PowerCONVERTER
Technical Support — Frequently Asked Questions

Please review these technical FAQs to see if your question is answered on this page. If your question is not addressed here, please read the Help documentation that accompanies your software or see the contact information for our Technical Support department.

Usability
1. How do I convert a presentation using PowerCONVERTER?
2. What file formats does PowerCONVERTER output?
3. What audio file formats are supported by PowerCONVERTER?
4. What video file formats are supported by PowerCONVERTER?
5. What impact, if any, does the video compression format (“codec”) have on PowerCONVERTER?
6. What should I do to make sure my converted presentation will play back at full screen display?
7. How do I navigate the presentation after it has been converted?
8. How do I send my Flash presentation to someone?

Installation and Activation
1. How do I install PowerCONVERTER on my computer?
2. I bought PowerCONVERTER XP. How to I obtain and install Microsoft .NET?
3. How do I activate PowerCONVERTER?
4. What should I do if the registration code I entered reports that the activation is "invalid"?
5. I have a computer and home and one at the office. Can I install and use PowerCONVERTER on both systems?
6. How do I uninstall PowerCONVERTER?

System Compatibility
1. What versions of Windows is PowerCONVERTER compatible with?
2. What versions of Microsoft Office (PowerPoint) is PowerCONVERTER compatible with?
3. Does PowerCONVERTER require Microsoft .NET?
4. Does PowerCONVERTER require Macromedia Flash?
5. What do I need to do if I upgrade to a later version of PowerPoint?

Miscellaneous
1. Why don't I see the PowerCONVERTER button in PowerPoint?
2. Why do AVI movies in my converted presentation not loop?
3. Why do the 3D transitions and animated 3D title effects in my converted presentation not play back?
4. I want to have a separate SWF movie for each slide so that I can decide how to navigate the slides in my presentation. Can this be done?
5. Can I improve the image quality of the converted presentation?

Usability
1.How do I convert a presentation using PowerCONVERTER?
It's very easy to convert your PowerPoint presentations to Flash using PowerCONVERTER. Using an industry standard installer program, it seamlessly installs into PowerPoint with just a few simple clicks. And it works right inside of PowerPoint, so you never have to leave PowerPoint to output your presentations to Flash animations.

To convert, open your PowerPoint presentation. Select the PowerCONVERTER button which appears below the PowerPoint menu toolbar (shown below).

When you click on thePowerCONVERTER button, a dialog box will display (shown below).
Step 1 -- Select the 'Convert to Flash' button, and PowerCONVERTER will begin converting and compressing the resource files associated with your PowerPoint presentation to Flash. The conversion process may take anywhere from just seconds to a few minutes to complete - but you can be assured that it's taking care of the job accurately and completely.

Step 2 -- After converting the presentation, you can save your flash-based presentation as a Flash Shockwave File ("SWF") file or as a self-running Executable ("EXE") Flash animation. If you plan to upload your Flash presentation to the Web, you probably should choose the 'Save as SWF' button.* If you plan to burn your presentation onto CD-ROM to send to others, you may want to click the 'Save as EXE' button. Just two or three clicks. That's really all it takes!

Note: PowerCONVERTER version 4 creates separate .SWF files for any media linked or embedded in your PowerPoint presentation. If you plan to upload your flash-based presentation to the internet (Web or intranet), all of these files will need to be uploaded together into the same folder. An HTML page is created for you. Simply link to the HTML file that is saved with your presentation and the link will open a new browser and automatically start playing your presentation.

For further details on optional settings available in PowerCONVERTER, please read the Online Help documentation. You can access the Help documentation by clicking the Help button located in the upper right-hand corner of the PowerCONVERTER Main menu screen.

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2. What file formats does PowerCONVERTER output?
PowerCONVERTER converts your PowerPoint presentations to one of two file formats: SWF and EXE.
The .swf ("Shockwave File") file format is a compiled Macromedia flash format for web publishing.
The .exe ("Executable") file format contains the compressed presentation file with the Flash player built in. It’s ideal for CD-ROM distribution.
Once you convert your presentation to either of these formats, the converted presentation can not be modified / edited. However, you always have your original PowerPoint presentation file (PPT) to make changes within PowerPoint and then use PowerCONVERTER to convert and output a new compressed file.

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3. What audio file formats are supported by PowerCONVERTER?
PowerCONVERTER can support the same audio formats as what PowerPoint allows you to embed in your presentations. For instance, WAV and MP3 audio are industry standard audio file formats supported by PowerCONVERTER. And, all versions of the PowerCONVERTER support continuous audio. If you want to convert a PowerPoint presentation with continuous sound embedded, be sure to set up your sound file to play through the entire presentation before you convert your presentation to Flash. To do this, go to PowerPoint's Insert menu and select 'Movies and Sounds>Sound from File' and choose the audio you want to play. Set the sound to start automatically and make sure it is the first in line in the animation order (or that it is set to play with previous at 0 seconds). Then select PowerPoint's Custom Animation tool (located in the Slide Show menu) choose the Effect Options for that audio file. Set "Stop Playing" so that it equals the total number of slides in your presentation. The audio will automatically loop if you get to the end of the audio before the end of the presentation. For a complete listing of audio formats supported by PowerCONVERTER, click here.

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4. What video file formats are supported by PowerCONVERTER?
PowerCONVERTER can convert a wide range of MPEG and AVI video formats. To improve video conversion, make sure that you are using the latest version of Windows Media Player. Also check that the codecs you are using in the video are properly installed on your computer. Finally, check your version of the Macromedia's Flash player. Presentations that have video embedded requires Flash 6 or higher. For a complete list of video formats and codecs supported by PowerCONVERTER, click here.

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5. What impact, if any, does the video compression format (“codec”) have on PowerCONVERTER?
Basically, a video codec is an algorithm used to compress video data to reduce the file size, and also to decompress it for viewing (hence, the term “codec”). Most video files are compressed using video codecs in order to reduce file size. When a video file is compressed using a particular codec, that codec must be installed on the machine that is going to display the video.

6. What should I do to make sure my converted presentation will play back at full screen display?
When using PowerCONVERTER XP, before you convert your presentation go to the PowerCONVERTER Options menu and select the General page. Enable (place a check mark) "Full screen projector" option. Enabling this option will only affect the EXE that is saved. The default size of the movie is still determined by the PowerPoint page size. But when the EXE is launched, the window will automatically start at full screen. To get out of the full screen playback mode, simply press the Escape key ("Esc") on your keyboard.

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7. How do I navigate the presentation after it has been converted?
PowerCONVERTER XP supports user defined hyperlinks and action buttons so you can create your own internal navigation buttons for your audience to use. There are also many choices available in the Options menu for navigating the presentation. There are standard movie controls available so you can set the color of the controls as well as the location to include easy and quick navigation to all of your slides. Also available is transparent navigation that makes the entire slide active. You can set it so that if you click anywhere on the slide, it will advance forward. You can also set previous and next so that if you click on the left side of the slide, it will navigate to the previous slide and the right half of the slide will navigate forwards. PowerCONVERTER XP also features keyboard control. Just use the same keyboard controls that work for your PowerPoint presentation to navigate your converted flash movie. You can advance forward by using the Spacebar, Enter, Right arrow, Down arrow and Page Down. If you want to navigate backwards, use Backspace, Left arrow, Up arrow and Page Up.

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8. How do I send my Flash presentation to someone?
Once you have converted your PowerPoint presentation to Flash, you can distribute your Flash-based presentation in any of the following ways: upload the file(s) to a Web server for others to view the presentation online. You can also attach the Flash animation file and email it to others (Note: there may be file attachment size limitations, so, you may want to check first with your email/presentation file recipient). You can also burn the file onto CD-ROM and send it to others as a presentation that runs from the CD-ROM. When you upload your presentation onto the internet (via Web site intranet), viewers of your presentation need nothing but an active internet connection, a Web browser and Macromedia Flash version 6 or higher to view it. The Flash format is a universal format and is present in 98% of all Web browsers. If, for some reason, the person(s) trying to view your presentation online does not have Flash installed on their computer, the system will automatically download a Flash viewer (the viewer is free) and install it in under one minute on a dial-up connection. When you distribute your converted presentation via CD-ROM, the Flash player is included in the self-running executable (EXE) file.

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How do I install PowerCONVERTER?
Insert the PowerCONVERTER CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive. The following Autorun screen will display:


Just click the button next to the version of PowerCONVERTER you purchased and want to install (PowerCONVERTER Lite, PowerCONVERTER 2000, or PowerCONVERTER XP). If you do not see an Autorun screen display upon inserting the CD in the drive, go to the Windows Start menu and select "My Computer." Select your CD-ROM drive and locate a file called Setup.exe. Double click on this file. Setup.exe will install the PowerCONVERTER files onto your local hard drive. It will also automatically install it into PowerPoint.


Upon installing the PowerCONVERTER software, the dialog above, will display advising you to register the software that you have purchased so it can be fully activated (beyond just a 10-day trial period). The registration code is valid for a limited time only (up to thirty days after date of purchase), so we highly recommend that you immediately register to fully activate PowerCONVERTER. The registration / activation process takes only a couple of minutes and only has to be done once (i.e. the initial time you are using your paid for version of PowerCONVERTER).

Note: Although the message in the dialog above indicates that you will receive an email from CrystalGraphics with your registration code, at the time of this writing, your registration code will be printed on a sticker that is affixed to the front of the jewelcase containing your PowerCONVERTER installation CD instead.

When the following screen displays, you have the option of "Continue with trial" or "Purchase now." Click the "Continue with Trial" button (even though you have purchased PowerCONVERTER... the steps following this will show you how to convert the trial version to your fully registered paid-for licensed version).

Upon selecting the Options menu, the PowerCONVERTER User Preferences dialog will display. Along the left-hand column, select "Registration."



Activating PowerCONVERTER
Your PowerCONVERTER registration code is printed on a sticker that is affixed to the front of the jewelcase containing
your PowerCONVERTER installation CD. Once you locate the registration code, enter the case-sensitive registration code into the Set Up Preferences>Registration dialog (see below). Make sure you have an active internet connection when registering / activating PowerCONVERTER.



Click the Activate button. Once the Activate button is disabled (greyed out), your paid for version of PowerCONVERTER has been successfully registered and activated! Click the OK button to exit the Registration dialog.

If you need assistance with obtaining your registration code, contact CrystalGraphics Sales Service department at . Please be sure to include your purchase confirmation information ("Order ID") so we can promptly assist you.

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2. I bought PowerCONVERTER XP. How do I obtain and install Microsoft .NET?
To download the .NET framework, visit Microsoft's .NET homepage at http://msdn.microsoft.com/netframework/.

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3. How do I activate PowerCONVERTER?
If you are installing PowerCONVERTER for the first time, please follow the steps outlined in “How do I install PowerCONVERTER?”.
If you have already installed PowerCONVERTER and now just want to register to activate it, open PowerPoint and click the PowerCONVERTER button located underneath the PowerPoint toolbar.


Once the PowerCONVERTER main screen displays, select the "Options" menu then click "Registration" along the left-hand column of the dialog. When the registration dialog appears, enter your registration code to activate PowerCONVERTER, then click the Activate button. Thereafter, click OK to close the Registration dialog and return to the PowerCONVERTER main menu.

Note: If more than thirty days has passed since your purchase of PowerCONVERTER, the registration code has probably expired. If this is the case, please refer to the advice posted at "What should I do if the registration code I entered reports that the activation is 'invalid'?" for further assistance.

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4. What should I do if the registration code I entered reports that the activation is "invalid"?

1. Make sure your computer has an active internet connection when registering to activate PowerCONVERTER.
2. Verify that the registration code you have entered is accurate with the code you received from CrystalGraphics. For example, entering a zero (0) instead of the letter "o" (O) can cause this error message to display.
3. Check the date as to when you received the registration code. If more than 30 days has passed since the registration code was issued to you, then the code may have expired. If this is the case, please contact our Sales Service department by email () or by phone (Tel. (800) 507-1796 ) between 8:30AM (ET) -4:30 PM (PT), Monday - Friday to request a new key. Be sure to have your purchase order information ("Order ID") available when contacting CrystalGraphics.

5. I have a computer and home and one at the office. Can I install and use PowerCONVERTER on both systems?
Yes. Your PowerCONVERTER software can be installed and operated by you on both machines. Just use the same registration code (that is provided to you by CrystalGraphics upon purchasing the software) to activate PowerCONVERTER on both machines. Note: You must install and activate PowerCONVERTER on both machines within thirty days of your purchase date.

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6. How do I uninstall PowerCONVERTER?
You can uninstall PowerCONVERTER by using the Microsoft Windows "Add/Remove Programs" utility located in the control panel. PowerPoint should not be running during uninstallation.

If you wish to reinstall PowerCONVERTER once you have uninstalled it from your hard drive, follow the steps outlined in “How do I install PowerCONVERTER?” (above).

Note: If more than thirty days has passed after your purchase (and reinstallation ) of PowerCONVERTER, the registration code has probably expired. If this is the case, please refer to the advice posted at "What should I do if the registration code I entered reports that the activation is 'invalid'?" for further assistance.

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System Compatibility
1. What versions of Windows is PowerCONVERTER compatible with?
PowerCONVERTER runs with Windows 95, 98, 2000, NT, or XP.

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3. Does PowerCONVERTER require Microsoft .NET?
It is required if you have purchased PowerCONVERTER XP and you plan to take full advantage of the animation features and multimedia capabilities of PowerPoint 2002 (Office XP) and PowerPoint 2003. "Dot NET" is the latest technology from Microsoft that helps to produce faster-running applications and improved functionality. Third-party software, such as PowerCONVERTER, can be written to support .NET. Without .NET, many of the new features available in PowerCONVERTER XP would not have been possible. The Microsoft .NET Framework is automatically installed with Windows XP service pack 2 and on Windows 2003 servers. It will also be included in all new products from Microsoft. For more information and to download the .NET framework, visit the .NET homepage at http://msdn.microsoft.com/netframework/.

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4. Does PowerCONVERTER require Macromedia Flash?
PowerCONVERTER requires the Macromedia Flash viewer (which is free) to preview and play back your flash converted presentations. However, PowerCONVERTER does not require Macromedia's authoring software. Most computers already have the Flash viewer present on their system. However, if it is not available on your computer, the first time you attempt to playback your flash-based presentation, your system will detect that it needs the Flash viewer and automatically download the free Flash viewer in under one minute on a dial-up connection so you can install it.

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5. What do I need to do if I upgrade to a later version of PowerPoint?
When you upgrade to Office XP (PowerPoint 2002) or Office Systems 2003, and you have an earlier version of PowerCONVERTER (i.e. PowerCONVERTER Lite or PowerCONVERTER XP), you may want to consider upgrading to PowerCONVERTER XP, which fully supports the animation features and multimedia capabilities of PowerPoint 2002 (XP) and 2003. Please contact our sales department for information on upgrading to PowerCONVERTER XP.

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Miscellaneous
1. Why don't I see the PowerCONVERTER button in PowerPoint?
In PowerPoint 2002 (XP) or higher, go to Help>About Microsoft PowerPoint. Click on the button "Disabled Items" and see if the PowerCONVERTER is listed here. If it is listed, highlight PowerCONVERTER and click 'Enable.' Restart PowerPoint and the button will now show up in your PowerPoint toolbar. If the PowerCONVERTER is not listed in Disabled Items, try uninstalling it from the Add/Remove Programs window under Control Panel and then reinstall PowerCONVERTER from your installation CD.

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2. Why do AVI-movies in my converted presentation not loop?
Unfortunately, the current version of PowerCONVERTER does not honor the "no rewind" option that one can set for AVIs in PowerPoint. To work arouhd this problem, simply double-click your mouse to play the AVI again.

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3. Why do the PowerPlugs 3D transitions and animated 3D title effects in my converted presentation not play back?
The "real-time" 3D effects produced by PowerPlugs: Transitions and PowerPlugs: 3D Titles cannot be converted to Flash. If it is important that your presentation include the 3D effects produced by PowerPlugs, please read PowerPlugs: Transitions or 3D Titles Technical Support FAQs pages for advice on using PowerPlugs' "Pack with Effects" to pack up your3D-enhanced presentation along with PowerPlugs royalty-free Player to send to others and/or play back on other computers. (Note: The resulting PowerPlugs packed presentation and Player is not Flash-based).

Note: Even if PowerCONVERTER was capable of converting PowerPlugs' 3D effects to Flash, the resulting Flash file likely would not be practical for use because this would significantly add to the overall file size of the presentation. And, in most cases, one chooses to convert their PowerPoint presentations to Flash to reduce the file size.

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4. I want to have a separate SWF movie for each slide so that I can decide how to navigate the slides in my presentation. Can this be done?
Yes. PowerCONVERTER XP has the ability to save each slide externally. This is done by selecting the Options button from the PowerCONVERTER main menu, then select the Save Options command.

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5. Can I improve the image quality of the converted presentation?
Yes. You can select the level of JPEG image quality using PowerCONVERTER's 'Set User Preferences' dialog. Select the Options button from the PowerCONVERTER main menu. Then select the 'General' command. You can modify the JPEG output options in this dialog, such as increase the image quality up to 100%. Keep in mind, however, that the higher the image quality, the larger your final Flash file size will be.

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