Tutorial: Getting Started with the PowerPoint Writer

Introduction

The PowerPoint Writer and corresponding PowerPointStyler transformer are new for FME 2018. Writing to PowerPoint using FME is a powerful presentation tool that can be easily automated if used in tandem with FME Server. This six-part tutorial will go into how to create and stylize each of the slide types available. You will need to have PowerPoint or another PowerPoint viewer installed on your computer to view the output data.

If you don't have a PowerPoint viewer on your computer, then you can view files online on such sites as onlinedocumentviewer.com

Scenario

You are creating a presentation to showcase the variety of street food vendors in the city of Vancouver. Your presentation will include a Title Slide, Image of Vancouver, Agenda, Tables, Charts, and Maps. The goal is to create the entirety of the presentation using FME with very little post-processing in PowerPoint. The following tutorials go in order and build upon the previous. If you are only interested in a particular slide-type each tutorial has a solo workspace to focus on that particular slide type.

Slide Types

Title and Body

Create a title slide as well as a slide containing text

Images

Update a previous slide to add an image as well as create an image only slide

Tables

Create multiple tables and a slide per table. Also introduces slide ordering

Charts

Create a bar chart and stacked bar chart slides

Maps

Use two different data layers to create multiple map slides

Custom (Advanced)

Create slides containing all the previous types using the custom slide type

Additional Resources

PowerPoint Writer Documentation

PowerPointStyler Documentation

How to Create a Custom Master Slide (Template PowerPoint)