MagicPoint

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

MagicPoint
Image:Mgplogo.jpg
Developed by WIDE Project
Latest release 1.13a / February 13, 2008
OS Any Unix-like
Genre Presentation program
License BSD license[1]
Website http://member.wide.ad.jp/wg/mgp/

MagicPoint is one of the three major 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.

Contents

[edit] 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]

[edit] 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 KPresenter, 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.

[edit] References

  1. ^ FSF Directory
  2. ^ a b Using Linux for Presentations Mini-HOWTO
  3. ^ List of MagicPoint presentation by Google
  4. ^ MagicPoint man page
  5. ^ itojun's pictorial diary
  6. ^ The Grumpy Editor's guide to presentation programs [LWN.net]
  7. ^ a b David MacKay: Useful stuff: Magicpoint
  8. ^ MGP Toolbox
  9. ^ a b Warwick University GNU/Linux User Group Article
  10. ^ (Linux) Event HOWTO

[edit] External links