Create Automated Templates in PowerPoint

Available from Version: 9.0

Operating System: Windows

empower^® Add-in: Document Automation


If you have the required permissions, you can access the button Automation Designer via your ribbon (Figure 1, “Button Automation Designer”).	Figure 1. Button Automation Designer
If you click on this button, a drop-down menu opens, featuring the following options (Figure 2, “Options under Automation Designer”):
Wizard Designer Fields Conditions Linked slides	Figure 2. Options under Automation Designer
You can use these options to either create a new automated template or to edit an automated template.
To edit an automated templates stored in the empower^® Library, navigate to its location and right-click on it. The context menu opens. Choose the option Edit template (Figure 3, “Option Edit Template”).	Figure 3. Option Edit Template

Important

Before editing the automated template, you need to create questions in the Wizard Designer.

For further information regarding the Wizard Designer, see Use the Wizard Designer.

Note

Technically, there is no limit for the number of slides in an automated presentation.

Note

For further information regarding the admin permissions, see Permission Distribution.

Add Fields

You have the option to define placeholders using the button Fields, which will be filled with the corresponding user inputs when using the automated template.
In the text, placeholders are marked by square brackets, in which the name of the question is written (Figure 4, “Placeholder on Slide”).	Figure 4. Placeholder on Slide
To insert a field, follow the following steps:
Navigate to the location in the presentation where you want to insert the field. Then, click on the button Automation Designer and choose the option Fields (Figure 5, “Option Fields”). A dialog box opens.	Figure 5. Option Fields
In the dialog box, select the question for whose answer you want to create a placeholder (Figure 6, “Choose Field”). Then, click on the button OK. The placeholder will be inserted at the desired location.	Figure 6. Choose Field
If you want to insert placeholders for the answers to a Multiple Choice question, keep in mind that you need to insert multiple placeholders.
Depending on how many answer options you want to insert, you have to insert a separate placeholder for each answer option. To do so, change the index in the field overview. The number in the index indicates which answer option is displayed (Figure 7, “Enter Index”). Index 1 corresponds to the answer that is first selected during the insertion of the template.	Figure 7. Enter Index
If you insert too many placeholders for a Multiple Choice question, they will not be filled in when the template is filled in and will still appear as placeholders in the finished presentation. If you insert less placeholders than needed, additional response options selected by the user will not be displayed. Therefore, either provide the exact number of possible answer options in the question, or instruct users to manually remove unnecessary placeholders in the presentation.
Fields can also be inserted into other objects such as shapes. To do so, follow the following steps:
Create a shape in the presentation using the option Shapes. This option can be accessed via the button Elements. Select the shape. Click on the button Automation Designer and choose the option Fields. A dialog box opens. In the dialog box, select the question for whose answer you want to create a placeholder. For example, choose a Picture question, so the picture the user chooses will be inserted into the presentation.

Important

If you use a shape to create a field for text, make sure the shape supports text. If this is not the case, you cannot apply the respective field.

If you have selected multiple shapes and placeholders and some of them do not support text, you can use the field but it will only be used for shapes that support text.

Note

You can also access the option Insert Field via the context menu.

In the template, it is not visible that elements have been provided with a field. To see all assigned fields, click on the button Automation Designer and then click on the arrow symbol next to the option Fields (Figure 8, “Open Options for Fields”).	Figure 8. Open Options for Fields
Here, choose the option Manage Fields (Figure 9, “Option Manage Fields”). A dialog box opens.	Figure 9. Option Manage Fields
In this dialog box, you are provided with an overview of all fields in your presentation. To insert the field again at your current cursor position, select the entry and click on the button Insert (Figure 10, “Buttons Insert and Create for Fields” (1)). To add a new field at your current cursor position, click on the button Create (Figure 10, “Buttons Insert and Create for Fields” (2)).	Figure 10. Buttons Insert and Create for Fields
In the dialog box, choose one of the available fields from the list and click on the button OK (Figure 11, “Dialog for Field Creation”). You can now insert the new field via the button Insert.	Figure 11. Dialog for Field Creation
To edit an existing entry, select it and click on the button Edit (Figure 12, “Button Edit for Field”). In the dialog box, you can change the field you have used.	Figure 12. Button Edit for Field
The same field can also be inserted multiple times in one presentation. To see where the field has been inserted, expand the entry (Figure 13, “Expanded Field Entry”).	Figure 13. Expanded Field Entry
To delete one occurrence of a field, select it from the entry and click on the button Delete (Figure 14, “Delete Single Field Occurrence”).	Figure 14. Delete Single Field Occurrence
To delete the entry completely and therefore remove all occurrences of the field, select the entry itself and click on the button Delete (Figure 15, “Delete Entire Field Entry”).	Figure 15. Delete Entire Field Entry
A dialog box opens (Figure 16, “Deletion Confirmation for Fields”). To confirm the deletion process, click on the button Yes.	Figure 16. Deletion Confirmation for Fields

Note

If you have opened the field management window and a slide's position in the presentation changes, its slide number does not update automatically.

To make sure all slide numbers are displayed correctly after you have made changes, close the window and reopen it.

Add Conditions

You can use conditions to decide when to display an element or slide and when not to.
For every question or instruction type except for the Picture question/instruction, conditions can be created. Multiple conditions, combined in a rule, can be created, either all of which must be met or at least one of which must be met for the rule to take effect.
The conditions can be linked with either AND or OR. If you add two conditions that are linked by AND within a rule, both conditions must be met for the rule to apply. If you add two conditions within a rule that are linked by OR, only one of the conditions must be met for the rule to apply.
To insert a condition, follow the following steps:
Navigate to the location in the presentation where you want to insert the condition. Choose a shape or slide on which you want to apply the condition. Click on the button Automation Designer and choose the option Conditions (Figure 17, “Option Conditions”). A dialog box opens.	Figure 17. Option Conditions
In the dialog box, select the condition you want to assign (Figure 18, “Choose Condition”). To view the condition rule in a mouse-over, hover over the information symbol. Then, click on the button OK.	Figure 18. Choose Condition
Conditions are not visible in the presentation. To see all conditions and their usage in the presentation, click on the button Automation Designer and then click on the arrow symbol next to the option Conditions (Figure 19, “Open Options for Conditions”).	Figure 19. Open Options for Conditions
Then, choose the option Manage conditions (Figure 20, “Option Manage conditions”). A dialog box opens.	Figure 20. Option Manage conditions
In this dialog box, you are provided with an overview of all available conditions. The conditions are listed on the left-hand side and their rules are displayed on the right-hand side. To apply the condition on the currently selected shape or slide, first select the element in your presentation and then the condition in the dialog box and click on the button Insert (Figure 21, “Insert Condition”).	Figure 21. Insert Condition
To add a new condition, click on the button Create (Figure 22, “Create Condition” (1)). On the right-hand side, enter a name for the rule into the input field (Figure 22, “Create Condition” (2)). Then, either click on the button Add AND or Add OR, depending on the condition you want to create (Figure 22, “Create Condition” (3)). For further information regarding the rule structure for the single question types, see Rule Structure.	Figure 22. Create Condition
To edit an existing entry, select it from the list. It is then displayed on the right-hand side. To change the rule name, enter a new name into the input field. To add new rules to the condition, use the buttons Add AND and Add OR. To delete rules from the condition, select the rule and click on the button Delete on the right-hand side of the dialog box (Figure 23, “Delete Rule”).	Figure 23. Delete Rule
The same condition can also be applied multiple times in one presentation. To see where the condition has been applied, expand the entry on the left-hand side of the dialog box (Figure 24, “Expanded Condition Entry”).	Figure 24. Expanded Condition Entry
To delete one occurrence of a condition, select it from the entry and click on the button Delete on the left-hand side of the dialog box (Figure 25, “Delete Single Condition Occurrence”).	Figure 25. Delete Single Condition Occurrence
To delete the entry completely and therefore remove all occurrences of the condition, select the entry itself and click on the button Delete (Figure 26, “Delete Entire Condition Entry”).	Figure 26. Delete Entire Condition Entry
A dialog box opens (Figure 27, “Deletion Confirmation for Condition”). To confirm the deletion process, click on the button Yes.	Figure 27. Deletion Confirmation for Condition

Note

If you have opened the condition management window and a slide's position in the presentation changes, its slide number does not update automatically.

To make sure all slide numbers are displayed correctly after you have made changes, close the window and reopen it.

Rule Structure

The rules are structured differently for each type of question:

Text Input Question

Question	Condition	Value	Consequence
[Name of the question]	Is Equal to	[Text Input]	The rule applies if the value of the text input matches the respective question. Capitalization is taken into account.
[Name of the question]	Is Not Equal to	[Text Input]	The rule applies if the value of the text input does not match the respective question. Capitalization is taken into account.

Question

Condition

Value

Consequence

[Name of the question]

Is Equal to

[Text Input]

The rule applies if the value of the text input matches the respective question.

Capitalization is taken into account.

[Name of the question]

Is Not Equal to

[Text Input]

The rule applies if the value of the text input does not match the respective question.

Capitalization is taken into account.

Yes/No Question

Question	Condition	Value	Consequence
[Name of the question]	Is	Selected	The rule applies if the Yes/No Question was answered with Yes.
[Name of the question]	Is not	Selected	The rule applies if the Yes/No Question was answered with No.

Single Choice Question

Question	Condition	Value	Consequence
[Name of the question]	Is Equal to	[Answer Option]	The rule applies if the value corresponds to the selected answer option.
[Name of the question]	Is Not Equal to	[Answer Option]	The rule applies if the value does not correspond to the selected answer option.

Multiple Choice Question

Question	Condition	Value	Consequence
[Name of the question]	Contains	[Answer Option]	The rule applies if the value corresponds to one of the selected answer options.
[Name of the question]	Not Contains	[Answer Option]	The rule applies if the value does not correspond to any of the selected answer options.

Note

These rules work for slides and single elements.

Add Linked Slides

You can use empower^® Document Automation to link single slides or complete presentations to the automated template. When the template is run, the slide or presentation is inserted instead of the link.
To link a slide or a presentation, follow the following steps:
Open the empower^® Library. Navigate to the location of the desired slide or presentation. Select the element you want to link. In the navigation bar, click on the button Copy link to clipboard (Figure 28, “Option Copy link to clipboard”).	Figure 28. Option Copy link to clipboard
Go back to your automated template and navigate to the slide after which you want to insert the linked slide. Click on the button Automation Designer and choose the option Linked slides (Figure 29, “Option Linked slides”). A dialog box opens.	Figure 29. Option Linked slides
In the dialog box, paste the link into the input field. A preview of the slide or presentation appears, as well as its metadata (Figure 30, “Insert Linked Slide”).	Figure 30. Insert Linked Slide
Then, click on the button OK. A placeholder slide is inserted (Figure 31, “Placeholder Slide in Slide Overview”).	Figure 31. Placeholder Slide in Slide Overview
The placeholder slide also shows a preview of the slide or presentation and contains the respective metadata (Figure 32, “Placeholder Slide Content”).	Figure 32. Placeholder Slide Content
To view an overview of all linked slides and presentation, click on the button Automation Designer and then click on the arrow symbol next to the option Linked slides (Figure 33, “Open Options for Linked Slides”).	Figure 33. Open Options for Linked Slides
Then, choose the option Manage linked slides (Figure 34, “Option Manage linked slides”). A dialog box opens.	Figure 34. Option Manage linked slides
In this dialog box, you are provided with an overview of all linked slides. To insert the linked slide again, select the entry and click on the button Insert (Figure 35, “Buttons Insert and Create for Linked Slides” (1)). To add a new linked slide or presentation, click on the button Create (Figure 35, “Buttons Insert and Create for Linked Slides” (2)).	Figure 35. Buttons Insert and Create for Linked Slides
In the dialog box, enter a name for the linked slide and then paste the link into the second input field (Figure 36, “Link New Slide”).	Figure 36. Link New Slide
To edit an existing entry, select it and click on the button Edit (Figure 37, “Button Edit for Linked Slide”).	Figure 37. Button Edit for Linked Slide
In the dialog box, you can change the entry name and the link you have used.
The same slide or presentation can also be linked multiple times in one presentation. To see where the slide or presentation has been linked, expand the entry (Figure 38, “Expanded Linked Slide Entry”).	Figure 38. Expanded Linked Slide Entry
To delete one occurrence of a linked slide or presentation, select it from the entry and click on the button Delete (Figure 39, “Delete Single Linked Slide Occurrence”).	Figure 39. Delete Single Linked Slide Occurrence
To delete the entry completely and therefore remove all occurrences, select the entry itself and click on the button Delete (Figure 40, “Delete Entire Linked Slide Entry”).	Figure 40. Delete Entire Linked Slide Entry
A dialog box opens (Figure 41, “Deletion Confirmation for Linked Slide”). To confirm the deletion process, click on the button Yes.	Figure 41. Deletion Confirmation for Linked Slide

Note

If you have opened the linked slides management window and a slide's position in the presentation changes, its slide number does not update automatically.

To make sure all slide numbers are displayed correctly after you have made changes, close the window and reopen it.

Note

When linked slides are inserted into the presentation during the usage of an automated template, the footer of the target master is applied to those slides.

Note

For further information regarding empower^® Links, refer to our empower^® Content Enablement manual.

Display Linked Slides Conditionally

The option to link individual slides or presentations in the automated template can be used to fill the templates with individual slides as needed.

To do so, you can add conditions to placeholders for linked slides or presentations.

The following table shows an example for conditionally linked slides:

Example
Individual contact slides are created, each containing the contact details for individual contacts in various industries. These individual slides are stored in the empower^® Library. In an automated template for a presentation that can be used for clients from different industries, these slides are now linked. To do so, each contact slide must be linked individually and inserted as a placeholder. In the Wizard Designer, a Single Choice question can now be created, and multiple answer options can be specified. The question is: What industry does the client belong to? Conditions are now created under Conditions. The individual placeholders for the contact slides of individual contacts per industry can now be assigned to the corresponding condition. Like this, only the relevant contact slide for the industry will be displayed.

Example

Individual contact slides are created, each containing the contact details for individual contacts in various industries. These individual slides are stored in the empower^® Library.

In an automated template for a presentation that can be used for clients from different industries, these slides are now linked. To do so, each contact slide must be linked individually and inserted as a placeholder.

In the Wizard Designer, a Single Choice question can now be created, and multiple answer options can be specified.

The question is: What industry does the client belong to?

Conditions are now created under Conditions.

The individual placeholders for the contact slides of individual contacts per industry can now be assigned to the corresponding condition. Like this, only the relevant contact slide for the industry will be displayed.

Add Agenda

empower^® Document Automation is not directly compatible with the empower^® Agenda. However, the agenda can be used in an automated template by applying a workaround.
To do so, follow the following steps:
Start by creating a new presentation for your automated template. First, click on the button Agenda to open the Agenda Editor (Figure 42, “Button Agenda”).	Figure 42. Button Agenda
Edit your agenda according to your needs. Click on the button Create Agenda (Figure 43, “Button Create Agenda”).	Figure 43. Button Create Agenda
Create the required slides inside the agenda sections. Then, create the required questions in the Wizard Designer (Figure 44, “Question in Wizard Designer”). In order to decide which agenda section to insert when creating an agenda, create Yes/No questions. If you have set up subitems for the respective sections, create a dependent Yes/No question for this purpose.	Figure 44. Question in Wizard Designer
Now, create your conditions (Figure 45, “Condition for Agenda”). To create a condition that includes or excludes the agenda section, select the Yes/No question from the left-most drop-down menu, choose Is from the middle drop-down menu and then choose Selected from the most-right drop-down menu.	Figure 45. Condition for Agenda
Now, apply these conditions on the respective sections. To apply a condition on a section, select all associated slides, including content slides, divider slides and the overview slide. Then link the corresponding condition to the selected slides. Repeat this process for all sections and all conditions.

Important

This method only works if there is an agenda overview slide available.

Note

For further information regarding the agenda, refer to our empower^® Admin Center manual.

Save Template to Library

If you have finished the creation of your automated template, you need to save it to the empower^® Library. It will then be available for all users who have permissions to the folder it is saved in.
To do so, follow the following steps:
Click on the lower part of the split button Library (Figure 46, “Button Library”).	Figure 46. Button Library
Here, choose the option Save (Figure 47, “Option Save”). A drop-down menu opens.	Figure 47. Option Save
In the drop-down menu, choose the option Automation Template (Figure 48, “Saving Dialog” (1)). Then, click on the button Save as (Figure 48, “Saving Dialog” (2)). If you want to overwrite an existing automated template, click on the button Save.	Figure 48. Saving Dialog
Navigate to the location in the library where you want to save the automated template. Type in a name in the input field (Figure 49, “Save Automated Template” (1)). Click on the button Save (Figure 49, “Save Automated Template” (2)). If you are overwriting an existing template, click on the button Overwrite.	Figure 49. Save Automated Template
If you save an automated template as a normal slide or presentation, all automation features are lost. A dialog box opens (Figure 50, “Dialog Box – File Format”).	Figure 50. Dialog Box – File Format
If you save a filled-in automated template as an automated template again, the automation features would not work as expected. A dialog box opens (Figure 51, “Dialog Box – Filled-in Template”).	Figure 51. Dialog Box – Filled-in Template