Facilitator Guide Automation (PPT -> iPhoto -> iBook Author)

Scripting Forums AppleScript | Mac OS X
#1

Hello, my name is Mike and I work in Learning and Development. I have an idea to help with a workflow creating facilitator guides, but I have minimal programming experience. If anyone could please lend me some help or a starting point (or even which of these steps are possible and which aren’t) that would be much appreciated.

Here’s what I have in mind for the workflow:

¢ Power point is Dropped into a Folder named Facilitator Guide Input
¢ Hazel/Applescript looks for files with the .ppt ext
¢ Once triggered, PPT is added to iPhoto by slide and creates an album titled the same as the PPT , then deletes ppt from Facilitator Guide Input
¢ These slides, now in iPhoto are then imported to a new iBook author file on a separate created template with space for callouts and notes.
¢ iBook Author File is saved to a folder titled: Facilitator Guide Output

Above is my ideal request, but if I could find something as simple as a workflow that imports all the slides of a PPT deck into iPhoto, I could do the rest.

Thanks for your help,
Mike

#2

Here’s one approach to this need.

  1. Open the *ppt file with Keynote then save as a Keynote file.
  2. Use the Keynote widget to import the Keynote file
  3. Optionally, edit the transitions and builds to conform to what the Keynote widget supports.