custom auto layouts

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Is it possible to create a new auto layout in PowerPoint 97? And if not, is it possible to create or copy a placeholder?
I want to be able to add a new slide that has three columns of text. The original request was to customize an auto layout, but I don’t know if that’s possible (please let me know if I’m wrong). Another approach would be to create a macro that inserts a new slide based on an existing presentation, which I can do. The problem is that I can’t create or copy/paste text placeholders, and there isn’t a layout with 3 text placeholders, so I don’t know how to create a sample of the layout I want.

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Check out the discussion here. Unfortunately, I think it sums it up with a no.
You’ll have to fake it with a table or tabs inside of the text place holder…..maybe in Office X?

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Christie
Assuming I am answering the right question . . .
I have managed to produce a slide with three columns of text using PP97 running on NT4 and PP2000 running on W2000.
I created a slide using the two column text layout. I then typed something into one of the bullet boxes (anything) and created the third box using or Copy and Paste. This created a third column text into which I can type.
If an empty text box is copied at stage 1, PP puts an outline on to the slide but it does not have the ‘Click to add Text’ prompt in it. If you type into this empty box immediately after it has been created, it seems to fix it on the slide. If you forget and try to type in one of the original two boxes, the copied box disappears, as it does if you just deselect it!
Unfortunately for Clyde and his question, the contents of this third box are not displayed in the outline view.
Copying the three box slide in Slide Sorter view and then pasting did reproduce the three columns, so it can be replicated, albeit with the need first to delete the text on each new slide.
HTH

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PowerPoint97 does not allow you to create custom layout masters – unfortunately.

You can create all manner of custom text layouts on an individual slide basis and save them as a presentation. What you can’t do is save them as a layout template.

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