • If you want to apply the same transition to all slides, click Apply to All Slides. Otherwise, you can apply different transitions to individual slides.

Step 5: Exporting as an Interactive PDF

Once your presentation is complete, you can export it as a PDF to maintain the interactive elements. This format is great for sharing with users who want to explore the content at their own pace.

Step-by-Step: Exporting as an Interactive PDF

1. Go to Export Options:
   • Go to File > Export As > Export as PDF.
2. Select PDF Form Options:
   • In the PDF options dialog, check Create PDF Form under the General tab. This will ensure that the hyperlinks remain clickable.
3. Customise Export Settings:
   • Adjust the export settings as needed (e.g., set the page range, image compression).
4. Export the PDF:
   • Click Export, choose a file name, and save the interactive PDF.

Step 6: Testing the Interactive Presentation

Before finalising the project, test the interactive presentation:

• Navigate Through the Slides: Use the links on your overview slide to ensure they take you to the correct sections.
• Check the Animations: Make sure animations are triggered as expected.
• Review Transitions: Confirm that the transitions between slides are smooth.

Final Thoughts

With these techniques, you’ve transformed a standard slideshow into a dynamic, interactive presentation. By combining hyperlinks, custom animations, and transitions, you can offer viewers an engaging, non-linear way to explore your content.

This type of presentation is ideal for use cases where the audience needs control over how they navigate through the material, such as product demos, training sessions, or educational modules.

Stay tuned for more projects to take your Impress skills to the next level!