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In Office 2007, we significantly improved the rendering quality of static content. Users could quickly and easily enhance shapes, pictures, and other content with effects such as bevels, soft edges, and reflections. For Office 2010, we switched our focus to enhancing dynamic content - animations, transitions and video. To accomplish this, we rebuilt the core rendering engine using DirectX 9.0.
As a result, you’ll notice that PowerPoint 2010 is improved in four major ways:
Improved Slide Show Performance Leveraging your graphics hardware allows us to greatly enhance the performance of presentations in slide show. This means that your presentations will look and feel smoother when running in PowerPoint 2010. In the video below there is a comparison of the same presentation running on the same hardware in both PowerPoint 2007 and PowerPoint 2010.
Revamped Animation and Transition Effects We’ve taken advantage of DirectX to improve the look of existing animations and transitions. Animations and transitions that involve a wipe effect now feature a soft edge instead of a hard edge. Effects involving a fade now feature a silkier looking transformation. Take a look at the difference:
New Transition Effects In addition to revamping the existing transitions, we've added a host of new transition effects to PowerPoint 2010. In a future post we’ll describe the effects and talk about the new Dynamic Content transitions.
Improved Video Playback Finally, we've overhauled the way that we handle video playback. Previously, all video playback was achieved by launching external components (such as Windows Media Player) during slide show. Now, video playback is handled seamlessly inside PowerPoint. You’ll hear more about this in following posts.
In terms of system requirements, hardware rendering requires a DirectX 9.0 compatible video card, which is common on most machines capable of running Office 2010. In instances where this kind of graphics card is not available (e.g., terminal server, older machines…) we have a built-in mechanism to switch to software rendering.
-Shailesh Saini Program Manager, Office Graphics
Comments: (44) Collapse
Just downloaded the Beta version and I'm excited to experience these changes. By the way, why was the Office Button removed? I'm curious if the Shapes gallery will be able to split into multiple toolbars like 2003 version. That's not possible with 2007.
I have run some incredibly complex, hardware and software challenging animations with this beta. Creatively, PPT2010 will make so much more possible to us! Previously, animations that took days to build would sometimes end up on the scrap heap because they ran unpredictably or not at all. I do have some questions re: the 32 vs 64-bit versions. I've seen postings here that suggest that there are some limitations on functionality with the 64-bit version (file type compatibility). Could you comment on what the differences will mean for us as users? This will be helpful in making a purchase decision. Looking forward to the release!
I mean after all, you copied everything MVP Austin Myers did in his ad-ins and then shoved him out of the MVP group for saying anything. Typical MS "innovation" that cost the user community one of the best PowerPoint MVPs ever.
PPT User: Software has copyright, trade secret, and patent law protecting it, no? C'mon, just Google the words "Microsoft copyright infringement" and see how many hits you get. An MVP is someone who not only helps the user community, but also helps MS in identifying users' needs. If an MVP sees a need and decides to write their own software (for profit), doesn't that make them a competitor? IMO being an MS MVP is a bit at odds with being a plug-in developer for MS products.
Did you say Direct X 9!?!?! So, I just got Windows 7 with Directx 11! Are you saying this is TWO (2) versions back already?!? And this is being release this year? And to quote you "To accomplish this, we rebuilt the core rendering engine using DirectX 9.0." You had to REBUILD the whole core rendering engine?!?! and now you need to do this again? How about you guys talk to one another once and awhile (I hear some Microsoft employees/consultants are nice)... and then you can release a product that is nicely working with the newest Operating system!
Amy, one of the biggest difference between 32 and 64 bit is video codecs. For example, Apple hasn't come up with an x64 version of Quicktime for Windows yet, so you'll not be able to play Quicktime videos in your PowerPoint presentations if you're using 64-bit.
Jeremy,
OK, that's not really a problem unless I can't re-encode the video, which I assume I'll be able to do using a video conversion software or the new Windows Live Movie Maker in Windows 7, right? If we receive a file that let's say has an embedded .mov file, will we be able to extract the file to re-encode it? Just wondering if the 64-bit version will be worth the occasional hoops we'll have to jump through. Thanks!
Chris L. is off a little I think... DirectX 9 is the minimum required software level of the graphics card, which makes perfect sense to me as a gamer. Almost any game that comes out these days or in the last few years requires DirectX 9 or sometimes more specifically DirectX 9c, which includes certain pixel shaders and vertex shaders necessary for graphics intensive games. My very limited understanding is that DirectX10 was developed for Vista and DirectX11 for Windows 7, but that the current generation of DirectX is basically DirectX9 and up. Another important observation is that DirectX 9 is the highest version of DirectX supported by Windows XP, which is still being supported, and will still be used long after its support runs out. If they plan to develop Office 2010 to be XP compatible, then they have to design it with DirectX 9 in mind. Backwards compatibility is not an issue for DirectX, so there's no reason to gripe about your DirectX11 machine running PowerPoint 2010 with DirectX9 rendering. I'd much rather an XP, Vista, and Win7 computer each run my PowerPoint animations with the same DirectX 9 drivers than each running with their own highest available version of DirectX. Sticking with 9 as a platform is probably a good choice for interoperability between operating systems.
Hi I'm a great fan of 2010 version and have been experimenting with the video features. There is only one problem I've encountered after I've saved my presentation into a movie file (.wmv) and that is with the audio that I wanted to loop. As a movie file, it does not continue to play across the slides, and stops when the music had reached its time limit - it just fails to continuously loop. All the videos included work just fine. Perhaps this is just because it is in beta? Anything I missed out?
@Mark Normand - Hi Mark, thanks for being a fan and experimenting and letting us know the problems you're running into. Unfortunately, looped audio across slides isn't supported in this version of Save to Movie. Your feedback is important in helping us prioritize what we do in future releases, so please do let us know about any other issues you're running into.
Hi Allen Thanks for the comments - its a shame it doesn't loop as I was producing some media presentations for the airshow being hosted in Singapore, and the music was an essential part of that. PowerPoint 2010 really has the opportunity to take on alot of the multimedia packages (not just presentation) with the upgrade in video and place it in the hands of average guys like me. Kudos to the whole team... Will the final (commercial) version fix this issue? All I need for my dream version, is to rotate 3D objects on its axis... :) Thanks Mark
why didn't MS tell me that their ppt animations are choppy when i bought ppt07?
Hi Chris L, Re: DirectX 9.0. It seems Microsoft is creating this version to include a larger user group. If you are a developer you should be able to write the conversion to DirectX 11, or find someone who can. People with a need always find a way. I install hacks to my Keynote. I've been using PowerPoint since the days of Aldus Persuasion and then TVL and look forward to any and all upgrades.
Although this is a tremendous improvement over previous versions, I am still quite concerned at seeing tearing, hesitation and choppiness with some of the animations and transitions in PPT 2010. HP DV7t
Intel T9900
8 GB DDR3
320GB 7200 rpm SATA
W 7 64
1 GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 Hoping this can be addressed.
I am pleased with PP 2010 thus far, except for a few challenges which may not be possible when converting the presentation to video. The final movie plays to completion and contains all slides, however, animations on slides are missing including the unique transitions that make this version of PP the best ever.
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