How to Create Door Opening Animation in PowerPoint

Adding animations to your PowerPoint presentations can make them more engaging and memorable for your audience. One popular animation effect is a door opening to transition between slides or reveal content.

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to create a custom door opening animation in PowerPoint.

Why Use a Door Opening Animation?

A door opening animation is an effective way to:

• Reveal content in a visually interesting way
• Guide the viewer’s attention
• Add a sense of motion and dynamism
• Make your presentations more memorable

Compared to basic transitions like fades or wipes, a custom door opening animation can make your content stand out.

Step 1: Insert a Door Shape

The first step is to insert a shape to represent a door. Here’s how:

1. On the Insert tab, click Shapes and select the rectangle shape.
2. Draw a vertical rectangle on your slide. This will be the door.
3. Resize and position the rectangle as needed. Make sure to leave enough space for the door to “open” and reveal content.

Step 2: Animate the Door

Next, make the door animate open:

1. Select the door shape.
2. On the Animations tab, open the Animation Pane.
3. Click Add Animation and select a Wipe effect. Choose the wipe direction you want.
4. Expand the effect options and set the wipe to go from right-to-left or left-to-right.
5. Set the animation to start On Click so that you control when it opens.

Step 3: Duplicate and Create a Door Jamb

To create the look of a realistic door, duplicate and modify the rectangle:

1. Copy and paste the animated door shape.
2. Change the fill color to match your background.
3. Resize and position it next to the door to create a door jamb.

Step 4: Animate the Door Closing

Make the door close automatically after opening:

1. For the original animated door, open Effect Options.
2. Check the box for Auto-Reverse so the animation plays backwards.
3. Set the delay before auto-reverse to control how long the door stays open.

Step 5: Add a Shadow

For an extra level of realism, apply a shadow:

1. Select the door shape and make a copy.
2. On the Format tab, select Shadow and choose shadow settings.
3. Position the shadow below the door as needed.

Step 6: Hide Objects Behind the Door

You can hide any object behind the door, then reveal it as the animation plays:

1. Place the objects you want to reveal behind the door.
2. Select the objects and open the Animation Pane.
3. Add an Appear animation After Previous with a delay.

Step 7: Set Up Slide Transitions

If using the door animation between slides:

1. From the Transitions tab, choose how the next slide appears.
2. Set the transition effect to happen On Click after the door opens.

And that’s it! Preview your animation and make tweaks as needed for the right timing and flow.

Creative Ways to Use the Door Animation

There are lots of creative ways you can use this custom door opening effect:

• Transition between PowerPoint slides
• Reveal lists or bullet points
• Show info graphics or charts
• Animate images or illustrations
• Build slide-over-slide layered animations
• Convey a sense of opening into another scene
• Set up interactive quizzes and games

See what works for your particular presentation and the story you want to tell.

PowerPoint Animation Tips & Tricks

• Use animation purposefully and sparingly for maximum impact.
• Keep animations simple and subtle. Avoid anything too flashy or distracting.
• Be consistent with animation style throughout your presentation.
• Time animations carefully such as the door open and close.
• Choose animations that enhance your content rather than just decorate.

With the right balance of motion and stillness, animations like this door opening effect can make your PowerPoint presentations pop!

I hope this step-by-step guide gives you the basics of creating your own door opening animation in PowerPoint. Feel free to get creative and customize the effect to suit your needs!