Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 63236
Change arrow key behavior when viewing slide show
Last modified: 2013-02-07 22:32:28 UTC
When viewing a slide show in Impress, the up and left arrow keys move back one slide, and the right and down arrow keys move forward one slide. While this seems logical, in MS Office, the left and down arrow keys are the equivalent of a mouse click, advancing the slide effects. (i.e. if there is text on a slide that is hidden until the mouse is clicked, using the arrow keys will advance the slide without showing the text.) This breaks compatibility with wireless "clickers", many of which use the equivalent of the left and right arrow buttons.
Reassigned.
I completely agree with the need to interface with the wireless clickers available on the market. Additionally, I have been in innumerable presentations when the presenter is used to ppt and keeps pressing keyboards right arrow by mistake and therefore inadvertently jumps the slide builds. This is yet another "excuse" that people sometimes use to avoid using Impress at key presentations. It would be sensible to have a check box on Slide Show Settings which remaps the left arrow and right arrow presses to the relevant mouse click events when Slideshow is the active window. The check box could read: "Wireless Clicker/Powerpoint Arrow Key Compatibility". I am sure there is a Linux (or OSX) workaround but it would make sense to include it in the standard product for standard users.
*** Issue 63236 has been confirmed by votes. ***