Page 429 - Xara Web Designer Premium

Website Presentations 429

Choose "NEW" > "PRESENTATION (WIDESCREEN)" or "NEW" > "PRESENTATION (4:3
NORMAL)" from the FILE menu depending on whether you want a widescreen (16:10)
presentation, or a normal (4:3) presentation.

Note: 16x10 is a better compromise for some wide-screen monitors and tablets that are
not exactly 16:9, and it’s not so squashed. But you can create any aspect ratio you
require of course.

A new blank document window opens, displaying the presentation document
icon on its tab at the top of the document window.

The Presentation Toolbar also appears at the right end of the top bar. The buttons on the
toolbar are enabled only when you have something selected on the page.

1. Use the TEXT TOOL to add some text to your blank presentation, perhaps a heading
at the top of the page. Select this text object using the SELECTOR TOOL and look at
the status line at the bottom of the Web Designer Premium window. It will say that
you have a text object selected on the MouseOff layer. Everything on the MouseOff
layer will be permanently visible in your presentation, as if it’s part of the
background. So preview your page and you’ll see your text heading on the page.
2. Now add another new text object using the TEXT TOOL. Again, this will be placed on
the MouseOff layer and the status line will show you this when you select it with the
SELECTOR TOOL. But now let’s make this text appear as the first step in this
presentation.

3. With the text selected in the SELECTOR TOOL, click the ‘foot’ button, which is the first
button on the Presentation Toolbar, called MAKE NEW STEP. Now look at the status
line – it now shows that the selected object is on "Presentation step 1" instead of
MouseOff.

4. Preview the page again. Initially you can see only your initial text heading. Press the
right arrow key on your keyboard and the second text object will fade in. That’s the
first step added to your presentation!

5. Step 1 is now the current step, so if you draw another shape or add some new text,
it will also be placed on step 1. Draw a rectangle using the RECTANGLE TOOL. Select
it with the SELECTOR TOOL and notice that the status line shows the rectangle as
being on Presentations step 1 which is also the current step.

6. Preview your page again and you’ll see that when you click the right arrow key, the
text and rectangle fade in together.

7. A quick way to create a new step from an existing step is to use the DUPLICATE STEP
button. Select the rectangle and press this button. The entire step is duplicated,
including the text that you didn’t select, but which was on step 1 along with the
rectangle. Select the new text or rectangle and the status line shows you it’s on a
new presentation step. The new step now becomes the current step - Presentation
step 2, and any objects you now create will be added to that step.