Page Transitions & Element Animations

August 15, 2026 · View on GitHub

PPT Master writes page transitions and optional element object animations as real PowerPoint OOXML, not embedded video. Object animation includes entrance, emphasis, motion-path, and exit effects. This guide covers the choices and commands users need; exact effect mappings, the complete sidecar schema, anchor rules, and package validation live in the animation execution reference.

Default Behavior

Layer	Default	What it means
Page transition	`fade`, 0.4 seconds	Slides change with a restrained visual transition
Element object animation	`none` (off)	Each slide appears as a complete page; opt in only when motion helps the presentation

Changing animation settings does not require regenerating the slides. Reuse the same svg_output/; default release export still requires its current passing final SVG quality report. When no current matching passing final report exists, run the final checker and resolve its blockers before rerunning svg_to_pptx.py.

Common Recipes

Goal	Command
Keep the defaults	`python3 skills/ppt-master/scripts/svg_to_pptx.py <project>`
Change the page transition	`python3 skills/ppt-master/scripts/svg_to_pptx.py <project> -t push`
Remove the visual transition	`python3 skills/ppt-master/scripts/svg_to_pptx.py <project> -t none`
Auto-advance every 5 seconds	`python3 skills/ppt-master/scripts/svg_to_pptx.py <project> --auto-advance 5`
Enable automatic element reveals	`python3 skills/ppt-master/scripts/svg_to_pptx.py <project> -a auto`
Use one entrance effect throughout	`python3 skills/ppt-master/scripts/svg_to_pptx.py <project> --animation entrance_fade`
Reveal elements on click	`python3 skills/ppt-master/scripts/svg_to_pptx.py <project> -a auto --animation-trigger on-click`
Animate all elements together	`python3 skills/ppt-master/scripts/svg_to_pptx.py <project> -a auto --animation-trigger with-previous`
Slow the reveal sequence	`python3 skills/ppt-master/scripts/svg_to_pptx.py <project> -a auto --animation-duration 0.5 --animation-stagger 0.8`

Choose a Page Transition

Relationship between adjacent slides	Start with
Ordinary continuation within one section	`fade`
Immediate change with no continuity to preserve	`none` or `cut`
Directional steps, timeline, or visible layer progression	`push`, `wipe`, `cover`, or `uncover` with a meaningful direction
The same object or scene changes position, size, crop, or appearance	`morph`
Section opening, key reveal, or marked state boundary	A selective `split`, `reveal`, `shape`, `flash`, or `random_bars`
A repeated collection advances through one spatial frame	`pan`, `conveyor`, or `ferris_wheel`; use Morph when individual objects must retain identity
The viewpoint travels around or through a continuous space	`rotate`, `window`, `orbit`, or `fly_through`
The theme supports a stage, paper, or physical-page metaphor	A selective `fall_over`, `drape`, `curtains`, `wind`, `prestige`, `peel_off`, `page_curl`, `airplane`, `origami`, or `doors`
A disruptive beat represents breakage, collapse, or dispersal	A selective `fracture`, `crush`, `dissolve`, `vortex`, or `shred`
A marked reveal benefits from a geometric, timed, or textured pattern	A selective `checkerboard`, `blinds`, `clock`, `ripple`, `honeycomb`, `glitter`, or `comb`
A card, panel, gallery, or viewpoint visibly turns or changes face	A selective `switch`, `flip`, `gallery`, `cube`, `box`, or `zoom`

Keep fade or none when no other transition adds meaning. Do not change effects merely to create variety; random is appropriate only when unpredictability is itself intentional.

The 48 canonical transition keys cover all three sections in the current PowerPoint gallery:

Subtle: morph, fade, push, wipe, split, reveal, cut, random_bars, shape, uncover, cover, flash.
Exciting: fall_over, drape, curtains, wind, prestige, fracture, crush, peel_off, page_curl, airplane, origami, dissolve, checkerboard, blinds, clock, ripple, honeycomb, glitter, vortex, shred, switch, flip, gallery, cube, doors, box, comb, zoom, random.
Dynamic Content: pan, ferris_wheel, conveyor, rotate, window, orbit, fly_through.

The old names strips, circle, diamond, newsflash, plus, pull, wedge, and wheel remain accepted only as compatibility inputs. New sidecars, plans, traces, and output use canonical keys. Compatibility inputs desugar into a native effect plus its Effect Options—for example, diamond becomes shape with shape: diamond, and wedge becomes clock with style: wedge.

Set effect-specific PowerPoint options in transition.effect_options. Direction, shape, pattern, Morph scope, black screen, page count, and bounce are validated against the selected effect. Run python3 skills/ppt-master/scripts/pptx_animations.py --describe-transition <effect> for the exact values. -t none removes the visual effect but does not remove an explicitly configured auto-advance timer.

Choose a Start Mode

Start mode	Behavior	Best fit
`on-click`	One content group appears per click	Live presentations where the speaker controls pacing
`with-previous`	All content groups animate together when the slide appears	A single coordinated entrance
`after-previous` (default)	Groups appear sequentially without clicks	Kiosk playback, walkthroughs, and narrated decks

--recorded-narration does not support on-click; use after-previous or with-previous for narrated or video-ready output.

Choose an Object Animation

Start with none. When object motion has a communication job, choose its lifecycle before its visual effect:

Communication job	Choice	Boundary
Reveal information in reading or narration order	`auto` or a native `entrance_*` key	This is the usual object-animation case
Redirect attention to an already visible object	An explicit `emphasis_*` key	Do not use it as the object's first reveal
Show meaningful spatial or causal movement	An explicit `path_*` key, or Morph across adjacent slides	The path itself should carry meaning; deliberate background ambience is an advanced exception
Remove, replace, or make room for content on the same slide	An explicit `exit_*` key	A normal slide change already removes the old page
Add deterministic or seeded variation to generic entrances	`mixed` or `random`	These modes still select entrance effects only
No clear motion task	`none`	Keep the slide static

The canonical registry contains 203 PowerPoint-native keys: 53 entrance, 33 emphasis, 64 motion path, and 53 exit presets. New selections, sidecars, automatic choices, traces, and examples use these category-qualified keys. auto, mixed, and random select entrances only. Use an explicit canonical key for emphasis, motion-path, or exit behavior. The 29 established short names remain accepted only as compatibility inputs; they normalize before writing and do not retain a second behavior engine. Old Fly direction names all normalize to entrance_fly, and old Wipe direction names all normalize to entrance_wipe; their direction is preserved as an option rather than another canonical preset. Legacy wheel keeps four spokes. Run python3 skills/ppt-master/scripts/pptx_animations.py --list for the complete categorized list. The four media playback commands are handled by the audio/video workflows because they require media or bookmark targets.

Add Sound After Choosing Motion

Sound effects are off by default. PPT Master includes a global CC0 discovery library, but it is not copied during strategy or ordinary project setup. First finish the SVG pages and choose the visual transition/object motion. Only when one of those resolved beats has a specific auditory job should you discover and sync a cue:

python3 skills/ppt-master/scripts/sound_sync.py list --query whoosh
python3 skills/ppt-master/scripts/sound_sync.py \
  <project> bigsoundbank/1797 kenney-interface/click_001

The second command copies only the selected files into <project>/sounds/<namespace>/. With no selected cue, PPT Master creates no project sound directory and copies nothing. The recommended catalog flag is a discovery shortlist, not an automatic choice:

python3 skills/ppt-master/scripts/sound_sync.py list --query recommended

Configuration always references the copied project-local path, never the global templates/sounds/ path or a library id:

{
  "version": 1,
  "slides": {
    "02_process": {
      "transition": {
        "effect": "push",
        "sound": "sounds/bigsoundbank/1797.wav"
      },
      "groups": {
        "next-step": {
          "effect": "entrance_fade",
          "sound": "sounds/kenney-interface/click_001.wav"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

transition.sound uses WAV. Object-animation sound also accepts an existing project-relative or absolute .m4a, .mp3, or .wav input; bundled choices are WAV and should use the copied project-relative path. A transition-only cue may use a sparse animations.json; a slide-level transition.sound: null clears an inherited default sound. Validate before export. Do not add sound merely to demonstrate that the feature exists.

This validation proves the editable PPTX contains the native cue; it does not prove PowerPoint's MP4 audio track contains it. For direct narrated video with resolved cues, follow Audio Narration & Video Export and choose either the verified native-export sound mix or an explicit PowerPoint slideshow capture with system audio. Do not combine the two paths.

Customize Specific Objects

Use animations.json only when deck-wide settings are not enough—for example, one object entering, moving, drawing attention, and then leaving. List the real groups, write sparse overrides for only the affected slides and objects, validate, and export. scaffold is an optional neutral editing starter: it sets the default object effect to none, and untouched {} group entries do not enable animation.

python3 skills/ppt-master/scripts/animation_config.py list-groups <project>
python3 skills/ppt-master/scripts/animation_config.py validate <project>
python3 skills/ppt-master/scripts/svg_to_pptx.py <project>

The sidecar targets stable top-level <g id="..."> content groups. A group ID is a PowerPoint shape-target anchor, not an Animation Pane row. The compatible single-effect object still creates one row; an effects[] array can create several ordered rows that all target the same shape:

{
  "version": 1,
  "slides": {
    "03_threshold": {
      "animation": { "trigger": "after-previous" },
      "groups": {
        "risk-marker": {
          "effects": [
            { "effect": "entrance_fade", "order": 1, "duration": 0.25 },
            { "effect": "path_right", "order": 2, "delay": 0.1, "duration": 0.7 },
            { "effect": "emphasis_teeter", "order": 3, "trigger": "with-previous", "duration": 0.45 },
            { "effect": "exit_fade", "order": 4, "trigger_shape": "details-button", "duration": 0.3 }
          ]
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

A populated group uses either the legacy single-effect fields or the { "effects": [...] } form, never both. effects must be non-empty, and every row names an explicit effect. Existing single-effect sidecars remain fully compatible.

Common row fields are:

Field	Purpose
`effect`	Select one explicit effect; the legacy form may use `none` to keep that object static
`trigger`	Override this row's Start mode; otherwise inherit the slide animation trigger
`order`	Order ordinary rows across the slide without changing slide layers; trigger-shape rows remain in separate interactive sequences
`delay`	Add a pause to this row's resolved Start behavior
`duration`	Override this row's scheduled animation duration
`effect_options`	Set effect-specific `direction`, `amount`, `color`, `font_name`, `relative`, or `size`
`trigger_shape`	Trigger this row when another top-level group is clicked (PowerPoint On Click of)
Timing modifiers	`repeat_count`/`repeat_duration`, `auto_reverse`, `rewind`, `accelerate`, `decelerate`, `bounce_end`, and `restart`
Completion	`after_effect` (`none`, dim, hide, or hide on next click)
Sound cue	Optional project-local `sound` path; bundled choices follow the on-demand sync above

order, delay, duration, trigger, and trigger_shape are resolved per row. The slide-level animation trigger is inheritance only. trigger_shape implies on-click; if the row also declares trigger, it must be on-click.

Use python3 skills/ppt-master/scripts/pptx_animations.py --describe <canonical_effect> to see exactly which options that effect accepts. Speed is controlled by duration; smooth start/end are controlled by accelerate/decelerate. Change Font's font_name is one concrete target-installed PowerPoint face, never a CSS font stack.

trigger_shape points to a different group id on the same slide and affects only its row. Recorded narration rejects any row that resolves to on-click, including trigger-shape rows.

When a user asks the AI to tune individual objects, use the customize-animations stage. The full sidecar schema and target-validation rules remain in the animation execution reference.

Validation & Compatibility

PPT Master validates animation settings strictly: unknown effects or Start modes, invalid timing values, missing slide/group references, and attempts to animate structural objects fail instead of silently changing behavior. Export also reads the candidate PPTX back before replacing an existing output.

Boundary	User-facing consequence
Animation target	Element animation operates on logical top-level content-group anchors; one anchor may own several Animation Pane rows
Static structure	Backgrounds, Master/Layout content, placeholders, and page chrome remain static
Unsupported object builds	No paragraph/text-range builds, custom freeform motion-path authoring, native Chart/SmartArt build sequencing, or media playback commands are inferred from grouped SVG content
Output route	Animation exists in the native PPTX generated from `svg_output/`; `svg_final/` is a static preview
Existing PPTX routes	Template Fill and Native Enhance preserve source object animation rather than translating it into this generated-deck model
PPTX-to-SVG import	Reconstructs only current-registry rows with exact native duration and unique top-level group targets; advanced/build/media timing remains diagnosed
Playback compatibility	Microsoft PowerPoint desktop is the primary validation target; Keynote, WPS, LibreOffice, and older Office versions may remap or omit individual effects

For the full CLI reference, see svg-pipeline.md. For exact effect definitions, sidecar requirements, anchor fallback logic, and OOXML read-back rules, see the animation execution reference.