Advancing PPT is not supported. What is workaround with only one monitor?

[mayaglypher]

I've spent hours trying to find what must be a common dilemma. How do I run OBS and advance PPT slides with only one PC and Monitor? I have set PPT to Browsed by individual. I have PPT running in author mode. My source is Window Capture. Are Hotkeys the solution? I have also tried using Windows Key to display OBS and PPT side by side which looks promising. If I use a second monitor or second laptop, is that a solution? Ideas please. I go live at 6 pm Eastern July 15.

 

[qhobbes]

Just have PP in the foreground and advance the slides using PP shortcut keys.

 

[Lawrence_SoCal]

I run OBS from a laptop in House of Worship using single screen. I run PowerPoint in a slide show view in a window (not full screen, using about right 1/3 of screen). I've found that I DON'T need PPT to be in foreground, and that with a USB mouse I can put the mouse pointer over a slightly visible portion of the PPT slide, and use the scroll wheel to advance a page. I use about 1/2 my screen for OBS (I don't use Studio mode) and then I have Facebook in a browser window taking up about 1/3 to 1/4 of screen real estate (to monitor stream, and see comments in case anything technical I need to be aware of, or to post pre-planned questions. I use Advanced Scene Switcher to handle scene transitions of pre-recorded video (ie when video ends, auto switch to next scene).

At some point, I'll figure out how to automate a scene change with a PPT page advance. There is a python script posted in Resources to use OBS hotkeys to control PPT. However, as my mouse method works fine, I've not installed/configured it. I'm looking into using PowerShell instead, but MS has changed method/classes between versions and Office 365 versions (locally installed) may be slightly different in method/class? not sure.. still researching/ on my to-do list (just not urgent). My thinking is to combine with the plug-in which enables a command line 'source' in a scene. So, when changing to a new/next scene, a command line would be executed, which I'd then configure to advance PPT

 

[BensTechLab]

I just did a presentation recently using PowerPoint. I just started powerpoint, Alt+Tab back to OBS to finalize setup, then Alt+Tab back to powerpoint and use the arrow keys on the board to advance slides. Worked great. OBS was also green screening my webcam at the same time. No problems.

I may have been capturing the entire display though vs window capture. But you might be able to do both/either. Just play around with it on your system.

 

[Lawrence_SoCal]

For anyone interested, I got nowhere when I asked some programmer friends to look into a simple PowerShell script to page advance latest O365 PPT (locally installed). Also, with Win10 v2004 recently released, the Auto Windows Capture (required for hardware accelerated windows) now always displays the mouse. So on new PC, I've switched to the older BitBlt capture method and it works with hidden cursor
With a single monitor, and 20+ scenes for our stream (in sequence order, constantly switching back and forth from live video feed to pre-recorded videos .. could I have fewer scenes... yes, tried that but then stress/complexity of keeping track of what is next [and making mistakes] that isn't worth it). I need to keep OBS in foreground. I also have a browser window open for the streaming platform's controller interface.
So, on a single monitor setup, what I've been doing is
- have PowerPoint open in slide show Windowed mode [portrait orientation, right side of screen, full height of monitor] and it is in the background, but a portion (bottom 1/3 or so) of it is visible. By moving mouse over visible portion of PPTx page, and using scroll wheel, I can quickly/easily advance PPTx a single page without having to select (bring to foreground) PPT. This is not ideal, by any stretch. But until I can come up with some automation from OBS to PPTx, this will have to do.
There is a new script for PPT that can control OBS. The challenge I have is the PPTx we stream is put together by someone else, so I have to balance the effort of significant update/edit to PPT to control OBS once I get the file, or holding out for automation in the other direction, which MS is making difficult as part of security measures due to malware... ugh

 

[Alyss.Swanson]

Lawrence, when you fond a solution to this I hope you might share it with me. The best I've been able to do so far is to write a PPT macro that calls an applescript editor script that sends a preselected selected hotkey to OBS that controls scene selection. The performance is sadly not very good.

 

[InteractiveDNA]

Simple!

Try to use TouchPortal to control the application you want. On OBS, use Window Capture or Display to show the slide on a scene. With TouchPortal you control the other app that changes on OBS. I just did a video in how to do that on YO. I now know that you can show share links here. So, if want how to do that, you know where to find the video.

Best,

InteractiveDNA

 

[Lawrence_SoCal]

Simple!
Try to use TouchPortal to control the application you want.

YO? you mean YouTube?
I'm not sure how TouchPortal would help. Interacting with Touch Portal vs PPT accomplishes nothing for me. I can change slides in PPT just fine. The issue for me is that when a OBS scene change takes place (ie a pre-recorded video ends, automated scene change via Advanced Scene Switcher), I want PowerPoint to also advance a single page (without my having to do anything). Can Touch Portal automate that PPT slide show view page change based on an OBS event, a scene change in this case?

 

[InteractiveDNA]

YO? you mean YouTube?
I'm not sure how TouchPortal would help. Interacting with Touch Portal vs PPT accomplishes nothing for me. I can change slides in PPT just fine. The issue for me is that when a OBS scene change takes place (ie a pre-recorded video ends, automated with Advanced Scene Switcher), I want PowerPoint to also advance a single page (without my having to do anything). Can Touch Portal automate that PPT slide show view page change based on an OBS event, a scene change in this case?

See how I use Touch Portal to control other applications.