04_06_0631_Yam.

fm — 3/1/07
Yam Computers • Computers in Radiology
Flash Movies in PowerPoint

Simple Method for Inserting Flash

Movies into PowerPoint Presentations
Chun-Shan Yam1 OBJECTIVE. This article describes a simple method for inserting Shockwave Flash
(Adobe) movies into PowerPoint (Microsoft) slides.
Yam C-S CONCLUSION. Shockwave Flash is the latest recommended file format for presenting
dynamic data sets in PowerPoint at radiologic society meetings. Unfortunately, the standard
method recommended by Microsoft for inserting Flash into PowerPoint is cumbersome and la-
bor intensive. The procedure also can be intimidating for many radiologists. This article offers
a solution that entails a simple PowerPoint macro.

hockwave Flash (Adobe) is a rela- can be organized in different ways. For exam-

S tively new presentation format used

Keywords: movies, PowerPoint, Shockwave Flash
DOI:10.2214/AJR.06.0631
Received May 11, 2006; accepted after revision
September 12, 2006.
1Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical
Center, Harvard Medical School, 1 Deaconess Rd., WCC,
Room 306, Boston, MA 02215. Address correspondence to
C.-S. Yam (csyam@bidmc.harvard.edu).
WEB
This is a Web exclusive article.
AJR 2007; 188:W374–W378
0361–803X/07/1884–W374
© American Roentgen Ray Society
at most radiologic society meet-
ings, such as those of the ARRS,
Radiological Society of North America, and
European Congress of Radiology. A previous
article [1] describes step-by-step instructions
for creating Flash movies from common movie
clips (i.e., Microsoft AVI Videotape and
MPEG Movie and Apple QuickTime) and se-
ries of digital images (e.g., JPEG, bitmap, por-
table network graphics). That article also de-
scribes inserting Flash movies (.swf) into
PowerPoint (Microsoft) presentations.
The main advantage of using Flash in Pow-
erPoint is the ability to embed Flash movies
into the presentation rather than linking to ex-
ternal files, such as common movie clips. Un-
fortunately, the current process for embed-
ding Flash movies into PowerPoint is not as
simple as adding digital images using drag
and drop or as straightforward as inserting
movie clips using drop-down menus. Instead,
Flash files must be imported by means of an
ActiveX control (Shockwave Flash object).
This control not only is unfamiliar to many
academic radiologists but also is cumber-
some. For example, the user must manually
enter the entire system path filename (a com-
mon term for computer experts but not intui-
tive or straightforward for many other com-
puter users) of the Flash movie into the
property window of the control. The com-
plexity and length of this filename parameter
can vary. Depending on computer configura-
tions and individual preferences, data files
ple, if a Flash movie (e.g., Test.swf) is located
on the desktop within four layers of folders,
the full system path of the filename can be as
complicated as C:\Documents and Settings\
User1\Desktop\Folder1\Folder2\Folder3\
Folder4\Test.swf.
Currently, the maximum allowable length
of combined folder and filename components
is 2,048 characters. One can anticipate that
typing this lengthy filename for a Flash movie
located in a network drive within multiple
layers of folders will be absolute tedium for
many computer users. In addition, because of
the allowable use of special characters (e.g.,
space and underscore) and repeated folder
names (e.g., C:\Documents and Settings\Dell\
My Talks\RSNA_2006\Test\Test\Test\…\Test.
swf), typographic errors are common during
data entry.
Because of this complexity, many academic
radiologists are disappointed when using or at-
tempting to use this new presentation format.
However, a closer look at the problem reveals
that the real issue is the awkward user interface
of the ActiveX control rather than the Flash
movie itself. For this reason, I offer a simple
PowerPoint macro solution for inserting Flash
files into PowerPoint. This macro allows users
to select the Flash movie with a user-friendly
file dialog window, bypassing the ActiveX
control and eliminating the data-entry require-
ment. This article focuses on the use of a macro
for inserting Flash movies into PowerPoint
presentations but not for creating Flash mov-
ies. Step-by-step instructions for creating Flash

W374 AJR:188, April 2007

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Flash Movies in PowerPoint

TABLE 1: Standard Method for Inserting Flash Movies into PowerPoint tion. The differences between these two play-
Presentations ers are documented on the Adobe Website [4].
Step Process Description Action Type After launching PowerPoint, open a new
Inserting an ActiveX Control presentation in the normal slide view. A Flash
movie can be embedded with the standard
1 Select View then Toolbars and Control Toolbox from the User action
top menu. method shown in Table 1 [5]. Detailed in-
structions for using this standard method for
2 In the Control Toolbox, click on the More Controls icon. User action
inserting Flash movies into PowerPoint have
3 Select Shockwave Flash Object from the drop-down list. User action
been described elsewhere [1].
4 Close the Control Toolbox. User action
5 Using the left mouse button (click-and-drag), draw the User action The Alternative Solution: A
control onto the slide. PowerPoint Macro
Configuring the ActiveX The user steps involved in the standard
Parameters method for inserting Flash into PowerPoint
6 Using the right mouse button, click on the control to bring User action presentations are cumbersome and labor in-
up the context menu. tensive. This lengthy process can be simpli-
7 Select Properties from the menu. User action fied with a PowerPoint macro. The macro
8 At the Movie box, type the full-path filename for the Flash User action contains six individual functions: five auto-
movie. mated actions and one user step (Table 2). A
9 At the Embed Movie box, choose the option True. User action PowerPoint template containing this macro
10 Close the Properties window. User action can be downloaded from this online article
(SWF_into_PPT.ppt, 26 kb). Because this
11 Select View then Slide Show to play the Flash movie. User action
template already contains the macro, radiolo-
gists can use it directly without programming.
A simple demonstration appears later.
TABLE 2: Macro for Inserting Flash into PowerPoint
For experienced PowerPoint users, de-
Step Process Description Action Type tailed information for automating the Ac-
1 Select the Flash movie using a Windows file dialog. User action tiveX control and invoking the Windows file
2 Create an ActiveX control at the PowerPoint template. Automated dialog utility is documented at the VBA
3 Configure the movie filename and other parameters at the ActiveX control. Automated
scripts. These scripts can be viewed with the
VBA editor within PowerPoint by selecting
4 Copy the completed ActiveX control to the new presentation. Automated
Tools then Macro and Visual Basic Editor
5 Close the original PowerPoint template. Automated from the menu (or pressing the Alt and F11
6 Start the slide show to test the Flash movie. Automated keys). The scripts are annotated according to
Note—In this macro, only one user action is required (file selection). All other steps are automated by the Visual the individual functions listed in Table 2.
Basic for Application (VBA) scripts. A complete source code for this macro is available at the PowerPoint
template (SWF_into_PPT.ppt) in this online article. Detailed information for configuring and invoking the system
resources to utilize the Windows file dialog is documented at the annotated VBA scripts.
Macro Security Settings
Because they contain VBA scripts, macros
can be programmed for a wide range of appli-
movies from digital images and converting Standard Method for Inserting cations, including malicious computer viruses,
common movie clips into Flash movies are de- Flash into PowerPoint which can harm computers by altering the ba-
scribed in a previous article [1]. The standard method for inserting a Flash sic system information or accessing personal
movie (*.swf) into a PowerPoint presentation data. To prevent such viruses from running au-
PowerPoint Macro is discussed for demonstration purposes. The tomatically, Microsoft has implemented a se-
Based on the simple-to-use and yet versa- ActiveX control (Shockwave Flash object) curity checkpoint. To set the security level, se-
tile scripting language Visual Basic for Appli- for inserting a Flash movie is installed in most lect Tools then Macro and Security from the
cation (VBA, Microsoft), a macro allows newer operating systems, such as Windows menu, and then choose one of the following
PowerPoint users to create a short program 2000 and Windows XP. This control is com- four options at the Security Level tab (Fig. 1).
for automating repetitive routines and labor- patible with PowerPoint 2000, XP, and 2003. With Very High, a macro can be run only if the
intensive tasks. An automated process based If it is not available, however, either in the user digitally signs and marks it as a trusted
on a macro for inserting a large number of system or at the PowerPoint application, the macro. (A signed macro is one with a valid dig-
digital images into PowerPoint has been de- control can be restored with installation of a ital signature provided by a certified Internet
scribed [2]. A general guideline for using fresh copy of the Flash player. This Flash agent such as www.VeriSign.com [6, 7]). With
macros in PowerPoint also is discussed in that player is available as a free download at the High, a macro can be run only if it is digitally
article. In this article, I discuss a PowerPoint Adobe (formerly MacroMedia) Website [3]. signed and has user permission. With Medium,
macro in which Windows (Microsoft) system A similar free download, MacroMedia an unsigned macro can be run only with user
resources are used to streamline insertion of Shockwave Player, is available at the same permission. With Low, any macro can be run
Flash movies into PowerPoint. Website but is not required for this applica- without user permission.

AJR:188, April 2007 W375


Yam
Fig. 1—Screen capture
shows PowerPoint 2003
security window.
Fig. 2—Screen capture
shows security
warning window that
appears when
PowerPoint template
(SWF_Into_PPT.ppt)
is launched.
Fig. 3—Screen capture
shows PowerPoint
template
(SWF_Into_PPT.ppt)
with instructions for
running macro.
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04_06_0631_Yam.fm — 3/1/07
The security level can be adjusted according
to the application. Very High and High provide
strong security to prevent unsigned or untrust-
worthy macros from running in PowerPoint.
Medium provides an alternative for running
unsigned macros with user permission and is
appropriate for running macros on an occa-
sional basis. Low allows any macro to run
without any security and is generally not rec-
ommended, but it is sometimes useful to pro-
gram developers. Because the macro provided
in this article is designed for academic use, it is
not necessary that it be digitally signed. Setting
the security level to Medium should be appro-
priate for this application. If the security level
is set to Very High or High, the macro de-
scribed in the following demonstration will not
run. Users also must restart PowerPoint for
changes in the security setting to take effect.
Demonstration
Although this demonstration was prepared
with PowerPoint 2003 and Windows XP Pro-
fessional (SWF_into_PPT.ppt), the essential
steps can be applied to other operating sys-
tems (e.g., Windows 2000) and PowerPoint
versions (e.g., PowerPoint 2000 and XP).
Also for this demonstration, a sample Flash
movie (a scrollable cine loop of 50 axial CT
images) was prepared. This sample Flash
movie can be downloaded from the online
version of this article (CT_Cine.swf, 1.7 Mb).
(Note: The scrolling feature of this movie was
created using Flash ActionScript. The process
for creating this scrollable Flash movie will
be provided in a future article.)
After downloading these two files, open
the PowerPoint template (SWF_into_PPT.ppt)
with the desktop PowerPoint application. A
convenient way to do this is to double-click
on the template file itself. When the template
is launched, a security warning dialog box
may appear, prompting permission for en-
abling the macro function (Fig. 2). Click on
Enable Macros to allow this option. The tem-
plate contains a single slide with instructions
for running the macro (Fig. 3). Press the Alt
and F8 keys to begin, choose Insert_Flash
from the list box, and then click Run to con-
tinue (Fig. 4). In a file dialog box, select a
Flash movie and then click Open to finish
(Fig. 5). The Flash movie appears in a new
PowerPoint presentation (Fig. 6). If the Run
button is grayed out (not active), the macro
security level is most likely set to Very High
or High. Lower the security level to Medium
as discussed earlier, and restart the demon-
stration (SWF_into_PPT.ppt).
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Flash Movies in PowerPoint

Fig. 4—Screen capture The original PowerPoint template closes af-

shows macro window in ter the Flash movie is embedded and trans-
PowerPoint.
ferred to the new presentation, and the changes
are not saved. There are two advantages to this
step. First, the original PowerPoint template
remains intact. Second, the newly created pre-
sentation contains no macro functions, elimi-
nating the security issues that arise when pub-
lic computers, such as conference room
computers, are used for presentations [2].
Unlike common movie clips (e.g., AVI,
QuickTime, and MPEG), the Flash movie is
embedded into the PowerPoint presentation but
not linked to the external source file. With this
advantage, the embedded Flash movie can be
transferred between PowerPoint slides and pre-
sentations in the same way that digital images
are transferred (i.e., copy-and-paste and drag-
and-drop). Because the Flash movie is physi-
cally part of the presentation file, presenters do
not have to worry about the issue of missing file
Fig. 5—Screen capture links so common to movie clips. In addition,
shows Select Flash the Flash movie can be resized and repositioned
Movie dialog window for with simple click-and-drag mouse actions.
file selection.

Limitations
The ActiveX control (Shockwave Flash Ob-
ject) for inserting a Flash movie into PowerPoint
is available only for PC, not Macintosh, sys-
tems. This general cross-platform issue involves
use of ActiveX components in most applica-
tions, including all Microsoft Office products.
Similarly, PowerPoint presentations created on
PC systems with embedded Flash movies will
not work on Macintosh systems. Therefore, one
of the requirements for using MacroMedia
Flash in electronic PowerPoint presentations at
radiologic society meetings is the PC format.
Users are required to lower the security level
to medium to run this macro. Although this set-
ting provides minimum safety for preventing
malicious viruses from running automatically,
users should reset the security level to higher
settings after using this macro [2, 7]. In addi-
tion, this article describes the use of a particular
macro for inserting a Flash movie into Power-
Point presentations but not general guidelines
for developing macros. These guidelines have
been discussed previously [2].

Conclusion
Because of its enriched animation functions
and embedding capability, MacroMedia Flash
is recommended as the standard tool for creat-
Fig. 6—Screen capture ing digital animations for PowerPoint presenta-
shows embedded
Flash movie running in
tions at radiologic society meetings. However,
new PowerPoint the method recommended by Microsoft for in-
presentation. serting Flash into PowerPoint presentations is

AJR:188, April 2007 W377


cumbersome and labor intensive. This article
provides the simple solution of a PowerPoint
macro—freeware available for download in
this online article. With this macro alternative,
embedding Flash movies into PowerPoint is as
simple as inserting common movie clips.
References
1. Yam CS. A solution for using dynamic data sets
in electronic presentations. AJR 2006; 187:584
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[web]W218–W226
2. Sistrom C, Honeyman-Buck J. A simple method for
importing multiple image files into PowerPoint.
AJR 2004; 182:1591–1596
3. Adobe. Solutions and products. Get Adobe Flash
Player. Available at: www.adobe.com. Accessed
January 18, 2007
4. Adobe. The difference between the Macromedia
Flash and Shockwave Players. Available at:
www.adobe.com/cfusion/knowledgebase/index.
cfm?id=tn_15508#4. Accessed January 18, 2007
04_06_0631_Yam.fm — 3/1/07
5. Microsoft. Play a Macromedia Flash animation in
PowerPoint. Available at: office.microsoft.com/
en-us/assistance/HA010348071033.aspx. Accessed
January 18, 2007P
6. Digital signature. Wikipedia. Available at: en.
wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_signature. Accessed
January 18, 2007
7. Wilcox C, Khor SM. The Office security settings in
depth. Available at: http://office.microsoft.com/en-
us/help/HA010872991033.aspx?pid=CH0115452
11033. Accessed January 7, 2007
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