What is Multimedia Presentation Software?

Multimedia presentation software is known for incorporating sound, animation effects and cinematic-like special effects into presentations. It is a tool that computer users of varying industries and backgrounds use to dynamically present information to an audience. It differs from standard presentation software in its features and its interactivity potential.

Professionals may choose to use multimedia presentation software to create portfolios, brochures, eBooks and advertisements. Educators may find use in multimedia presentation software because it can help them create charts, diagrams, tables, slides and presentations for print and overhead transparencies. This type of presentation software is popular amongst educators and students alike because it engages both the student and the teacher and facilitates active learning. The amateur hobbyist may enjoy multimedia presentation software because of its ability to output dynamic personal projects like screen savers or home movies.

An advantage of working with multimedia presentation software is that it doesn't require that a user have any detailed knowledge of programming or code writing. The software usually comes with tutorials that are easy to follow and command functions that are self-explanatory and intuitive. This makes great presentations a possibility for anyone of any technical background to achieve.

Images, documents, text, and sounds like MP3 and WAV files can all be manipulated and combined using the software to create a presentation. Even complete or pieces of web pages, videos and animations can be added to a multimedia presentation. Active links, special characters and other features can be added later using the software's editing palette or paint-like application. When using these editing tools, animating, rotating, tweening — creating smooth transitions between images — and making timelines can be done easily and quickly.

Multimedia presentation software can have the ability to import other presentation software file formats into the program and convert them into their own propriety file formats or into universal formats like EXE files or AVI/QuickTime videos. Screen savers and CD menus can even be created from these files. Completed presentations may be emailed as attachments and some can even be played automatically through the recipient's browser. They can also be published on the Internet, downloaded directly onto a computer's hard drive or burned onto a CD-ROM or DVD. The mobile user who desires to show their presentation at a different location may find it necessary to copy their presentation onto a portable memory stick like a flash drive so that they can simply insert the stick into another computer and access the file at the new location.