How large is the PowerPlugs: Transitions program?
The software plus all the visual and sound effects included with PowerPlugs: Transitions requires just over 8 MB of hard disk space per volume when inactive. But, to make sure that you have enough Windows swap file space while you are running PowerPoint with PowerPlugs: Transitions, you'll want at least 8.5 MB of free disk space per volume of Transitions.

Does PowerPlugs: Transitions run under all versions of Windows?
Yes.

Can I use PowerPlugs: Transitions without 3D acceleration hardware?
Yes. 3D Acceleration hardware is a recommendation and not a requirement. All that is needed is a fast PC or - even better - a 3D graphics acceleration chip or board with 4 MB or more of video RAM (32 MB-64 MB is even better). This is not required, but is very useful for speeding up the effects creation process and for playing the transition effects back more smoothly. Click here to see a list of tested 3D acceleration hardware products.

Which 3D APIs does PowerPlugs: Transitions support?
PowerPlugs: Transitions supports the following industry standard 3D accelerated rendering APIs: Direct3D 5.0 and above for Window 95/98/NT/ME/2000/XP and OpenGL for NT 4.0.

How much video RAM does PowerPlugs: Transitions require?
PowerPlugs: Transitions' effects require a 3D graphics accelerator that has a minimum of 4 MB video memory onboard. You may require more video RAM in your 3D graphics accelerator, depending on the display resolution you want to use. A general rule of thumb is that the higher the screen resolution, the more video RAM will be required. For example, a display resolution of 1024x768x16 will require a minimum of 8 MB of video RAM. If you intend to use two display monitors, a minimum of 16 MB of video RAM will be required (32 MB-64 MB is even better).

Does PowerPlugs: Transitions take advantage of AGP-based 3D acceleration hardware?
Yes.

Is my 3D enhanced presentation portable?
Yes. Using PowerPlugs: Transitions' "Pack Special Effects" tool, you can pack up your 3D enhanced presentation and take it "on the road" or send it to some one else for viewing. Please see the Pack Special Effects FAQ for detailed instructions.

Can I display animated 3D artwork on my slide(s) while my 3D enhanced presentation is playing?
Yes. Using PowerPoint's "Insert Movies and Sounds/Movie from File" command, you can insert animated artwork (for example, an AVI movie of animated 3D text created using 3D IMPACT! Pro software) as an object in your slide(s).

Can my 3D enhanced presentation play sound effects other than those that accompany the 3D transition effects?
Yes.

Can I show my 3D enhanced presentation without sound effects?
Yes. The "Add 3D Transitions" dialog box allows you to turn off the sound effects entirely on a selected slide.

Can I adjust the speed of the 3D transitions in my 3D enhanced presentation?
Yes. The "Add 3D Transitions" dialog box allows you to set the speed, and direction, of the 3D transition effects applied to your selected PowerPoint slide(s).

How can I tell if I have the most current version of PowerPlugs: Transitions?
There is an "About PowerPlugs: Transitions" tool which provides this information. It can be accessed by selecting the Help button within the "Add 3D Transitions" dialog box. Use this to check what version of the 3D Transitions application you are using. And, visit our web site (http://www.crystalgraphics.com/presentations/transitions.update.asp) to verify what version is currently available and to check out our newest volumes of 3D transition effects that may be available.

Are there international language versions of PowerPlugs: Transitions available?
No. PowerPlugs: Transitions is available only in English. However, it should work with all language versions of PowerPoint.

How can I purchase more PowerPlugs: Transitions effects?
Please visit the PowerPlugs: Transitions main page to see the 3D transition effects that are available now. More will be coming soon!

I am using Windows Vista and PowerPlugs: Transitions software version 2.5: How do I change Vista’s default restrictions to the PowerPlugs folder, so that PowerPlugs: Transitions can work properly?
a. Right click on the PowerPlugs install folder (eg: PowerPlugs in the case of default install path) -> Click ‘Properties’. b. Select the tab ‘Security’.

c. Click ‘Edit’.
d. Select the user from ‘Group or user names’ and check the option ‘Full Control’ from ‘Permission for users’

e. Click ‘Apply’ and then ‘OK’.

What should I do when I receive an error message trying to download the paid version of PowerPlugs: Transitions?
Attempting to download through a broadband connection (i.e. cable modem or DSL), or a company network's Internet connection, can occasionally interfere with your ability to access the FTP links (that CrystalGraphics provides in your purchase confirmation email). It may generate error messages, and perhaps restrict your ability to download the software you've purchased from CrystalGraphics. Please refer to our Download FAQs Web page for detailed assistance on resolving internet / file download problems.

What should I do if I am having trouble downloading the demo?
The Internet is sometimes congested, or there are connection problems between areas. Phone lines could be down, or there may be a problem with your Internet providers' connection to the Internet. Our server may also be experiencing a heavy traffic load. If you are having difficulty downloading, your easiest option is to try downloading again at a different time of day on a different day. Please visit the following Web page for some other suggestions on downloading the trial version of PowerPlugs: Transitions -- http://www.crystalgraphics.com/download.support2.asp.

Why does the second link show the same files as the first link?
This is caused by the browser on your machine not refreshing the display of the link. Netscape users should click on the provided link then after the page is loaded click reload in your browser. Internet Explorer users should click on the provided link then after the page is loaded click refresh in your browser. This will cause your browser to refresh the displayed links and should show the correct file list. If not please verify that you are clicking on the correct link. Links are provided by the sales department.

How do I install PowerPlugs: Transitions?
Before you proceed with installing PowerPlugs: Transitions onto your hard drive, and if you have PowerPoint 2002 or 2003 installed, go to the Tools menu of PowerPoint, select Macro>Security. If the security level is set to "High," change it to Medium (or Low). Then, close PowerPoint. If your computer is configured in a networked Windows environment, check with your system administrator to make sure that your local PC is granted full administrative rights -- at least during the installation of PowerPlugs: Transitions (your normal user rights privilege level can be set back to normal after installation). And, it is also a good idea to temporarily disable your anti-virus software.

If you have downloaded PowerPlugs: Transitions software onto the local drive of your computer, locate the downloaded file on your computer, then simply double-click the file to begin installation.

If you are installing PowerPlugs: Transitions from a CD-ROM, an Autorun screen should display once you insert the CD into the CD-ROM drive. Just click the Install button to proceed with installation. 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 Transitions files onto your local hard drive. It will also automatically install it into PowerPoint.

What is DirectX?
DirectX is a software API that enables third party software products to interact through Windows with the hardware in your computer.

What does this mean? This is a software product that is free from Microsoft. It allows our software, and many other software packages) to communicate with your video card to create these 3D transition effects. You can download the latest version of this API from Microsoft by clicking here. Be sure to download the DirectX for end users.

How do I uninstall PowerPlugs: Transitions from my system?
Make sure PowerPoint is closed prior to uninstalling PowerPlugs: Transitions. Then choose one of these two recommended ways to uninstall PowerPlugs: Transitions:

Click Start > Programs > PowerPlugs>Tranitions> Uninstall
-or-
Click Start > Settings > Control Panel, then double-click Add/Remove Programs. Select PowerPlugs: Transitions from the Install/Uninstall tab, and click Add/Remove.

Note: If you have installed the paid for volume(s) of Transitions and want to uninstall only the Demo volumes of Transitions, select one demo volume at a time to uninstall.

If you wish to reinstall PowerPlugs: Transitions once you have uninstalled it from your hard drive, follow the steps outlined in How to Install PowerPlugs: Transitions (above).

How do I use Transitions?
The easiest way to get started using PowerPlugs: Transitions is to read the included Help documentation. Go to the Start Menu>Programs>PowerPlugs>Transitions>Transitions Help.

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, open PowerPoint and go to the Tools menu. Select Macro>Security and change the security level from High to Medium (or Low). Then, close PowerPoint. Run the "Reconfigure" program that is included with PowerPlugs: Transitions. Go to Start Menu>Programs>PowerPlugs>Transitions. Click on Reconfigure. First click on the "Remove PowerPlugs from PowerPoint" button and then click on "Add PowerPlugs into PowerPoint." This enables the PowerPlugs interface to be added into the new version of PowerPoint that you just installed. (If a message appears about "Disable or Enable Macros," select 'Enable Macros.') Open PowerPoint thereafter and you should then be able to use the Transitions tools.

If the above steps are followed and you are still unable to use the PowerPlugs tools in PowerPoint, go to PowerPoint's Tools menu and select Addins... Verify that PowerPlugs Transitions is listed in the "Available Addins" list. Highlight PowerPlugs in the list. Then, select "Remove." Thereafter, select Add New and browse to the following location -- C:\Program Files\PowerPlugs. Select POWERPLUGS TRANSITIONS AND 3D TITLES.PPA, then click OK and close the Addins dialog box. You should then be able to use the Transitions tools shortly thereafter.

What should I do if Transitions is not available in PowerPoint?
Make sure you are using PowerPoint 97, 2000, 2002 or 2003 when installing PowerPlugs: Transitions (the earlier versions of PowerPoint do not support plug-ins). Also, make sure there is adequate disk space available on your local hard drive. If you have enough disk space, check to see if the installer loaded the files onto your hard drive (go to C:\Program Files\PowerPlugs\Transitions and see if files have been installed into this folder). If the software appears to have installed properly, but the "View Show with Effects" and "Add 3D Transition" commands were not added into your PowerPoint's Slide Show menu, then try the following --

Open PowerPoint and go to the Tools menu. Select Macro>Security and change the security level from High to Medium (or Low). Then, close PowerPoint. (Note: this tool is available in PowerPoint 2000 - 2007, however, it is not available in PowerPoint 97.)
Run the "Reconfigure" program that is included with PowerPlugs: Transitions. Go to Start Menu>Programs>PowerPlugs>Transitions. Click on Reconfigure. First click on the "Remove PowerPlugs from PowerPoint" button and then click on "Add PowerPlugs into PowerPoint." This enables the PowerPlugs interface to be added into the new version of PowerPoint that you just installed. (If a message appears about "Disable or Enable Macros," select 'Enable Macros.') Open PowerPoint thereafter and you should then be able to use the Transitions tools.

If the above steps are followed and you are still unable to use the PowerPlugs tools in PowerPoint, go to PowerPoint's Tools menu and select Addins... Verify that PowerPlugs Transitions is listed in the "Available Addins" list. Highlight PowerPlugs in the list. Then, select "Remove." Thereafter, select Add New and browse to the following location -- C:\Program Files\PowerPlugs. Select POWERPLUGS TRANSITIONS AND 3D TITLES.PPA, then click OK and close the Addins dialog box. You should then be able to use the Transitions tools shortly thereafter.

What should I do if the commands "Add 3D Transition" and "View Show with Effects" do nothing?
Do you have a presentation loaded? If you do, and you still don't get anything to happen when you click on Add 3D Transition and View Show with Effects:

1. You may have accidentally installed the Transitions software incorrectly. For example, the Installer defaults to C:\Program Files\PowerPlugs. If you changed that path to simply D:, then all the folders will end up in the D drive root directory and Windows will not deal with that correctly. If this happened to you, then simply uninstall the software and reinstall it, being careful to use a good path for the software to be installed into.
2. Run the reconfigure utility (Start>Programs>PowerPlugs>Transitions>Reconfigure). First click "Remove from PowerPoint." Then click "Add into PowerPoint." If you receive an error stating that the "named addin was not found", you need to reinstall Transitions. (If a message appears about "Disable or Enable Macros," select 'Enable Macros.') Open PowerPoint thereafter and try using the Transitions tools.
3. If the Reconfigure program adds the above commands to PowerPoint, however, the commands do nothing when selected, go to PowerPoint’s Tools menu and select “Add-Ins…”. First select the PowerPlugs item from the list, then click remove. Now click Add New. Browse to the C:\Program Files\PowerPlugs folder and select the POWERPLUGS TRANSITIONS AND 3D TITLES.PPA addin. Click OK.

Why do I still see the demo logo on my transitions?
If you have purchased, downloaded and installed the paid for version(s) of PowerPlugs: Transitions, you should now have additional volumes of 3D transition effects in the Add 3D Transitions dialog box (“Volume” pulldown menu). To avoid seeing the “Demo” watermark on the 3D transition effects applied to your presentations, do not use the Demo transition volumes.

If you already assigned demo 3D transition effects to slides in your presentation and want to apply NON-Demo effects to those slides, do the following --
1. Open your presentation in PowerPoint. Go to one of the slides in your presentation that currently has a Demo 3D transition effect assigned (i.e. Slide 2).
2. Go to the Slide Show menu of PowerPoint and select “Add 3D Transition.”
3. Click on the pulldown menu titled “Volume.” From here you can select one of the non-demo installed volumes of effects.*
4. Go to the pulldown menu titled “Style.” Select a 3D transition style that you want to apply to the slide(s). Then, click the “Apply” or “Apply to All” button.
5. Go to the Slide Show menu of PowerPoint and select “View Show with Effects” to view you presentation with non-Demo 3D transition effects.

* - If you see only Demo effects in the “Volume” pulldown menu yet you purchased PowerPlugs: Transitions, please double check that you have downloaded and installed the paid for version(s) of PowerPlugs: Transitions. Once you have verified that these files have been installed (yet you still do not see them listed in the Add 3D Transition>Volume dialog box), close PowerPoint. Then, go to the Windows Start button>Programs>PowerPlugs>Transitions folder. Click on the “Reconfigure” program. Click “Remove from PowerPoint.” Then, click “Add to PowerPoint,” then “OK.” Go back in to PowerPoint and follow steps 1-5 above.

How do I get the latest version of the software?
You can get the latest version of the software by going to the PowerPlugs: Transitions Update page.

How do I send my Transitions enhanced presentation to someone?
To prepare the files and resources necessary for playback of your Transitions enhanced presentation on another computer, use the "Pack Special Effects" command located on the Transitions floating tool palette (or "PowerPlugs Pack Special Effects" located in the PowerPoint File menu). There is also helpful information about packing and burning your Transitions enhanced presentation(s) on to CD at the Transitions Tips page (located at http://www.crystalgraphics.com/presentations/transitions.tips.asp#arun).
Make sure you are using the most current version of PowerPlugs: Transitions (http://www.crystalgraphics.com/presentations/transitions.update.asp).

How do I get Transitions to work with multiple presentations, or in kiosk presentations?
At this time Microsoft does not give our software access to these functions. When a user clicks the link buttons we cannot detect this action and therefore cannot display the 3D Transitions. We hope that future volumes of PowerPoint will allow this kind of interaction with our software.

How do I disable the PowerPlugs: Transitions splash screen?
Please do not make this modification unless you are familiar with the Windows Registry. CrystalGraphics can not be held liable for any misuse of this option.

1. Open the registry editor (REGEDIT.EXE). Locate the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Office/11.0/PowerPoint/DLL Addins/POWERPLUGS
2. There should be a value called AutoLoad. Change the value to 0 and the splash screen will no longer appear.

What should I do if the software crashes or gives an error message when I try to "View Show with Effects"?
The amount of video RAM with your 3D graphics accelerator may be inadequate for the resolution and/or color bit depth settings at which you are playing back your 3D enhanced presentation. Try setting your display to a lower resolution. Also, try reducing the color depth setting. With 4 MB of video RAM in your graphics board, a resolution of 800x600 is the highest possible, with a 16-bit color depth. With 8 MB or more of video RAM, a resolution of 1024x768 may be possible (32 MB-64 MB of video RAM is even better). But even if you have enough RAM, these resolutions may not work well with your graphics board. If you are experiencing stability or quality problems, you should try lowering the resolution of your screen display. You can lower the graphics display settings by activating the right mouse button in a "free space area" on your Windows desktop. Select "Properties" then, select the Settings tab. The graphics display adapter type may be listed in the "Display" description (along with the type of monitor being used for display).

Please consult our web site for information on known hardware incompatibilities.

It is also possible that there may be a problem with a specific slide in your presentation to which a 3D transition effect has been applied. If you notice that the "Preparing 3D Presentation" dialog of the View Show with Effects command hangs or the playback of your 3D presentation halts at a particular slide, try removing the 3D transition effect applied to that slide.

A. Runtime errors: There is a read out in the Preparing 3D Transitions dialog window. It will count down the slides.

1. On which slide does the preparation stop?
2. Does that slide have a graphic on it? More than likely it will be on the next slide lower (if it stops on slide 12, check slide 11).
3. Try deleting the picture. Does a blank text or object box appear in place of the picture? (usually asking to Click here to enter Text) If this does not occur try removing all pictures and reinserting each picture one at a time until the problem returns.
4. This is what is causing the runtime error. Try deleting the text box and replacing the picture. If you have to cut and paste you will need to cut from PowerPoint and paste into any Paint program, then cut and paste back into PowerPoint. This is a bug we found in PowerPoint 97. It has been fixed in PowerPoint 2000. When we process the slides we ask PowerPoint what is on each slide. It reports that the picture is a text box instead of a picture because of this embedded text box. This false report causes the runtime error.

B. A message that says: This machine does not appear to have adequate 3D acceleration hardware installed and enabled you will need to pre-render the effects for later real-time playback.

1. This is simply stating that your computer does not have a 3D capable board and that our software needs to generate the effects because your video card cannot.
2. We create AVI file versions of the transitions and store them in a folder with your presentation.
3. The folder is named "(your presentation's name) videos"
4. After the effects are rendered choose View Show with Effects again to view the transition effects in the presentation.
5. If you are unable to view the transitions after you render them, or the rendering time takes only moments see: What should I do if the 3D transitions do not play back in my presentation?

Another consideration is that you may be using PowerPlugs: Transitions on a system that has an incompatible 3D product that could also be competing for the 3D graphics accelerator's limited resources. Please consult our web site for information on known hardware incompatibilities.

What should I do if the Transitions dialog keeps asking me to render my transitions?
This is usually caused by a video card conflict.

1. Please consult our web site for information on known hardware incompatibilities.
2. Make sure that you have the most current version of the drivers for your video card.(See below to determine what your video card is)
3. Make sure that you try the latest version of DirectX (see above for explanation of DirectX)
4. Also verify that the acceleration is enabled in Windows. For Windows 95/98/2000/ME: Go to the Start Menu\Settings\Control Panel. Double-click the System Icon. Go to the performance tab. Click the Graphics button. Make sure that the bar is slid to Full.

For users of laptops with some brands of display chips you may need to reverse the above directions and slide the acceleration to None. This will force Transitions to render AVI files instead of trying to use your display card to render the transitions. This can also cause a loop of rendering dialogs.

PowerPoint's custom animation effects don't work with the 3D Transitions. What can I do?
Please make sure you have the current version of PowerPlugs: Transitions installed. You can determine what version of Transitions is installed by checking the properties of the PowerPlugs Player. Go to C:\Program Files\PowerPlugs and right mouse click on PowerPlugs Player.exe. Click the "Version" tab. If you have version of Transitions earlier than v2.0, please visit our Web page located at http://www.crystalgraphics.com/presentations/transitions.update.asp to download a free update to the current version. Also, before you select "View Show with Effects," go to PowerPoint's File menu and select Page Setup. Make sure that your slides are sized for "On-screen show."

Even with the current version of Transitions installed, in some cases, a conflict between PowerPoint custom animated effects used in conjunction with PowerPlugs: Transitions may manifest problems on some slides. Here are some suggestions on how to remedy play back problems if they are occurring --

1. Avoid assigning the custom animation effects to the PowerPoint Master Slide. In other words, apply the PowerPoint custom animation effects to individual slides rather than globally assigning the custom animation to all slides (via the Slide Master).
2. If you have custom animated text/bullets that have been set to advance "With Previous" custom animation (vs. "On Mouse Click" or "After Previous"), try changing the attribute of the custom animated effect to "On Mouse Click" or "After Previous" and see if the problem goes away. You can set this option in PowerPoint's Custom Animation tool, located in the Slide Show menu.
3. If you use PowerPoint 2002 (and 2003)'s "AutoFit" feature (which automatically fits the text into the text box on a slide), a 3D effect on the subsequent slide that has the autofit attribute assigned cannot play back. Try removing the AutoFit attribute from your slides and see if this eliminates the problem. Go to the Tools menu>AutoCorrect>AutoFormat and disable the auto fit text to text box and title to place holder options.

There is another workaround that you can employ if the above suggestions do not remedy the situation. It involves inserting duplicate slide(s) to act as an invisible bridge between the slides that are not honoring your PowerPoint animated effects and the 3D transition effects. Your audience will never see the difference! Let's use the "Fade" effect as an example:

1. Start by inserting three slides in a PowerPoint document.
2. Add a bullet list to slide 2.
3. From the Slide Show menu, select Custom Animation. From the selection of Entrance effects, apply the Fade effect to the bullet list. Use "Advance on mouse click" as your advance method.
4. Select slide 2 and select Duplicate Slide from the Insert menu.
5. Remove the Fade effect from the duplicated slide (slide 3).
6. Add a 3D transition to the 4th slide.
7. View Show with Effects. Please keep in mind that after the Fade has completed and you are at the end of the bullet list, you will have to click twice to advance to slide 4.

What should I do if the 3D transitions do not play back in my presentation?
First there must be at least two slides in your presentation, because you need to be able to transition from one slide to another. Second make sure that you are assigning transitions to slides other than the first slide. Transitions to the first slide only show up in looping presentations.

Please consult our web site for information on known hardware incompatibilities.

Be sure you have the most current driver for your display hardware (3D graphics accelerator) installed on your system.(See the documentation that came with your 3D graphics accelerator card for more information) Once you have confirmed that the latest driver for your hardware is present, you should also check to make sure that DirectX 5.0 or above and/or OpenGL.

Also verify that the acceleration is enabled in Windows. For Windows 95/98/2000/ME: Go to the Start Menu\Settings\Control Panel. Double-click the System Icon. Go to the performance tab. Click the Graphics button. Make sure that the bar is slid to Full.

For users of laptops with NeoMagic brand display chips you may need to reverse the above directions and slide the acceleration to None. This will force Transitions to render AVI files instead of trying to use your display card to render the transitions. Users of S3 Virge MX chips in their laptops should not disable the acceleration. We have found that these chips cannot run with the acceleration disabled!

If you have verified that you have a working 3D graphics accelerator card, and if the problem persists, try reducing the resolution of your graphics screen display because there might not be enough video RAM available to support the play back.

ATI video card users may experience a black screen at the transition point. Usually the sound effect for the transition is present, but the transition effect is not visible.

1. Update to the most current driver for your video card model. ATI drivers should be obtained from the manufacturer at www.ati.com
2. Make sure that you are running the most current version of DirectX. (5.0 or above) (see above for explanation of DirectX)

It is possible that the 3D transition effects may not play back when the position of the mouse cursor is within the text box boundaries of a slide. So, if you use a mouse to click through your presentation, make sure the cursor sits outside the content area of your slides as you play back the presentation. To avoid this text box/mouse cursor sensitivity altogether, try using keyboard strokes to play back your presentation, such as the space bar, arrow keys or Page Down/Up keys.

If you are using PowerPoint custom animation effects (i.e. on text, bullets, graphics) along with PowerPlugs: Transition effects in your presentation, avoid assigning the custom animation effects to the PowerPoint Master Slide. In other words, apply the PowerPoint custom animation effects to individual slides rather than globally assigning the custom animation to all slides (via the Slide Master). And, make sure the PowerPoint Custom Animation effects are set to play "Upon mouse click" or "After previous event" (avoid the "With previous event" setting) in PowerPoint's Custom Animation tool.

What should I do if my 3D presentation won't play on another computer (and I've used the "Pack Special Effects" command)?
Please see the Pack Special Effects FAQ to be sure that you are taking the right steps in transporting the presentation. If the destination computer has a working 3D graphics accelerator card, and if the problem persists, try reducing the resolution of the graphics screen display because there might not be enough video RAM available to support the play back.

Why does Transitions say that I do not have 3D hardware acceleration?
Your system may not have a video card that can accelerate 3D graphics. (Either OpenGL ICD for NT, or Direct 3D for Windows 95/98/2000/ME/XP/Vista)

1. Please consult our web site for information on known hardware incompatibilities.
2. Make sure that you have the most current version of the drivers for your video card.(See below to determine what your video card is)
3. Make sure that you try the latest version of DirectX (see above for explanation of DirectX)
4. Also verify that the acceleration is enabled in Windows. For Windows 95/98/2000/ME/XP/Vista: Go to the Start Menu\Settings\Control Panel. Double-click the System Icon. Go to the performance tab. Click the Graphics button. Make sure that the bar is slid to Full.
   For users of laptops with some brands of display chips you may need to reverse the above directions and slide the acceleration to None. This will force Transitions to render AVI files instead of trying to use your display card to render the transitions. This can also cause a loop of rendering dialog.

What 3D graphics acceleration works with PowerPlugs: Transitions?
Please consult our web site for information on known hardware incompatibilities.

How do I check what model display adapter (video card, 3D accelerator) I have?
For Windows 95/98 users: Go to the Windows Start Menu>Settings>Control Panel. Double-click on the System Icon.
Click on Device Manager. Double click on Display Adapter. Your graphics display adapter should be listed here.

For Windows NT/ME/2000/XP/Vista users: Right-click on the Windows desktop. Choose Properties. Click on Settings. Click on Display Type. Your graphics display adapter should be listed here. Note: You can also use the DirectX Diagnostic program to determine what type of graphics display adapter is installed in your computer. Go to the Windows Start button and click Run. In the Run dialog box, type the following text: dxdiag Click OK. (If prompted to check for signature verification on the drivers, answer "No.") Select the "Display" tab. You will see the video memory size listed in this dialog box. Press the Exit button when you are ready to close the DirectX diagnostic dialog.

What should I do if my computer is supposed to have 3D acceleration but Transitions doesn't recognize it?
Your system may not have a video card that can accelerate 3D graphics. (Either OpenGL ICD for NT, or Direct 3D for Windows 95/98/2000/ME/2000/XP/Vista)

1. Please consult our web site for information on known hardware incompatibilities.
2. Make sure that you have the most current version of the drivers for your video card.(See below to determine what your video card is)
3. Make sure that you try the latest version of DirectX (see above for explanation of DirectX)
4. Also verify that the acceleration is enabled in Windows. For Windows 95/98: Go to the Start Menu\Settings\Control Panel. Double-click the System Icon. Go to the performance tab. Click the Graphics button. Make sure that the bar is slid to Full.

For users of laptops with some brands of display chips you may need to reverse the above directions and slide the acceleration to None. This will force Transitions to render AVI files instead of trying to use your display card to render the transitions. This can also cause a loop of rendering dialog.

What should I do if it seems to take "too long" for a 3D transition to display?
It may take a few or several seconds to process the slides to play back your 3D enhanced presentation. This is dependent on the number of slides (and multimedia elements) in your presentation, what version of Windows is running (earlier versions of Windows, i.e. Windows 98/ME are less graphics intensive, and thus, more video memory is available for Transitions to use), the amount of system RAM and video RAM available, and the speed of your computer. The processing time can be reduced by making sure you have enough system RAM (at least 48 MB), and by making sure you have a fast PC, with no other applications running concurrently. Optimizing you hard drive may also help. Although undesirable, any delay can be anticipated, taken into account, and compensated for during your presentations.

Please consult our web site for information on known hardware incompatibilities.

What should I do if my 3D-enhanced presentation is missing objects, images or other elements that were inserted in my slides (and I've used the "Pack Special Effects" command)?
Pack Special Effects only packs up PowerPlugs: Transitions, 3D Titles, and Video Backgrounds-related items. However, once Pack Secial Effects completes its packing tasks, it automatically invokes PowerPoint's pack tool to pack up other files associated with your presentation (i.e. AVI movies, external sound files, non-standard TrueType fonts, etc.) If you are using PowerPoint 97 and 2000, PowerPoint's "Pack and Go" command is invoked. And, if you are using PowerPoint 2002 and higher, PowerPoint's "Package for CD" command is invoked to handle the task of packing non-PowerPlugs resource files. Please refer to PowerPoint's Help documentation for more information on the "Pack and Go" / "Package for CD" tools.

Note: PowerPoint's pack tools do not pack flash movies. So, if you pack a presentation that has flash animation inserted, unfortunately, the flash effects will not be included in the pack operation.

If your 3D-enabled notebook PC includes an ATI RagePro 3D accelerator chip, you can easily configure the LCD display on your notebook so that it automatically resizes an image to full screen display. In other words, even though 3D Sensations may automatically reduce the playback resolution of your presentation to 800x600, this LCD setting, when enabled, will resize the PowerPlugs: Transitions presentation so that it displays at full screen! To enable this setting, go to the Start / Settings menu and select Control Panel. Double click on the Display icon. Within the Display Properties dialog box, select the "Adjustment" tab and in the "LCD Panel Option" click on the box for "Scale image to resize the screen." Then click "Okay" and close the Control Panel menu.

Also, if you want to establish the "LCD Panel / Scale image" option as a permanent default setting (again, using a notebook PC that has an ATI RagePro 3D accelerator chip), you can do so by editing the display expansion settings within the BIOS set up menu of your notebook PC. It's really easy to do this. Here's how (note: these instructions assume that your notebook PCs use Phoenix BIOS):

1. Reboot your notebook PC.
2. Before the Windows menu displays, press "F2" to access the BIOS set up program.
3. Select "Advanced / Video Features."
4. Enable the feature called "Compensation."
5. Save your changes and exit the BIOS setting program.
6. Reboot your notebook PC again, this time allowing Windows and your desktop to display.

Why are my sound effects or animations being cut off before they are completed?
We are aware of a bug in PowerPoint that does not allow CD audio files to play correctly, they are ended after a transition displays, if a transition is applied to slide 2. To work around this problem do not assign a 3D transition to slide 2 if you use a CD audio track for your presentation.

If you use WAV files your sound card may not allow two wave files to play simultaneously. If this s the case you should disable the sound effects for the transitions in the Add 3D Transition dialog.

If you use automatic timings make sure that you allow enough time for all your on slide animations to complete before the transition is triggered.

Why don't I see the Transitions/3D Titles effects when running my presentation on a computer that does not have Transitions/3D Titles installed?
Please see the Pack Special Effects FAQ to be sure that you are taking the right steps in transporting the presentation.

My transitions will not work while an audio file is playing. What can I do?
Do not apply a 3D Transition to the slide that immediately follows the slide in which the audio file starts.

EXAMPLE: If your audio file starts on slide 2, do not apply a transition to slide 3. All other slides with 3D transitions applied to them should function normally with audio file playback.

Note: This solution will not work if the affected slides are set to automatically advance.

Technical Support Options

Website-based Tech Support: CrystalGraphics customers automatically receive unlimited access to our Online Technical Support FAQs which list the typical technical support problems that users encounter, along with our best information regarding their solutions. This service is available free of charge.

Email-based Tech Support: If you are a CrystalGraphics customer and have read through all the common questions and answers in the technical support section of the CrystalGraphics website, and your issue is still not resolved, you can click here to send us an email for a customized answer to your unique issue. Most emails are answered within 24 hours of receipt.

Telephone-based Support: If you should need telephone-based assistance within 30 days after your purchase, you can call our tech support team Monday through Friday, 8:30AM - 2:00PM Pacific Time.

1. Please note: Our tech support staff is often on the phone helping other customers, so you may get voice mail when you call. But don’t be alarmed: A technical support representative will make every effort to promptly return your call and assist you. If you do get voice mail, be sure to leave a message that includes your name and contact information such as your complete email address and a phone number (include your country & city code numbers) along with a description of the problem you are experiencing.

2. For customers calling from within the U.S. and most parts of Canada, call 1 800-504-6148.

3. For customers calling from outside the U.S. and Canada, please dial +1 800-504-6148.

4. Note: Some locations outside the U.S. may not be able to connect directly to either of the above numbers. In this case, please call +1 408-496-6175, extension 271.

5. If you don’t get a call or email back from our technical support team within 1 working day of your voicemail or email message, or if you are not satisfied for any reason with the support you have been provided, please call our Technical Support Manager at +1 408-496-6175 x 276.

Click here to return to CrystalGraphics Support Center
Click here to return to CrystalGraphics Home Page