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How to Create a Timer in Microsoft PowerPoint

Deborah Schroeder

Senior Instructional Support Specialist

Center for Support of Instruction

Published: November-December 2011

Category: » Tech-skills-software » Powerpoint

(NOTE: This tutorial uses Microsoft PowerPoint 2010. The steps are similar when using PowerPoint 2007).

Part A - Creating the Images Needed for the Timer

1. In PowerPoint, start a new slide and give it a blank layout. Later, you will be able to move the timer wherever you want, but during construction it's easiest to use a blank slide.

2. Click the Insert tab on the toolbar.

3. Choose the rectangle icon from the Shapes drop-down menu.

4. Draw two rectangles. One of these will be the "terminators" for the timer. The other will be the timer bar that moves across the screen to indicate the lapsed time. (NOTE: You can format the terminators and timer bar as desired by selecting the shape, then selecting the Format tab from the toolbar.)

5. Because two terminators are needed for the timer, select the original terminator shape, then copy and paste (Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V) it into the same slide. 

6.  Hold the Shift key on your keyboard and select both terminator shapes, then right-click and select Bring to Front-->Bring to Front from the context menu.

7. With the alignment tool, you need to position the timer shape in the center of the slide. This is a two-part operation. 

Part 1: Aligning Horizontally  

Part 2: Aligning Vertically

• Select the timer shape.
• Select the Format tab. 
  
• Select Arrange on the Format toolbar.
• Select Align from the submenu.
• Make sure Align to Slide is checked in the drop-down menu.
• Select Align Middle from the drop-down menu. 

8. Use your mouse to place a terminator at each end of the timer shape. 

9.  Align all three objects by holding down the Shift key on your keyboard and selecting all three shapes. Then:

• Select the Format tab. 
  
• Select Arrange on the Format toolbar.
• Select Align from the submenu.
• Make sure Align Selected Objects is checked in the drop-down menu.
• Select Align Middle from the drop-down menu. 

10.  If you need to fine-tune the terminator placement, use the CTRL and arrow keys on your keyboard.

Part B - Applying the Timer Animation

1.  Select the timer shape and then select the Animations tab.  

2. Click the Add Animation button on the Animations toolbar, then choose Wipe from the Entrance section of the submenu. (The wipe icon will be green.)

3.  Click the Animation Pane button on the Animations toolbar.   

4.  In the Animation Pane, right-click on the animation item, and then choose Effect Options from the submenu.

5.  On the Effect tab, set the Direction to From Left.

6.  On the Timing tab:

• Set Start to On Click.
• Set the Duration to reflect how long you’d like your timer to be. For example: A three-minute duration would be 3:00:00. (NOTE: PowerPoint 2010 does not let you use the duration selection for anything over 60 seconds. If your timer duration needs to be longer than 60 seconds, follow the steps provided in the NOTE box below.)

18.  Select the OK button to save the settings.  

For PowerPoint 2010:

a. You should see your animation and a small rectangle in the Animation Pane. The rectangle indicates the duration of your animation. Click the far right of the rectangle and drag it even further to the right. The rectangle should get longer. If the rectangle just moves, return the rectangle to the far left of the screen and try again. The controls are a little finicky!

b. While dragging, you should see a tooltip that gives your end value. Drag out to the desired end time for your timer. (3:00:00 for three minutes, for example.) Don’t worry about fractional seconds—your students will not notice the difference. (3:00:42 is just fine!!)

c. It's often helpful to click the word "Seconds" in the bottom of the Animation Pane and choose "Zoom Out." Repeat this a couple of times and you'll be able to see more of your animation, making the dragging process easier.

Part 3 - Adding Audio to the Timer

1.  Select the Insert tab, and then select the Media button on the Insert toolbar.   

2.  Select the Audio button from the submenu, then choose Clip Art Audio from the drop-down menu and choose a sound that works for your project.   

3.  From the Playback tab, select the Audio Options button, and then click the Hide During Show checkbox.

4. From the Animation Pane, right-click on the sound clip and choose Timing the context menu.

5.  Set the Start value to With Previous and click the OK button.

6.  A small yellow arrow icon should appear next to the sound clip in the Animation Pane. Drag the arrow to the right until it meets up with the end of the animation timer. 

7.  After you have finished this tutorial, keep the timer in a separate PPT file so that you can copy it into other presentations when needed.

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Sharon Huston for her content contribution to this tutorial.