MagicPoint
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Developer(s) | WIDE Project |
---|---|
Stable release |
1.13a
/ February 13, 2008 |
Operating system | Any Unix-like |
Type | Presentation program |
License | BSD license[1] |
Website | http://member.wide.ad.jp/wg/mgp/ |
MagicPoint is one of several open source presentation programs,[2] often used to produce slides for conferences.[3] Unlike most presentation programs, such as Microsoft PowerPoint, where a GUI is used to create slides, MagicPoint slides are created by writing text files using a simple markup language. The resulting file is then displayed with MagicPoint's X11-based viewer.
History
MagicPoint was originally created in the autumn of 1997, at a WIDE Project camp. It was originally known as tp, standing for TinyPoint,[4] but in December the name was changed to MagicPoint.[5]
Features
- Content is written in text files and formatting is indicated by text features. For example, different level bullet points can be created by simply indenting the text with tabs[6]
- Many image formats are supported[7]
- Slides can be scaled to different screen sizes[8]
- External applications can be executed from inside the presentation[9]
- A talk timer and slide guide are included[7]
- Presentations can be exported to HTML or PostScript files.[10] Native MagicPoint files can be imported by Calligra Stage, another open source presentation program.
Another feature of MagicPoint is the ability to draw on slides during a presentation.[2] By pressing x on the keyboard, the slide can temporarily be scribbled on with red "ink".[9] Shift x allows you to cycle through other pen colours.
References
- ↑ FSF Directory
- 1 2 Using Linux for Presentations Mini-HOWTO
- ↑ List of MagicPoint presentation by Google
- ↑ MagicPoint man page
- ↑ Jun-ichiro itojun Hagino: itojun's pictorial diary
- ↑ The Grumpy Editor's guide to presentation programs [LWN.net]
- 1 2 David MacKay: Useful stuff: Magicpoint
- ↑ MGP Toolbox
- 1 2 Warwick University GNU/Linux User Group Article
- ↑ (Linux) Event HOWTO