VBA Powerpoint - find HIGHLIGHTED text in shape, then ADD a new text box with ANIMATION effect

Question

I have this Powerpoint file. Here the link:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1JaRrBDOEKkCnxeGHrynwdmhPtaOZ8Y4f

I have turned a MS Word file into Powerpoint file using the instruction in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oao6EzF08U

I want to unhighlight the text, then add a new text box (Red shape fill and Send behind text) with ANIMATION effect, put it in the position of the unhighlighted text like in the pictures.

Therefore, I can show the correct answer to my students when teaching using PPT.

I have about 100 slides like this but I don't have enough time to do it all manually.

Unfortunately, MS Powerpoint doesn't have Macro Recorder like in MS Word and I also don't know much about VBA code.

Is there any way to use VBA code to solve this problem?

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

I'm assuming you have 365 or 2019 because 206 doesn't support highlights in PPT.

To the best of my knowledge it is not possible to remove highlights correctly with vba but you could try this code to Add Red Shapes

Sub AddShape()

Dim osld As Slide

Dim oshp As Shape

Dim oshp2 As Shape

Dim otr2 As TextRange2

Dim P As Long

Dim BL As Long

Dim BR As Long

Dim BW As Long

Dim BH As Long

Dim ZOP As Long

For Each osld In ActivePresentation.Slides

For Each oshp In osld.Shapes

If oshp.HasTextFrame Then

If oshp.TextFrame2.HasText Then

Set otr2 = oshp.TextFrame2.TextRange

For P = 1 To otr2.Paragraphs.Count

If otr2.Paragraphs(P).Font.Highlight.RGB <> 0 Then

BL = otr2.Paragraphs(P).BoundLeft

BT = otr2.Paragraphs(P).BoundTop

BW = otr2.Paragraphs(P).BoundWidth

BH = otr2.Paragraphs(P).BoundHeight

ZOP = oshp.ZOrderPosition

End If

Next P

End If

End If

Next oshp

If BL>0 Then

Set oshp2 = osld.Shapes.AddShape(msoShapeRectangle, BL, BT, BW, BH)

oshp2.Fill.ForeColor.RGB = vbRed

Do

oshp2.ZOrder (msoSendBackward)

Loop Until oshp2.ZOrderPosition < ZOP

osld.TimeLine.MainSequence.AddEffect oshp2, msoAnimEffectAppear

End If

BL=0

Next osld

End Sub

Once done you could kill the highlights by choosing OUTLINE view, select all the text in the outline pane and choose No Highlight color.

WORK ON A COPY!

Answer 2

Your request isn't clear. Is the student applying a highlight to the text they think is correct? Or do you highlight the text? Why not just change the highlight color instead of drawing a box behind it? Getting the position of the highlighted text and placing a box there makes the VBA more complex than changing the color of the highlight.

Answer 3

Your request isn't clear. Is the student applying a highlight to the text they think is correct? Or do you highlight the text? Why not just change the highlight color instead of drawing a box behind it? Getting the position of the highlighted text and placing a box there makes the VBA more complex than changing the color of the highlight.

The highlighted text is not supposed to show up when I first show it to the student.

First, students will see the whole question without answer, then I will show the answer key (which is the drawing box). If I highlight the text from the start, then my students will see the answer right away without thinking of the answer to it.

Answer 4

Please explain the role of the highlight. Is this just something you have used to illustrate the issue, or does the highlight actually appear in the process of the student answering the question? How does the student indicate which item they think is the answer?

Answer 5

As JohnK says it's not really clear but maybe ...

You already have the test with highlighted answers and want to change it to a similar presentation with mock highlights that appear on click to show the answer?

Maybe JohnK knows different (he's a smart cookie) but Highlights are not well supported in the vba objct model in my experience and it may not be straightforward to do what you need with vba.