Creating and Modifying Templates

Having the templates and backgrounds you need makes creating presentations much quicker and more efficient. If you find yourself making the same changes repeatedly to your presentations, it's a good idea to create templates with the elements you need already in them.

Presentation Templates

Follow the appropriate procedure to create, modify, or name a template.

Creating a Presentation Template

If you want to create your own template to base other presentations on, follow these steps.

1. Select or create the presentation to base the template on.

2. Make any necessary changes; remove any text you don't want in the template.

   Note

   You can't delete slide layout elements, such as the text frame for the header. The message "This function cannot be completed with the selected objects" will be displayed, or only the text will be deleted. Refer to Selecting a Slide Layout for a New or Existing Slide on page 673 to remove elements by applying a blank slide layout, or changing it to one that meets your needs more closely.

3. Choose File > Save as. Save it as an Impress template to the share/template/ language /presnt folder, or in your user /template folder.

The template will be listed with the other Impress templates in AutoPilot and other template- related windows .

Modifying a Presentation Template

If you want to change a template, follow these steps. (If you're changing the template, it's a good idea to save the template under a new name, because you won't be able to get the original back except by reinstalling.)

1. Open a template file, typically in the share/template/ language /presnt folder, or in your user/template folder.

2. Make the changes you want to the slides, background, transitions, and other elements.

3. Choose Save as to save it under a new name in the presnt folder. Be sure that StarImpress Template is the file type.

Naming a Presentation Template

You can give it a name like the other templates ("Annual Report" and so on) the same way you name presentations.

1. Choose File > Properties and click the Description tab.

2. Enter a name and click OK.

If the template doesn't have a name, the file name will appear in template lists instead.

Background Templates

Follow the appropriate procedure to manage templates for use as backgrounds in your presentations. These templates contain only the background elements; no individual slides are included. Remember that backgrounds are referred to inconsistently by a variety of names in Impress, including presentation layouts .

Note

The templates you have will depend on what templates you've used that are included on that CD, or that you've downloaded from the authors' site for downloads, templates, and more: www.getopenoffice.org/templates.html

Creating a Background Template

If you want to create your own background to base other presentations on, follow these steps.

1. Choose File > New > Presentation to open a new, blank presentation.

2. Switch to Background view (see Background View: The Background on page 657).

3. Create the background.

4. Choose File > Save as. Save it as an Impress template to the share/template/ language /layout folder, or in your user/template folder.

It will be listed with the other Impress backgrounds in AutoPilot and other windows.

Modifying a Background Template

If you want to change one of the backgrounds provided by Impress, or that you've created yourself, follow these steps. (It's a good idea to save the background under a new name, because you won't be able to get the original back except by reinstalling.)

1. Open a background file from the share/template/ language /layout folder, or in your user/template folder.

2. Switch to Background view.

3. Make the changes you want.

4. Choose Save as to save it under a new name. Be sure Impress Template is the type.

Naming a Background Template

Give it a name the same way you name presentations and templates.

1. Choose File > Properties and click the Description tab.

2. Enter a name and click OK.

If the background template doesn't have a name, the file name will appear in background lists instead.