We are looking for to embed a Powerpoint-like application into our software. Ideally, the user would be able to create slides, including text and graphics. There would be a set of tools, to let the user draw shapes, etc. Then, we want to save the slides out into a PowerPoint .ppt file.
Please let me know what functionality in this range of requirements your product will supply. Also, we are working on this NOW. We would be interested in being a tester of the product and we will put it to work right away.
I assume you only will provide the file format export/import function. Can you recommend a component that will allow us to create the slides inside our application?
Thank you.
Hello,
You need a component that can read and write ppt documents? You also need the UI control that enables your customers to create slides?
I bet Aspose.PowerPoint.Suite would be something you’re looking for. Please check it’s Product Preview.
Everything is under way. Aspose.PowerPoint.Engine would be available within 3-6 months while Aspose.PowerPoint.Windows or Aspose.PowerPoint.Web would be available within 9-12 months. Are you patient to wait for that?
It definitely sounds exactly what I am looking for. Unfortunately, I cannot wait 9 months for the Windows UI control.
Perhaps I have no choice now but to create my own UI control, and automate PowerPoint to create the files. If you have any other suggestions, I would be grateful for your help.
An additional thought…
If this is a product you are serious about, perhaps I can be a very early stage tester and in exchange start using your code very quickly after you start serious development. What do you think?
Hello,
Definitely, we’re serious about Aspose.PowerPoint as well as Aspose.PowerPoint.Suite. You should know that based on the existing product line and the proposed product line.
Shahram has begun to work on Aspose.PowerPoint.
I appreciate your offer. Early stage tester is good but could you help us to shape the interesting product? In this case, would you like to either post a detailed specification of your requirements, or reply to Shahram’s questions on how the product will look like? Let’s begin with Aspose.PowerPoint, the ppt document reading and writing engine.
Our initial set of needs requires the ability to create slides with text and graphics in our application. As a second step, we need to export those slides into a PowerPoint file.
When we create slides we need the following features (among others):
1. We show a tree on the left. Slide contents displayed on the right.
2. Toolbar (at the top) for creating shapes, text boxes, precise control over formatting text, arrows, slecting and applying colors, grouping, etc.
3. Ability to add, remove, change the sequence of slides, etc.
4. Our software includes a specific workflow for the user. Earlier modules are used to gather and analyze data using a number of different techihques. We plan to create a group of choices for the user, so they can drag and drop the results of these earlier analytic tools directrly onto slides. For example, one of our tools creates a statistical graph, complete with text labels, etc. We need the ability to drag that graph into a slide.
5. When the slides are created, we want the ability to run an on-screen presentation.
6. Then, we want to export the slides to PowerPoint to distribute to users. Of course it would be ideal for the user to be able to modify the .PPT and for us to then “pick up” the changes by reading that modified file.
As you can see, our needs are focused first on the component for creating slides, and second on the .PPT export component. This is because we can automate Powerpoint to create the export file, but first we need to create the slides that will be exported. Perhaps may users would be in the same situation.
In order to work together with you, I would need to know several things:
1. What is your timeframe for developing the slide creation component? We started development in the last few days, so we have not done much yet. However, we are pressed for time, so you would need to commit development resources right away.
2. What are your plans for this product? We need to be sure that it will actually acommplish our needs.
If all of this worked out, you would find us quite helpful in suggesting product requirements. We were looking for a slide creation and export component, because we do not want to write our own. Although it is essential for our application, it is not our core expertise, and it is not the core of the application functionality we are writing. For us, the Powerpoing creation and presentation is a way of communicating results to an audience at the conclusion of an involved analytic process.
As you can see from my comments, the first thing we need is the ability to create slides. And second is the ability to read/write .PPT files.
So, let me know what you think. If you want to move forward, perhaps we should have a talk on the phone, and sign mutual NDA agreements.
Dear mkrigsman,
Thanks for your detailed info.
One thing we need to clarify first.
You need to enable your customers to create slides first. Then you need to enable them to export these slides into PPT documents so these documents can be easier to redistribute as they can download the free Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer. Am I right?
If I’m correct, my question is, how about the file format of your slides? As you don’t have the capability to read and write PPT documents at first, that file format should be a proprietary one defined by yourself. So my further question is, why do you need to create your own file format? The overhead to do that is to introduce double or triple workloads as finally you need to import/export between your own file format and PPT file format. So I don’t think it’s affordable if you create the slides first then provide import/export facility. What do you think?
Instead, our way is to provide PPT document reading and writing engine first then provide UI controls to enable your customers to create slides visually. That is, we do Aspose.PowerPoint.Engine first, then do Aspose.PowerPoint.Windows and Aspose.PowerPoint.Web. In this case, we never introduce any proprietary file format as we consider it is not necessary and even risky as Aspose is small as an ant.
You are correct in your assumption about our goals. However, we do not plan on creating our own file format. Rather, we can automate PowerPoint as a way of exporting the files. Our users will all have PowerPoint installed, so it is workable. Of course, we would prefer not to rely on Powerpoint, but rather create the files ourself.
However, the first thing we need is the UI control to create slides. Unless we first create slides, we do not have any need to create .PPT files for export.
So, please let me know your plans to create the UI controls, so we can see if there is a way to work together at this time.
Thank you.