Document 355

How to create overheads and slide presentations

Version: 3.5x, 4.x, 5.x - Scientific WorkPlace, Scientific Word, Scientific Notebook

Creating overhead transparency or slide presentations that contain mathematics is easy in SWP, SW, or SNB. This article describes several methods of creating large-print presentations.

Creating typeset presentations with SWP and SW

Method 1. Use the Beamer document class

If you have Version 5.5 of SWP or SW, you can build effective presentations with Beamer. Download Beamer support.

Method 2: Use the Slides - SW Slides shell

  1. From the File menu, choose New.

  2. Select the Other Documents shell directory and then choose the Slides - SW Slides shell.

  3. Select a different format file:

    1. From the Typeset menu, choose Expert Settings and then choose the Format Settings tab.

    2. Change the formatter designation from TrueTeX MultiLingual to TrueTeX and choose OK.

  4. If you don't have Version 4.0 or later, you may need to modify the document preamble to avoid typesetting problems:

    1. From the Typeset menu, choose Preamble.

    2. Find the line \input tcislide.

    3. Change the line to \input tcislid2.

    4. Choose OK.

  5. Create the content you want.

  6. Save the file.

  7. From the Typeset menu, choose Print or Preview to produce the presentation.

Method 3: Use the scalefnt package

You can use the scalefnt package in Version 3.5x or later to enlarge the fonts in your document without changing the margins. Add the package to your document and then insert TeX commands to scale the fonts:

  1. Open the document containing the presentation.

  2. From the Typeset menu, choose Options and Packages and then choose the Package Options tab.

  3. Choose Add and from the list of available packages, choose scalefnt and then choose OK.

    or

    Choose Go Native and in the Packages area, enter {scalefnt} and choose OK. Be careful not to delete any of the existing package names.

  4. Choose OK to return to your document.

  5. Place the insertion point where you want the font size to change.

  6. In Version 3.5x, from the Insert menu, choose Field and then choose TeX.

    or

    In Version 4.0 or later, from the Insert menu, choose Typeset Object and then choose TeX Field.

  7. In the entry area, type \scalefont{x} where x is the scale factor you want to use.

    A factor of 2 doubles the current font size.

  8. Choose OK.

  9. If you want to return to the original font size later in the document, repeat steps 6–8 to enter another scalefont command.

    A factor of 0.5 reduces the current font size by half. If you previously used a factor of 2 to increase the font size, a factor of 0.5 restores the original font size.

Creating presentations with SWP, SW, and SNB

Method 1. Use related documents

Create smooth presentations and slide shows that contain live mathematics. Develop your presentation as a series of short related documents, each one a "page" or "slide" in the presentation.

Method 2: Use the Overhead Transparencies shell

If you're using Version 3.5x or later, you can use a special shell to create large-print documents:

  1. From the File menu, choose New.

  2. In SNB or in V3.5 of SWP or SW, select the Other Documents shell directory and then choose the Overhead Transparencies shell.

    or

    In V3.0 and 4.0 and later of SWP or SW, select the Scientific Notebook shell directory and then choose the Overhead Transparencies shell.

  3. Create the content you want.

  4. Save the file.

  5. From the File menu, choose Print or Preview to produce the presentation.

Method 3: Use the print zoom factor

If you're using Version 4.0 or later, you can create large-print document easily by changing the print zoom factor for your document.

  1. Create the presentation using any shell you want.

  2. From the File menu, choose Document Info.

  3. Choose the Print Options tab.

  4. In the Zoom Percentage area, set the zoom factor for printing from 50% to 400%.

    The document display remains unchanged.

  5. From the File menu, choose Preview to examine the large-print version of the document.

  6. If necessary, make adjustments to the formatting of the document.

Last revised 07/10/07

This document was created with Scientific WorkPlace.