Can I handout versions of multiple PowerPoint decks converted to PDF files?
Using PowerPoint 16.15 on Mac OS X High Sierra 10.13.15...
I have a folder of PPT files. I would like to save them as PDF files, the layout being Handouts (6 per page) and the output being black and white.
Is there some way (e.g., using Automator, scripting or automation) to do this for every file in the folder?
It took me a few hours to come up with a solution that works in my environment. Please note that some elements need internationalization like "Vorschau" or "Sichern". This is a german solution working with PowerPoint for Mac 16.16.27 on macOS HighSierra 10.13.6.
I had to heavily debug things with ScriptDebug ($99 well spent ..) to get things working. Please note how Preview is used for the actual PDF saving. I tried doing this from Powerpoint but it was unreliable.
https://latenightsw.com/
see https://github.com/WolfgangFahl/ppt2pdf for a maintained version of this.
Example call
ppt2pdf *.pptx
Please note that the files are expected in the current directory. The applescript ppt2pdf.scpt expects the path to the files as the first parameter and all others as just filenames. This behavior could easily be changed.
ppt2pdf
#!/bin/bash
# WF 2020-11-15
# use current path as base path
osascript $HOME/source/applescript/ppt2pdf.scpt $(pwd) $@
ppt2pdf.scpt
-- 2018-01-31
-- https://github.com/irmowan/Convert-ppt-to-pdf/blob/master/Convert-ppt-to-pdf.applescript
-- modified by WF 2020-11-15
--
-- ppt2Pdf({"/Users/wf/Projekte/2020/Infrastruktur2020/ppt2pdf", "TestMe.pptx"})
--http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20050523140439734
-- passing command line arguments to applescript
on run (argv)
log (count (argv))
if ((count of argv) < 2) then
log "usage: ppt2pdf basepath [filenames]"
else
my ppt2Pdf(argv)
end if
end run
--
-- convert powerpoint to pdf on the given list of files
--
on ppt2Pdf(fileNames)
log "launching Powerpoint ..."
set pp to "Microsoft PowerPoint"
tell application pp -- work on version 15.15 or newer
launch
set isfirst to true
repeat with fileName in fileNames
if isfirst then
set basepath to fileName
log "base path is " & basepath
set isfirst to false
else
if fileName ends with ".ppt" or fileName ends with ".pptx" or fileName ends with ".pptm" then
set filePath to basepath & "/" & fileName
-- set filePath to POSIX path of fileAlias
set pdfPath to my makeNewPath(filePath)
log "trying to convert powerpoint file " & filePath & " to " & pdfPath
open filePath
-- save active presentation in pdfPath as save as PDF
-- save in same folder
-- https://macscripter.net/viewtopic.php?id=26342
--tell application "System Events"
-- set listOfProcesses to (name of every process where background only is false)
-- tell me to set selectedProcesses to choose from list listOfProcesses with multiple selections allowed
--end tell
--repeat with processName in selectedProcesses
-- log processName
--end repeat
if not my chooseMenuItem(pp, "Datei", "Drucken...") then
error number -128
end if
--my showUiElements(pp, "menu button")
-- my waitFor(button whose description is "PDF", 5, 0.5)
my choosePopUp(pp, "Layout für den Druck", "Notizen")
my choosePopUp(pp, "Farbausgabeformat", "Farbe")
--my chooseMenuButtonItem(pp, "PDF", "Als PDF sichern")
local myTitle
tell application "System Events"
-- the magic of Applescript
-- if you really want the title and not a reference to it you need to use an operator
-- http://books.gigatux.nl/mirror/applescriptdefinitiveguide/applescpttdg2-CHP-12-SECT-5.html
set myTitle to title of window 1 of process pp & ""
end tell
my chooseMenuButtonItem(pp, "PDF", "In Vorschau öffnen")
delay 5
tell application "System Events"
log "waiting for Vorschau to display " & myTitle
set timeLeft to my waitForAppearWindow(myTitle, process "Vorschau", 30, 0.5)
if timeLeft < 0 then
log "Vorschau " & myTitle & " window didn't show up after 30 secs"
error number -128
else
log "Vorschau appeared with " & timeLeft & "secs left"
tell process "Vorschau"
delay 0.2
click menu item "Als PDF exportieren …" of menu 1 of menu bar item "Ablage" of menu bar 1
delay 0.5
-- CMD-SHIFT-G to set the export director
-- https://dougscripts.com/itunes/itinfo/keycodes.php
keystroke "g" using {command down, shift down}
delay 0.2
tell sheet 1 of window (myTitle)
tell sheet 1
-- dereference basePath
local basePathStr
set basePathStr to basepath & ""
set value of first combo box to basePathStr
delay 0.2
click button "Öffnen"
delay 0.2
end tell
click button "Sichern"
set timeLeft to my waitForAppear(sheet 1, 3, 0.2)
tell sheet 1
if timeLeft > 0 then
click button "Ersetzen"
end if
end tell
delay 5
keystroke "q" using {command down}
end tell
end tell
end if
end tell
--tell application "System Events"
-- set timeLeft to my waitForAppear("button", button "Sichern" of sheet 1 of sheet 1 of window 1 of process pp, 5, 0.5)
-- if timeLeft < 0 then
-- log "Sichern button didn't show up after 5 secs"
-- error number -128
-- end if
-- click button "Sichern" of sheet 1 of sheet 1 of window 1 of process pp
--end tell
--tell application "System Events"
-- delay 0.5
-- try
-- set timeLeft to my waitForAppear("button", button "Ersetzen" of sheet 1 of sheet 1 of sheet 1 of window 1 of process pp, 5, 0.5)
-- if timeLeft < 0 then
-- log "Ersetzen button didn't show up after 5 secs"
-- error number -128
-- end if
-- click button "Ersetzen" of sheet 1 of sheet 1 of sheet 1 of window 1 of process pp
-- end try
--end tell
log "done ..."
-- close filePath
end if
end if
end repeat
-- still in tell powerpoint context
--tell application "System Events"
-- delay 0.5
-- try
-- set timeLeft to my waitForVanish("window", window "Sichern" of process pp, 60, 1)
-- if timeLeft < 0 then
-- log "print dialog didn't vanish after 60 secs"
-- error number -128
-- end if
-- end try
--end tell
quit
end tell
end ppt2Pdf
on showElement(uiElem)
local className
set className to class of uiElem as string
log (((«class pDSC» of uiElem as string) & "=" & value of uiElem as string) & "(" & className) & ")"
end showElement
--
-- show all UI elements
--
on showUiElements(appName, filterClassName)
tell application "System Events"
tell process appName
tell (1st window whose value of attribute "AXMain" is true)
repeat with uiElem in entire contents of it as list
try
local className
set className to class of uiElem as string
if filterClassName is missing value or className is filterClasssname then
log (((description of uiElem as string) & "=" & value of uiElem as string) & "(" & className) & ")"
end if
end try
end repeat
end tell
end tell
end tell
end showUiElements
--
-- wait for the given element to appear
--
on waitForAppearWindow(elementName, parentElement, time, slice)
set timeLeft to time
set appeared to false
repeat until (appeared) or timeLeft ≤ 0
try
set appeared to window elementName of parentElement exists
end try
delay slice
log "."
set timeLeft to timeLeft - slice
end repeat
log timeLeft
return timeLeft
end waitForAppearWindow
--
-- wait for the given element to appear
--
on waitForAppear(element, time, slice)
set timeLeft to time
set appeared to false
repeat until (appeared) or timeLeft ≤ 0
try
set appeared to element exists
end try
delay slice
log "."
set timeLeft to timeLeft - slice
end repeat
log timeLeft
return timeLeft
end waitForAppear
---
--- wait for the given element to vanish
---
on waitForVanish(element, time, slice)
set timeLeft to time
try
repeat while (exists element) and timeLeft > 0
delay slice
log "."
set timeLeft to timeLeft - slice
end repeat
end try
log timeLeft
return timeLeft
end waitForVanish
on chooseMenuButtonItem(appName, buttonName, itemName)
tell application "System Events"
tell process appName
tell window 1
local win1
set win1 to it
tell sheet 1
log "choosing " & itemName & " of menu button " & buttonName
tell menu button buttonName
click
delay 0.1
tell menu 1
click menu item itemName
end tell
end tell
end tell
end tell
end tell
end tell
end chooseMenuButtonItem
--
-- choose a popup
--
on choosePopUp(appName, buttonName, itemName)
tell application "System Events"
tell process appName
tell window 1
tell sheet 1
log "choosing " & itemName & " of pop up menu " & buttonName
--repeat with pbutton in pop up buttons
-- local pbutton1
-- set pbutton1 to pbutton
-- log description of pbutton & "=" & value of pbutton
--end repeat
tell (1st pop up button whose description is buttonName)
click it
delay 0.5
pick menu item itemName of menu 1
end tell
end tell
end tell
end tell
end tell
end choosePopUp
--
-- https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/
-- LanguagesUtilities/Conceptual/MacAutomationScriptingGuide
-- AutomatetheUserInterface.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40016239-CH69-SW17
--
on chooseMenuItem(theAppName, theMenuName, theMenuItemName)
try
-- Bring the target app to the front
tell application theAppName
activate
end tell
-- Target the app
tell application "System Events"
tell process theAppName
-- Target the menu bar
tell menu bar 1
-- Target the menu by name
tell menu bar item theMenuName
tell menu theMenuName
-- Click the menu item
log "clicking " & theMenuItemName
click menu item theMenuItemName
end tell
end tell
end tell
end tell
end tell
return true
on error
return false
end try
end chooseMenuItem
on makeNewPath(f)
set t to f as string
if t ends with ".pptx" or t ends with ".pptm" then
return (text 1 thru -5 of t) & "pdf"
else
return (text 1 thru -4 of t) & "pdf"
end if
end makeNewPath
Only half an answer, I am afraid, as I don't have time to debug, but I think it could be an interesting solution for future reference.
- Install PowerShell for macOS (I would recommend using Homebrew for that).
- Get this script by GitHub user mp4096 to work.
# Batch convert all .ppt/.pptx files encountered in folder and all its subfolders
# The produced PDF files are stored in the invocation folder
#
# Adapted from http://stackoverflow.com/questions/16534292/basic-powershell-batch-convert-word-docx-to-pdf
# Thanks to MFT, takabanana, ComFreek
#
# If PowerShell exits with an error, check if unsigned scripts are allowed in your system.
# You can allow them by calling PowerShell as an Administrator and typing
# ```
# Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted
# ```
# Get invocation path
$curr_path = Split-Path -parent $MyInvocation.MyCommand.Path
# Create a PowerPoint object
$ppt_app = New-Object -ComObject PowerPoint.Application
# Get all objects of type .ppt? in $curr_path and its subfolders
Get-ChildItem -Path $curr_path -Recurse -Filter *.ppt? | ForEach-Object {
Write-Host "Processing" $_.FullName "..."
# Open it in PowerPoint
$document = $ppt_app.Presentations.Open($_.FullName)
# Create a name for the PDF document; they are stored in the invocation folder!
# If you want them to be created locally in the folders containing the source PowerPoint file, replace $curr_path with $_.DirectoryName
$pdf_filename = "$($curr_path)\$($_.BaseName).pdf"
# Save as PDF -- 17 is the literal value of `wdFormatPDF`
$opt= [Microsoft.Office.Interop.PowerPoint.PpSaveAsFileType]::ppSaveAsPDF
$document.SaveAs($pdf_filename, $opt)
# Close PowerPoint file
$document.Close()
}
# Exit and release the PowerPoint object
$ppt_app.Quit()
[System.Runtime.Interopservices.Marshal]::ReleaseComObject($ppt_app)
Apparently this does not run out of the box on macOS. But some users in the comments report they got it to work.
If anyone achieves to make it work, please feel free to edit this answer.