Introducing YoAnime PowerPoint Add in: Taking Manipulation to Next Level

Today, I’m thrilled to share an exciting project that I’ve been working on for the past two years: YoAnime, an advanced PowerPoint add-in designed to push the boundaries of what you can achieve within PowerPoint. Developed with the help of ChatGPT, this powerful tool introduces a wide range of features to streamline animation control, shape manipulation, and more—without the limitations of the default PowerPoint capabilities.

In this video, I will showcase how YoAnime works in a multi-project setup, comprising three components:

YoAnime COM Wrapper: Facilitates communication between PowerPoint and external applications.
YoAnime Server: A WPF application that handles complex logic and extends animation control.
YoAnime Task Pane: A PowerPoint VSTO Add-in that gives users direct access to advanced features from within the PowerPoint interface.

Key Features:
Advanced Animation Timing: Easily apply custom linear or exponential delays between animation effects with just a few clicks, instead of manually configuring each one.
Custom Animation Duration: Break PowerPoint’s 59-second limit and define durations of up to 10 minutes or more for complex animations like simulating solar system movements.
Shape Control: Reverse shape orders and access detailed shape properties, including size, position, motion path details, and rotation point adjustments—all in one place.
Automatic Logging: Real-time logging of actions through Serilog for better debugging and performance monitoring.
Custom Rotation Point: Control and adjust shape rotation points beyond PowerPoint’s default center rotation, giving you precision control over your animations.

Throughout the video, I will demonstrate the workflow from start to finish, including how the server logs and monitors every action in PowerPoint, ensuring a seamless experience. This add-in is still under development, but the features we’ve achieved so far have significantly enhanced the flexibility and power of PowerPoint animation creation.

Make sure to watch until the end for a sneak peek at upcoming features like animation presets, batch editing tools, and more!

Tools and Technology:
PowerPoint VSTO Add-in
WPF Application (YoAnime Server)
COM Interop & Named Pipes
Serilog for detailed logging
ChatGPT 3.5 for development assistance

If you’re interested in learning how to create your own PowerPoint add-ins or want to know more about the technology behind this solution, check out the previous videos in this series. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and leave a comment if you have any questions!