Headlines:
Add new layout template
Optimize view
Create areas
Size & position of areas
Appearance of areas
Duplicate & group section
Copy sections & transfer format
Text section
Media section
Design section
Universal section
Define & Restrict Allowed Content
Link areas
Link to slides, presentations & overlays
Link to languages
Delete link
In a nutshell
A layout contains all areas that can then be filled with content in the slide. This article describes how to create a new layout template and how to define content on it.
After creating a template set and a first background template, it is time to add your own layout template. If you have not created a template set yet, you will find the necessary steps in the article: What is a template set?. If you haven't created a background template yet, find the neccesary steps here: Create Background Templates
Of course you can also create new layout templates in existing template sets at any time. Switch to the content structure. There you will find all existing template sets that have been released for you. Click on one of these template sets to open it.
If you cannot edit or open a template set, you do not have the necessary authorization. If you are not the administrator of your presono platform, please contact the responsible person in the rights management with this problem.
Add new layout template
In a template set you will find two sections: Backgrounds and layouts. In order to create a new layout template, at least one background template must be present in the template set. If this is not the case, you will find instructions here: Create Background Templates.
Add a new layout template by clicking on "+" in the Layouts area.
You switch to the Template Editor. There you will be asked to choose a background for your layout. Don't worry, this setting can be changed afterwards. Nevertheless choose a temporary background template. Click on a background of your choice and choose the function "Set background". Then you are ready to position areas on your template.
presono's tip:
If you want to select multiple backgrounds for your layout, you can either hold down the Ctrl key and select multiple backgrounds, or you can click the "Advanced Options" button at the bottom left of the window. If you have chosen more than one background for your layout, the layout will appear several times later when creating a slide, each with different backgrounds!
presono's tip:
Click on the background in the Template Editor to change the originally linked background. If you have not chosen a background template at the beginning, you can do it here. At least one background must be linked to save the layout.
Optimize view
In order to be able to work more precisely, you have the option of making settings in the view. For example, you can show or hide the grid (1). In addition, you can determine whether areas should be aligned with the grid (2) or whether you want to move them freely. Specify the number of units in the grid per row and column (3). Rulers (4) and the possibility to zoom into the template (5) can also be found in the editor. If you lose the overview due to too large scaling, there is a function with which you can move your template back into the window (6) at any time. There is the possibility to specify values in percent values or in pixel values (7). To see how your template will look in a slide, click on "Preview" (8).
presono's tip:
To keep the square shape of the grid, it is worth using a multiple of 16:9 for the number of rows and columns (this is the format of slides in presono). For example, you can double or triple the number. For example, 32 columns and 18 rows become 64 columns and 36 rows if you want twice as many raster units as before.
A special feature is the "Highlight selection" function (9). It allows you to decide whether areas on your template should be highlighted or not when you click on them. Highlighting gives you better access to your areas and allows you to edit them while they are active.
Another feature would be the demo content in layouts (10) - please find more about it here: Demo contents in Layout Templates
Create areas
To draw areas in a layout there are several quick selection tools: Universal Layer Tool (1), Text Layer Tool (2), Media Layer Tool (3) and the same as Background Templates the Design Layer Tool (4). This allows you to draw as many areas on the template as you like. The name already indicates what can be inserted in the respective areas afterwards (but you can still adjust this). To change the size and position of an area you can use the selection tool (5).
What you will also find here right next to the tools, is the option to undo and redo your last steps (up to your last time saving the template)!
Size & position of areas
You can set the size and position of an area in the upper bar of the Template Editor. You can change the width (1), height (2), horizontal (3) and vertical (4) position of an area. Align areas with given possibilities (5) to the template. For example, you can specify whether too long text may protrude from an area for each layer by selecting "Hide protruding content" (6).
Appearance of areas
Now to the appearance of an area in a layout. For a layout area you can choose a background color (1) or a background image (2). If you want to give your area a border (3), choose a color and enter a size for it. Round off the corners of your area with "Corners Radius"(4). The higher the value, the greater the rounding of the corners of an area. You can find a quick selection for round areas "Round Frame" by clicking on the function "Corner Radius".
There are different types of animations:
- Animate In (1)
With an Animate-In-Animation you determine how your area should appear on the slide. Choose between different zoom, fade, or move variants. - Attention Seekers (2)
Attention seekers are literally areas that should attract attention. This can be done by pulsing, fading in and out or movement.
For each of these animation types you can set the duration (3) and the delay (4) individually. However, only one animation can be assigned per area. There is also the possibility to activate the function "Play repeatedly" (5) for an animation. For example, the area flashes not only once but in a continuous loop.
presono's tip:
There is often a variant of Attention-Seeker, which can be described with "... & Pause" is marked. This function makes most sense in combination with "Play repeatedly". So there is a small pause between the repeated animation intervals. This effect is especially suitable if you want to draw the listener's attention to a certain area in the slide. But beware: too much animation on the slide can be disturbing and unsettling.
Duplicate & group section
You will find the created areas listed on the right side. Here you can also merge areas into a group. Click on "Create new group" (1) and create a group. Then you can drag and drop one or more areas into this group. Press and hold the Shift, Ctrl or Cmd key to select several areas at the same time. Areas and groups can also be duplicated. Select one or more areas and choose the function "Duplicate section" (2). You can delete areas at any time by clicking on "Remove section" (3) or by pressing the delete key.
presono's tip:
Animations can also be placed on groups. All levels in a group are animated together. This is especially helpful if you want several objects to appear on a slide at the same time.
Copy sections & transfer format
Copy & paste sections
If you already have a section ready, you can copy and paste it. This will copy all settings - from the size and position to the settings for permitted content, animations, stylings and dummy content.
To do this, you can select one or more sections or even entire groups and then click on "Copy section".
As soon as something is in your clipboard, the "Paste" button becomes active and a message appears at the bottom of the screen:
before (there is nothing in the clipboard yet):
Section(s) was successfully copied to the clipboard:
if no section is selected, only the insertion button is active:
Then insert the section(s) in the same template or another one by clicking on "Insert section".
Please note: If you copy to another set, you only have to be careful with CSS styles (or the definition of those), these will not be copied. Please note that copying only works from layout to layout and from background to background and not from layout to background or vice versa.
Transfer format
In contrast to copying sections, you can only transfer the properties from one section to another (or several others) when transferring the format. Dummy content and size & position are not copied, but the other settings are.
To do this, click on a section and click on "Copy format". If the format has been successfully copied to the clipboard, a corresponding message will appear at the bottom of the screen.
Then select one (or more) section again in the same template or in another template in the same set and click on "Insert format".
If the format has been successfully transferred, a corresponding message appears at the bottom of the screen. All settings are transferred except for size and position.
Please note: If you copy your format to another set, you only need to be careful with CSS styles, as these will not be transferred. Please note that a transfer only works from layout to layout and from background to background and not from layout to background or vice versa.
Text Section
Draw a text area with the Text section tool. With the selection tool you can change position and size even more later. Don't worry, this is just a preselection and you can of course specify exactly what content should be allowed here.
You can make the following settings regarding text here:
- Font (1): You can choose between any fonts. Starting with a Professional package, you can also upload your own fonts. Switch to the settings under Configuration > Fonts.
- Font style (2): Different font styles are stored for the different fonts. Select a suitable font according to the purpose of the area.
- Font size (3): The initial size of a text is 100%. If you select a value above 100%, the font will be larger, if the font size is below 100%, it will be smaller.
- Line spacing (4): The default line spacing is 1.2. You can either increase or decrease it. The line spacing is best for multi-line texts.
- Font color (5): The font color depends on the background. By default, it is set to black. It can be replaced by any or a predefined color. Corporate design colors can be stored in the settings so that you can reuse them when creating the template.
- Character spacing (6): With the character spacing you can change the running distance of your text.
- Horizontal (7) & Vertical Alignment (8): Here you can specify how your text should be aligned. For example, you can center, left align, right align, top align, center align or bottom align your text.
- Distance to edge (9): You can specify the inner distance in pixels. It indicates the distance between the text and the area. You can define this setting individually for each side of your area.
- Italic, Bold & Strikethrough (10): If this setting is not yet made in your typeface, you can use these functions to make your text italic or bold.
- Upper & lower case (11): If you want to write text only in upper or lower case, you can change one of the two settings directly in the template.
presono's tip:
Values like the font size can be overwritten manually. You can also click and drag the arrows next to the value. If the value is marked and you are standing with the mouse over the number, you can even change the value by scrolling!
Media Section
You can create a media area with the Media Section tool. It sets media as the content type for your area, including pictures, videos, picture galleries, and object viewers. Don't worry, this is just a pre-selection and you can of course specify exactly what content should be allowed here.
In the slide you can decide which of these contents should be inserted. The inserted medium will be inserted into the area and can be positioned depending on the type. However, a medium can never be larger than the area in which it is inserted. You can find a more detailed description of the individual media types here: Different contents in slides. Some media are only possible starting from a certain package. If you can't use all media types you might have to upgrade your account.
Design Sections
Design Sections can be created with the Design section tool. No content can then be inserted into the slide in this type of areas. As the name suggests, they can be used for design elements. Here you can make general settings such as background color, borders and so on that affect the appearance. Don't worry, this is just a pre-selection and you can of course specify exactly what content should be allowed here.
Universal Section
On universal levels, any content is basically allowed. Here you can also make general settings about appearance, size and position. The allowed contents are: Text, media, documents and iFrames. You can, however, restrict this selection at any time, just as you can with other section.
Define & Restrict Allowed Content
Select an area and click on "Allowed content"(1) or on the icon with the three dots right in the selected area (2).
A small window will open above your template.
At the top in the "General permissions" (1) you can define whether or not a section can be used for linking later in the Slide. Here the same options as for linking in the Template will be available. The difference is that a link in a Template works in every Slide that is based on this Template. If a link is created in the Slide, it is only valid for the Slide in which it was assigned. To allow linking on a section in the Slide, select any section and click on "Allowed Content". Then select "Allow links" in the general permissions.
With the "Allow animation" function, you can make individual sections in the Slide appear one after the other.
Below you will find the content permissions for this Section (2). Here you can specify which types of content should be allowed here later. If text is allowed, another section appears where the settings for text (3) can be made in more detail.
In all three sections you will find the possibility to select or deselect all options at the same time. In addition, you will find the option to undo or redo the last settings made in the lower left corner.
Allow different settings for "Text permissions" when inserting text into slides:
- text format
- font size
- Disordered lists
- Ordered lists
- fat
- Italic
- underlining
- Superscript
- Subscript
- capital letters only
- lowercase letters only
- color changes
These settings allow you to adjust settings about the appearance of an area later in the slide to the content. For example, you can allow the font size to be adapted to the amount of text, so that longer text passages will fit in an area that was originally intended for one line only.
When changing colors, the text in the slide can either be changed to any color, only predefined colors can be used, or individually defined colors are possible. This setting is particularly important if the color of the text depends on which image is inserted in the background.
If you selected several Sections at the same time in order to change the permissions (pressing down the Ctrl-Key and select the Sections) and their settings differ, this will be marked in this dialog. You can either leave it like that or you could change the settings for all of the sections selected.
Link areas
Areas can link to different content. In this case, the link is set directly in the template and not in the slide. It is therefore present in all slides that result from it.
The use of some linking options only makes sense in connection with presentations. For example, an area can link to the first, the next or the previous slide in a presentation. With the help of such links you can, for example, navigate backwards and forwards through self-designed areas.
presono's tip:The link "To the first slide" can serve very well as a "Home" button in a presentation. Start at an important starting point and return to it with the area you defined. With such links you can develop your own small menu structures in presentations. Read more about this in the article: Present interactively.
Link to slides, presentations & overlays
If you don't want to navigate only within a presentation, you can use certain links to insert individual slides or even presentations dynamically during a presentation. If you already define a link in the template, you can then jump from any slide based on the template to the desired presentation or slide. Therefore you have to be very careful with links in templates, because their effects refer to all resulting slides without exception. If you share a presentation with other people, they can access any slides and presentations that are linked on the template.
Choose any area to which you would like to link a presentation or slide. Click on "Link" (1) and then select "To slide" (2) or "To presentation" (3). A menu for selecting slides or presentations will open. Select a content and it will be linked to the previously selected area. Find out about the details here: Linking Possibilities at a Glance
Link overlays (4) on individual areas in the layout template to ensure that they are then available on each resulting slide. You can find out more about overlays in the article: What is an Overlay?
Similar to other links click on "Link". In the submenu select the function "To Overlay". As with slides and presentations, a menu will open in which you can select an overlay.
Link to languages
You can create clickable areas in slides that allow you to change the language during the presentation. You have to create a language in the settings and then translate slides. You can find out more at : Translate slides
To do this, select an area on which the link to another language is to be placed. Click on "Link" and choose "To language" in the submenu. All predefined languages will appear. Select the language you want and the area is already linked. Find out about the details here: Linking Possibilities at a Glance
presono's tip:
Choose the appropriate flag as background image for the linked area, so that you can easily see which language it links to later. Create a linked area for the default language as well, so that you can switch back again afterwards.
Delete link
Click on "Link" to open a submenu. There you choose the function "Remove link". Of course you have to select a linked area. If you have chosen "Remove link", the area is no longer linked.
In a nutshell
Here once again in short the most important points for the creation of a layout template:
- Open a template set or create a new one.
- Click on "+" in the layouts section to add a new template.
- Create a new area using the universal section tool, text section tool, media section tool, or the design section tool.
- Switch to the selection tool and drag an area larger, smaller, or move it.
- Define the appearance of your areas and assign background image, color, border, or corner curves.
- Define content types that can then be inserted into the selected area in the slide. Click on "Allowed content" and choose between text, media, documents and iFrames. Allow also the linking of an area in slides.
- If necessary, link the desired area to another content directly in the template. Find out about the details here: Linking Possibilities at a Glance
- Click on "Save" and assign a suitable name for your layout template.
- Click "Back" to go to the Template Set view.