JICREG mapping is able to produce maps in Microsoft Office Open XML Format (.pptx). This is a relatively new file format that is used by Office 2007 as it's default file format. It is easy to open these files in earlier versions of PowerPoint, but to do so you will require the free compatibility pack from Microsoft. It may be that you already have this compatibility pack installed as it is part of the Microsoft Update releases. The following help will will look at opening a map in PowerPoint 2003 for the first time.

If you are logged into JICREG mapping then your maps will have a short menu above them, from which you can access the Save As PowerPoint functionality.

From the Save As menu choose PowerPoint 2003.

This should open a new window (shown below) that tells you a little bit about the Microsoft Open Office XML format, and also provides links to the free resources that Microsoft provides to allow you to open PowerPoint 2007 format files in earlier versions of PowerPoint. We will cover these steps in a minute.

Depending upon your Pop-up blocker settings it may also notify you that a Pop-up was blocked, or prompt you to download the pptx file. If your browser Pop-up blocker did prevent the download of the pptx file then we recommend that you always allow Pop-ups from mapvision.co.uk (the site serving the pptx maps). Disabling Pop-ups later can cause the page to reload, potentially loosing your map, and hard work, so it's best to not get caught out later and allow Pop-ups now. See How do I Allow PowerPoint Maps through my Pop-up blocker?

The new window that opens explains a little about the sources of the Microsoft Office Compatibility pack. You can read about it, download it directly or use Microsoft Update. The shortest route to getting your map into PowerPoint 2003 is to use the download link, but Microsoft Update provides you with access to all updates for your computer, and may fix other problems with your Microsoft Office installation at the same time. Here will will use the download link as we are keen to get working quickly. 

When you click download on the page above you will be prompted to Run, Save or Cancel the download. We recommend that you Save the download first - you can always delete it later. 

You will be asked where to save the file. We are going to choose the desktop, to make it easy to find later. The download is quite large (27.5MB) and may take several minutes to download. Once the download is complete, you are given the option to Run the installer. Before running the installer it is a good idea to make sure that you do not have any of the MS Office products open. Once you have closed any running instances of Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access, Outlook etc. (remember to save any work first) you should click Run.

After verifying the download you will be prompted to accept the License for the Compatibility pack. You will need to check the box at the bottom of this screen before you are able to Continue.

After you click Continue the installer will Configure the Compatibility Pack for the 2007 Office System. Again this may take several minutes, but should prompt you that the installation is complete at the end

Now you can return to your map and try saving the PowerPoint presentation again. This opens a new blank window, and a dialog prompting you to Open, Save or Cancel the file. You should choose Open.

You should be presented with your map filling a full PowerPoint slide. You can now easily reposition various elements of the map, change styles, colours, text items, build animations... Anything to ensure your presentation has the maximum impact, and your maps are understood by your audience.

Once you have downloaded and installed the compatibility pack, you will not need to do it again. As we have now told your Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 how to open PowerPoint 2007 format files, we can choose Save As PowerPoint 2007 from the Save As menu in JIAB mapping. This stops us from being prompted every time with the dialog explaining about the Compatibility Pack.

Return to PowerPoint 2003 Help...