Most people don't realize that PowerPoint 2003 has a lot of animation capabilities, especially for software that's intended for business users. Some of these goodies are kind of hidden, but easy to use. One feature you can try without much trouble is a motion path.

If you want an object (such as an AutoShape, imported graphic or text box) to move across the screen along a path that you define, you use a motion path. Here's how to do it:

1. Select an object, then select Slide Show/Custom Animation.
2. In the task pane, click the Add Effect button, then click Motion Paths from the flyout menu.
3. If you want the object to move in a straight line in a pre-determined direction (right, left, etc.), choose one of the options on this flyout. But it's more fun to choose Draw Custom Path, then select Scribble from this flyout.
4. When you choose Scribble, the mouse pointer changes to a pencil. Just draw a line or curve -- or scribble -- on the screen. As soon as you let go, the object moves along the path. You only see the path itself when designing the slide; it's invisible when running the slide show.

Once you have a motion path, you can edit it. To make the object move along the path in the reverse direction, right-click the path, then select Reverse Path Direction. To reshape the path, right-click it, then select Edit Points. Drag any point to change the path. If you click a point instead of dragging it, you'll see it has adjustment handles (they have hollow boxes on the ends). These are Bezier curves. If you're familiar with Beziers in high-end graphics programs such as Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop or CorelDRAW, you'll find these are similar.

To change the curvature of the path where that particular point is, drag an adjustment handle. To make the point smooth, straight or cornered (cusped), right-click it, then choose the appropriate option from the menu. Delete a point by right-clicking it, then selecting Delete Point, or create a new point by right-clicking the line, then selecting Add Point. You can also drag the ends of the line segments.

When you're finished editing the line, either click the blank page background, or right-click the line, then select Exit Edit Points. Preview the animation by clicking the Play button on the bottom of the task pane, or run the presentation for real by clicking the Slide Show button, also on the bottom of the task pane.