LPT PowerPoint Add-In
What is LPT?
As a management consultant, I dedicate a significant portion of my time to crafting PowerPoint presentations. In search of a more efficient and streamlined process, I thoroughly investigated numerous add-ins, both free and premium, to alleviate the challenges of slide creation. However, I struggled to find a single, all-encompassing solution to satisfy my requirements. This led me to develop LPT (Luca's PowerPoint Tools) – an integrated add-in that combines the best features existing add-ins to provide a seamless and efficient PowerPoint experience.
After months of development, testing, and refining with feedback from colleagues, LPT is now available to the public. This add-in was developed with four key objectives:
- Tackle common pain points: LPT bolsters PowerPoint's functionality by introducing helpful macros that address its limitations while utilizing its inherent features.
- Streamline tool navigation: LPT organizes frequently-used tools in a single, easily accessible location to save valuable time.
- Boost slide creation and design efficiency: Equipped with 120+ tools, LPT empowers users to concentrate on resolving client issues instead of spending time on slide formatting.
- Fair pricing structure: The free version offers all the essentials needed for casual PowerPoint users to enhance their slide creation efficiency. Meanwhile, the premium version is available for a modest one-time fee, which is highly competitive considering the time and effort invested in its development and the substantial recurring costs associated with most other PowerPoint add-ins.
LPT Lite (Free Version)
Features include:
- Custom PowerPoint toolbar consolidating essential native tools on a single ribbon tab
- Intelligent alignment tools
Perfect for:
- Casual PowerPoint users seeking improved efficiency
LPT Pro (Premium Version)
Features include:
- An impressive suite of 120+ exclusive custom tools unique to LPT Pro, specifically designed to optimize productivity (refer to the features section below for more information).
- Gain lifetime access to LPT Pro, including all future updates, with a one-time payment of $20 USD. Notably, 50% of all proceeds will be donated annually to a carefully chosen charity based on their impact. A yearly report on the selected charity and fund distribution will be provided.
Perfect for:
- Management consultants and professionals who use PowerPoint extensively
- Individuals aiming to optimize their PowerPoint productivity
Note to students (or others with limited financial resources)
If you're a student or professional who could greatly benefit from LPT but are currently facing financial constraints, please reach out to me for a complimentary license. My goal is to ensure everyone has access to this valuable tool without compromising their essential needs. In the future, if your financial situation improves, I kindly request that you consider paying it forward by donating a small sum to a charity you believe in.
Platform Support
All functions tested in Windows on the latest Office at that moment in time.
The add in will work in MacOS, with some minor issues:
- Some icons are not the same as in the Windows-version. Microsoft Office does not support all icons from Windows on the Mac platform.
- Export to E-mail (as PPT or PDF), Export storyline to Word and Export slide notes to Word are not supported on Mac.
Installation
This Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) add-in can be easily installed within PowerPoint, typically requiring no administrative rights on most enterprise systems.
Windows
To install the add-in on your PC, save it and add it to the Available Add-Ins list:
- Download the latest release of the add-in file.
- Open PowerPoint, click the File tab, and then click Options.
- In the Options dialog box, click Add-Ins.
- From the Manage list at the bottom of the dialog box, select PowerPoint Add-ins and click Go.
- In the Add-Ins dialog box, click Add New.
- Browse for the add-in file in the Add New PowerPoint Add-In dialog box, and click OK.
- When the security notice appears, click Enable Macros and then Close.
Note: If you cannot enable Macros in this dialog, follow these instructions from Microsoft to unblock the add-in: (1) Open Windows File Explorer and navigate to the folder where you saved the file; (2) Right-click the file, choose Properties from the context menu; (3) In the General tab, select the Unblock checkbox and click OK. - An "LPT" tab should now be visible in the PowerPoint ribbon.
(Instructions adapted from Microsoft support)
Mac
LPT is available on Mac as of Version 1.1. Since Office apps on Mac are sandboxed, activating the add-in requires additional steps. Prior to installing the add-in:
- Download the AppleScript linked below (this is used to circumvent sandbox limitations for add-in activation)
- Copy the AppleScript file to:
~/Library/Application Scripts/com.microsoft.Powerpoint/ - Please note that this is in the library folder of the current user
(If the folder does not exist, create it) - In some cases, a reboot of your mac may be required
Next, ensure macros are enabled on PowerPoint for Mac:
- Open PowerPoint
- Click the PowerPoint menu in the top left of your menu bar
- Click Preferences
- Click Security
- Under "Macro Security", select "Enable all macros"
(Caution: This will allow ALL macros, both good and bad, to run without any further warning. This setting must be enabled to run LPT on Mac, but please be careful not to open any malicious or dangerous files while this setting is enabled, as this could put you at risk of running malicious code)
Finally, once you have completed the previous steps, you're ready to install the add-in on your Mac. To do so, save it and add it to the Add-Ins list:
- Download the latest release of the add-in file.
- Open PowerPoint, click Tools in the application menu, and then click Add-ins...
- In the Add-Ins dialog box, click the + button, browse for the add-in file, and then click Open.
- Click OK to close the Add-ins dialog box.
- An "LPT" tab should now be visible in the PowerPoint ribbon.
Upgrading Versions
To upgrade, ensure PowerPoint is closed and overwrite the add-in file with the new version.
Description of Features
More extensive documentation of each feature (time permitting) will be released in the future detailing exactly how each tool functions. As of this time, I have listed all features along with a brief description below.
LPT Lite
Productivity Toolbar
The Productivity Toolbar is a custom-designed ribbon that consolidates all the crucial native PowerPoint tools you need when designing slides. The toolbar's thoughtful organization saves you time by eliminating the need to search through numerous tabs for the desired tools. The advantage of using this ribbon over the Quick Access Toolbar lies in its ability to accommodate a more extensive range of tools.
Intelligent Alignment
Intelligent Alignment offers a more user-friendly approach to aligning objects, allowing you to align objects to the first selected item, rather than relying on PowerPoint's native alignment tools' unintuitive behavior. The primary issue with the native tools is their inability to specify the object you want to align to; instead, the Top/Bottom/Left/Right options align to the most extreme object selected. Meanwhile, the Middle/Center alignment and Horizontal/Vertical Distribution tools' exact behavior remains unclear.
With this add-in's Intelligent Alignment feature, holding the Shift or Control key before aligning/distributing objects using the native alignment/distribution tools ensures that all selected objects align/distribute to the first selected object. Moreover, holding both Shift and Control simultaneously will align/distribute and resize all objects to match the first selected object, providing an added layer of convenience.
LPT Pro
Text
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Fix/Insert Bullets | Formats up to four levels of bullets when a text box is selected otherwise a new text box is created and bullets formatted. Fix or insert bullets based on predetermined format for bullets of all levels |
| Promote/Demote Bullets | Tab one indent level to the right (promote) or left (demote) and apply the standard formatting. Promote or demote bullets while changing format to standard depending on the level |
| Ticks/Crosses | Insert bullets formatted as check marks or red crosses. |
| Increase/Decrease Line Spacing | Increase or decrease spacing between lines in the selected object by an incremental amount. |
| Color Bold Text | Automatically color all bold text in the selected object to the selected color. |
| Toggle and Autofit | Toggle between text autofit settings (resize on overflow/shape to fit text/do not autofit) as well as text wrap settings for the selected object. |
| Delete Strikethrough Text | Delete all strikethrough text in the selected object. |
| Split Text | Split text by paragraphs (i.e., each time you press enter) into multiple shapes (one for each paragraph). |
| Merge Text | Merge text of all shapes into first selected shape. |
| Remove Text | Remove all text from selected objects. |
| Swap Text | Swap text (with or without formatting) between selected objects. |
| Set Proofing Language | Set autocorrect language for all objects on all slides. |
Size and Position
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Copy and Paste Position/Dimensions | The tools in this menu allow you to copy or paste the position and/or dimension from one element to another. The copy tool remembers a selected element's dimensions/position and the paste tool applies the dimension/position in memory to the selected element. An element can be a textbox, table, or anything that has position and height that's on a slide. |
| Stretch | Stretch the edges of all selected objects to the left/right/top/bottom edge of the first selected object. |
| Set Position | Set the exact position of selected object. |
| Same Size | Set all selected objects to the size (height, width, or both) of the first selected object. |
| Size To | Size all objects selected to tallest/shortest/widest/narrowest shape in selection. |
Alignment and Arrangement
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Position/Size Wizard | Tool which helps you copy the position and size of an object to objects on different slides (helpful for titles, stamps, etc.). |
| Straighten Lines | Set angle of lines to either vertical or horizontal (depending on which the line is closer to). |
| Swap Position | Swap the position of two shapes (swap anchored on left border of shapes). |
| Object Spacing | Remove/increase/decrease the horizontal/vertical gap between shapes. |
| Arrange to Grid | Arrange selected objects into a grid. |
Shapes
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Select Similar | Select all shapes with same fill color/line color/line weight/line style/height/width/shape/transparency (can be multiple attributes). |
| Copy Rounded Corners | Copy angle of rounded corners on shape. |
| Clone Selection | Clone selected shape to the right or left. |
| Copy Shape Adjustments | Copy shape type and all shape form adjustments (i.e., shapes modified by "edit shape" tool) of first selected shape to selected shapes. |
| Connect Rectangles | Create a shape which connects two rectangles (good for creating diagrams / flow visuals). |
| Group Shapes by Column/Row | Group selected shapes by column or row. |
| Multislide Shapes | Copy/delete/update a multi-slide shape. A multi-slide shape is a shape that occurs on a number of slides. |
| Shape Margins | Increase/decrease margins of selected by an incremental amount or remove margins of selected shapes. |
Tables
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Align Shapes to Table | Center align shapes to table columns and/or rows. |
| Row and Column Gaps | Add/remove row/column gaps to selected table (useful for formatting financial data). Includes tools which distribute table columns while ignoring column and row gaps. |
| Quick Format Table | Quickly format selected table to preset format. |
| Remove Format | Remove cell fills and/or borders of selected table. |
| Convert | Convert table to shapes or shapes to table. |
| Transpose | Switch rows and columns of table. |
| Split | Split table by row or column. |
| Sum | Sum rows or columns of selected table (in last row/column of table). |
| Margins | Increase/decrease or remove margins of table cells. |
Export
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Attach Selection | Create an email with selected slides attached as PPT. |
| Save Selection | Save selected slides to a new file. |
| Email as PDF | Create an email with selected slides attached as PDF. |
| Export Storyline/Slide Notes | Export slide headers and/or notes to word/clipboard (or paste into selected shape). |
Insert
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Insert Draft Stamp | Add or remove draft stamp on slide master. |
| Insert Footer | Insert footer (prompts you for text to insert). |
| Insert Copyright | Insert copyright (prompts you for text to insert). |
| Insert Subtitle (and set location) | Insert subtitle to slide (can customize default format and location of subtitle). |
| Insert Kicker (and set location) | Insert kicker to selected slide (can customize default format and location of kicker). |
| Insert Source/Note (and set location) | Insert source/note to selected slide (can customize default format and location of source/note). |
| Insert Header Bar | Inserts header bar above selected object. If no object is selected, inserts across center of slide. |
| Insert I-Bar | Inserts I-bar above selected object. If no object is selected, inserts across center of slide. |
| Insert Header Box | Inserts header box around selected objects. If no objects are selected, inserts around half the slide. |
| Insert Harvey Balls | Insert harvey balls (standard balls quarter/half/three quarter or custom percentage fill). |
| Insert Table of Contents | Inserts table of contents. |
| Replace Picture | Replace picture without distorting it. |
| Slide Library | Insert slide from slide library, add slide to slide library, open slide library file, set slide library file. |
| Insert Star Rating | Insert star rating (1 to 5 stars). |
| Insert RAG Status | Insert RAG status (i.e., delivery confidence assessment). |
| Insert/Update Caption | Insert caption for selected shape. Captions inserted using this functionality can be automatically renumbered. |
| Insert Note | Insert note on slide (can also convert comments to notes on slide or move notes on/off slide). |
| Insert Stamps | Insert stamps (draft, confidential, to appendix, etc.) on slide. |
| Insert Process | Insert flow chart on slide using SmartArt functionality (convert to shapes once finished). |
| Insert QR Code | Insert QR code which directs to provided link when scanned. |
Cleaning Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Reset all slide layouts | Reset all slide layouts to default specified in slide master. |
| Remove all shadows | Remove shadows from all objects in the presentation. |
| Remove all animations | Remove animations from all objects in the presentation. |
| Remove all hyperlinks | Remove hyperlinks from all slides in the presentation. |
| Remove all comments | Remove comments from all slides in the presentation. |
| Remove all speaker notes | Remove speaker notes from all slides in the presentation. |
| Replace colors | Replace particular color throughout the presentation. |
| Remove transitions | Remove all slide transitions. |
| Remove unused masters | Remove unused slide masters. |
| Remove hidden slides | Remove any slides that are hidden. |
| Convert slides to pictures | Convert slide to pictures (with or without watermark), can be used to make presentation "READ ONLY". |
| Anonymize | Replace all text in the presentation with "Lorem Ipsum" filler text. |
| Tag Manager | Manage all slide tags in the presentation (including selecting slides with particular tags). |
| Template Font | Set all fonts in the presentation to the font specified in the slide master. |
| Play Video on Click | Set current slide to play all videos on slide click. |
Disabling the Tool Tabs
To optimize your experience with the productivity tab, I recommend disabling PowerPoint's Tool Tabs (also known as ribbon tabs that automatically open when inserting specific objects like Tables, Shapes, and Pictures). Disabling these tabs prevents PowerPoint from automatically switching the ribbon to these tabs when working with shapes, pictures, or tables. You can disable them using the following steps:
- Navigate to File -> Options -> Customize Ribbon.
- In the top right-hand corner of the window, click on the dropdown menu labeled "Customize the Ribbon" and select Tool Tabs.
- Uncheck the following Tool Tabs to disable them: Picture Format, Shape Format, Table Design, and Table Layout.
You can be confident that all vital tools from these Tool Tabs are already integrated into the custom toolbar, ensuring you won't miss any crucial functionality by disabling these toolbars. Please note that this step is entirely optional, based on your personal preference.)