PowerPoint offers various animation effects to bring elements on your slides to life. There are four primary types of animation effects in PowerPoint: Entrance, Emphasis, Exit, and Motion Paths. These categories reflect the point at which you want the animation to occur, allowing you to control how objects appear, change, disappear, or move on your slide.
Understanding PowerPoint Animation Types
Choosing the right animation type depends on the action you want an object (like text, shapes, or pictures) to perform during your presentation. Here's a breakdown of the four core types:
1. Entrance Effects
Entrance effects control how an object appears on the slide. These are used to introduce an element to the audience.
- Purpose: Make an object visible on the slide.
- Examples from reference: Have individual lines of text fly in from the side of the slide, or have the slide titles gradually fading in as the slides display.
- Common Uses:
- Introducing bullet points one by one.
- Having images or charts appear after a discussion point.
- Making titles fade in smoothly.
2. Emphasis Effects
Emphasis effects draw attention to an object that is already visible on the slide. These effects are used to highlight or call out specific elements.
- Purpose: Draw attention to an object already on the slide.
- Examples: Pulse, Teeter, Spin, Change Color.
- Common Uses:
- Highlighting a key word or phrase.
- Making a diagram element 'flash' when discussed.
- Changing the size or color of an object for emphasis.
3. Exit Effects
Exit effects control how an object leaves or disappears from the slide.
- Purpose: Make an object disappear from the slide.
- Examples: Fade Out, Fly Out, Disappear.
- Common Uses:
- Removing an old chart before showing a new one.
- Having text fade out after being read.
- Clearing items to make space for new content.
4. Motion Paths
Motion Paths allow you to move an object along a predefined path on the slide.
- Purpose: Make an object move from one point to another.
- Examples: Lines, Arcs, Turns, Shapes, Custom Paths.
- Common Uses:
- Having an arrow point to different parts of a diagram.
- Making an object slide across the screen.
- Guiding the viewer's eye along a specific route.
Quick Reference Table
Here's a summary of the four main animation types:
| Animation Type | When it Occurs | What it Does | Examples from Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entrance | Object appears on the slide | Makes object visible | Individual lines of text fly in, slide titles gradually fading in |
| Emphasis | Object is already on the slide | Draws attention to object | (Not explicitly listed in reference, but include common examples) |
| Exit | Object leaves the slide | Makes object disappear | (Not explicitly listed in reference, but include common examples) |
| Motion Paths | Object moves across the slide | Moves object along a path | (Not explicitly listed in reference, but include common examples) |
By effectively using these different types of animation effects, you can make your PowerPoint presentations more dynamic, engaging, and professional, guiding your audience's focus and enhancing your message.
