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How to Create Motion Path Animation in PowerPoint

< 1 minute read

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Have you ever seen a PowerPoint presentation with animations that seem straight out of a movie studio? Undoubtedly it used motion path animation, which is a fun feature of PowerPoint that can add a lot of interest and depth to your slides.

Before adding motion path animation, decide what you want to animate and why. While it’s a great feature, you also want to be sure to use it in an effective way, without distracting your audience. For example, you may decide to use motion path animation to show a cursor moving over a screenshot.

To get started with motion path animation:

  1. Click to select the object, shape, or image you want to animate.
  2. From the Animations tab, click Add Animation.
  3. Scroll to Motion Paths, and click the option that fits your scenario best.
  4. The motion path will be applied and will preview automatically. If you’d like to modify it, click Effect Options and choose an alternate direction, shape, etc. You can also click and drag the points on the motion path; green denotes the start of the path, and red denotes the end.
  5. As with other animations, you can modify the timing and duration by modifying the options in the Timing section.

If you’d like to create your own motion path rather than using one of PowerPoint’s pre-defined paths, you can choose Custom Path in step 3. Your cursor will turn into a plus sign and you’ll draw the path you want your object to move. When you’re finished, press your Esc key.

You can also explore More Motion Paths in the Add Animation menu. Have fun with it! This is one of the features that makes PowerPoint unlike other presentation applications.

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