Making slide presentations with MagicPoint (similar to PowerPoint)

MagicPoint does not read .ppt files, but uses a text file that is easily created by hand. Unlike Microsoft PowerPoint, it can also import PostScript files. However, during a presentation MagicPoint reads files only when it needs them, which often makes presentations too slow.

Installation

  1. Download, compile, and install freetype-2.0.1 from www.freetype.org
  2. Download magicpoint and ttf.tar.gz from www.mew.org/mgp. Don't compile it yet.
  3. Replace config.guess and config.sub with the versions from tnimage or other program. Otherwise MagicPoint does not compile correctly and won't use TrueType fonts.
  4. autoconf
  5. configure - Make sure 'configure' does not produce any error messages when it determines your system type.
  6. xmkmf
  7. make Makefiles
  8. make
  9. Create a file .mgprc in the directory containing mgp. It should contain the lines: 
        tfdir "/usr/local/share/fonts/ttf"
    tfont0 "/usr/local/share/fonts/ttf/arial.ttf"
  10. Copy the .ttf files from ttf.tar.gz to the above location.
  11. Test mgp by typing mgp sample/sample.mgp. It should have smooth, anti-aliased fonts.
  12. make install

Usage

  1. Left mouse = forward
  2. Right mouse = back
  3. Ctrl = Table of contents. Click on desired page to go to that page.
  4. x = Drawing pen on/off
  5. k = previous
  6. L = redraw page
  7. B = Go to beginning
The following keys have unpredictable results on some computers, and may or may not work:
  1. N = next page
  2. P= previous page
  3. (num) g = go to page number (num)
  4. G = Display guidelines

Configuring laptop

  1. Set display in laptop's BIOS to "Simultaneous" instead of "Automatic" so that video signals are sent to the LCD and the external video port.
  2. When the laptop goes into graphics mode, the external display is turned off by default. Press Fn-F5 repeatedly to toggle between Laptop display, External Monitor, or both. The refresh rate is typically only 60Hz, however. Don't press Fn-F4 or odd things may happen to your keyboard mapping.

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