Creating Countdown Timer in Powerpoint

A. How to Set The Transition Time

1. Click on the Home ribbon, Slides group, click New slide and select blank

2. Click on the Insert ribbon, Text group, click text box and click on the slide to place the text box.
3. Type number 1 on the text box, then change the font size into 200.
4. Next, on the Drawing tools, Format ribbon, Arrange group, click Align and select Align center to place the text box on the middle of slide.

5. On this step, we are going to set the slide transition time.

* On Powerpoint 2007 : Click the Animation ribbon, on the Transition to This Slide group, Advance slide, set the transition time like the picture above
* On PowerPoint 2010: Click the Transitions ribbon, on the  Transition to This Slide group,  Advance Slide,set the transition time like the picture above
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6. Next, click on the View ribbon, Presentation Views group, click Slide Sorter.

7. Click on the slide you have made. Press CTRL + C to copy the slide.
8. Then press CTRL + V until the number you want. Here I copy the slide into five.
9. The  Slide Sorter view will be like the following picture.

10. Click on the slide to change the number so the Slide Sorter view will be like the following picture

11. Press the  F5 button to play the  slide show

B. How to design the countdown timer

Actually there are several types of countdown timer : wheel timer, bar timer, hourglass timer and numerical timer. Here I will show how to create wheel countdown timer

1. Click on the slide you have set before.
2. Move the textbox to the outside of the slide.
3. Click Design ribbon, Background group, click Background style, Format background, click Fill, click Solid file, choose black color

4. Click on the Insert ribbon, Shapes, and select oval shape. Place it on the middle of the slide.
5. Click the shape, pres CTRL + C then CTRL + V to make it into two.

6. Click one of the shape, on the Drawing tools, Format ribbon,  Shape styles group click Shape fill and choose dark grey color. Don’t forget  to choose no outline on the Shape outline.
7. Do the same with the another shape but fill it with black.
8. Click on the black shape and decrease the size a bit, then place it on the middle of the dark grey shape.
9. The shapes view will be like the following picture

10. Next, click Insert ribbon, click Shape and select dougnut shape and place it on the slide.
11. Decrease the ring size by clicking the shape, and click the yellow point to change the size.

12. Make the shape size larger than the dark grey shape.
13. Click the dougnut shape, click on Drawing tools, Format ribbon, click Shape fill and choose black. Then click Shape outline and choose white .
14. After that, place the doughnut shape on the outside of the dark grey shape. The view  will be like the picture below.

15. Next, right click on the textbox and select bring to front. Change the text fill into dark grey color. You can also change the font style. Then move the textbox on the middle of the black shape.

16. Now we are going to make the animation.
17. Click the Animation ribbon, on Advanced animation group click Animation pane. Now the Animation pane has appeared.
18. Click the black shape, click Add Animation and select  the animation wheel on exit part.

19. Set the start timing with After Previous. You can also set the duration as you want.

20. Next, click the dark grey shape. Do the same like the black shape, but set the start timing with With Previous .
21. Then click the doughnut shape. Do the same like two shapes before, but here  I want to change the effect. Click on the the Effect Option on the Animation group, and select 2 spokes. Set the start timing with With Previous.
22. Press the F5 button to play the slide show. The view will be like the picture below.

23. Do it on the other slides too, then you will have an amazing countdown timer on your powerpoint. You can also create another countdown timer designs.


Or you may also look at this video :