Animation Pane in PowerPoint

The Animation Pane is a panel that lists the animation effects assigned to text, pictures, shapes, and other objects on a slide.

Example: If a slide contains a title, paragraph, and picture with animations, the pane helps you manage all three effects.

• View applied animations.
• Change the order of effects.
• Adjust animation timing.
• Remove unwanted effects.

1. Open your PowerPoint presentation.
2. Select the slide you want to edit.
3. Click the Animations tab.
4. Click Animation Pane.

The pane will display the animations associated with objects on the selected slide.

Each entry in the Animation Pane represents an animation effect applied to an object.

For example, a slide might contain the following sequence:

The actual list and displayed controls can vary depending on the PowerPoint version and selected effects.

You can change the sequence in which objects animate. This is helpful when you want the audience to read information in a particular order.

1. Open the Animation Pane.
2. Select the animation you want to move.
3. Use the available reorder controls, such as Move Earlier or Move Later, when available.
4. Preview the slide to check the new sequence.

Example: Make the title appear first, followed by the picture and then the explanation.

Animations can start in three common ways:

• On Click: Starts when you click during the slide show.
• With Previous: Starts at the same time as the previous animation.
• After Previous: Starts automatically after the previous animation finishes.

Select an animation and use its timing controls to configure the appropriate start option.

Duration controls how long an animation effect takes to complete.

• 0.5 seconds: A quick effect.
• 2 seconds: A slower effect.
• 4 seconds: A much longer effect.

To change duration, select the animation and adjust the Duration setting in the Animations tab.

Delay specifies how long PowerPoint waits before starting an animation after its trigger condition is met.

Example: Set a delay of 2 seconds so a picture starts animating two seconds after its trigger.

1. Select the animation.
2. Locate the Timing settings.
3. Enter the required Delay value.
4. Preview the result.

Effect Options change the way a particular animation behaves. Available options depend on the animation you have selected.

Examples include:

• Choosing the direction of a Fly In effect.
• Changing the direction of a Wipe effect.
• Adjusting how text appears, when supported.

Select the animation and use Effect Options or the corresponding effect settings.

You can apply more than one animation to the same object. For example, a picture could enter the slide and later receive an emphasis effect.

1. Select the object.
2. Apply the first animation.
3. Click Add Animation to add another effect.
4. Choose the second animation.
5. Use the Animation Pane to arrange both effects.

To remove an animation from an object:

1. Open the Animation Pane.
2. Select the animation entry you want to remove.
3. Press Delete, or use the available Remove option.
4. Preview the slide to confirm the change.

Removing an animation does not normally delete the object itself from the slide.

Previewing helps you check whether animations play in the intended order and at the appropriate speed.

1. Select the slide.
2. Open the Animations tab.
3. Click Preview, if available.
4. Review the animation sequence.
5. Make adjustments if necessary.

Run the actual slide show to test click-based and automatic animation timing.

Text boxes can contain animations that reveal text in different ways, depending on the selected effect.

For example, a bullet list can be configured to appear:

• All at once.
• One paragraph at a time.
• In a sequence configured through the effect settings.

Use Effect Options when available to configure how the text is revealed.

• Applying too many animations to one slide.
• Setting an incorrect animation order.
• Using long delays unintentionally.
• Forgetting to preview the slide show.
• Using Add Animation incorrectly and replacing an existing effect.
• Choosing distracting effects for professional presentations.

Keep animations simple, consistent, and relevant to your message.

Imagine a slide about computer parts containing a title, an image of a monitor, and a short description.

This sequence introduces the title first, then the image, and finally the description.

Create a PowerPoint slide about a computer and complete these tasks:

1. Add a title, one picture, and a paragraph.
2. Apply Fade to the title.
3. Apply Zoom to the picture.
4. Apply Fly In to the paragraph.
5. Open the Animation Pane.
6. Change the animation order.
7. Set different start options.
8. Adjust duration and delay.
9. Preview the slide show.