How to Create a Video with 3D Models in PowerPoint

What you can do with 3D models in PowerPoint

In a recent workshop demo, a Mars Rover rotated in a Rise course with clickable Storyline hotspots around it. Several people asked how to build it. The first step is creating the video, and PowerPoint is the tool for that part.

Insert 3D models into PowerPoint

PowerPoint comes with a built-in library of 3D models. You can also insert your own using standard 3D file formats. The supported formats are .FBX, .OBJ, .3MF, .PLY, .STL, and .GLB.

To insert a model, go to Insert and select 3D Models. Position the model on the slide and then duplicate the slide. The first slide will be your starting point, and the second will be your rotation endpoint.

Create the animation with the morph transition

Once you have two slides with the same 3D model, you can change its position, rotation, or scale on slide 2. When you apply the Morph transition to slide 2, PowerPoint animates the change between the two positions. The result looks like a smooth 3D rotation.

Here’s how to set it up:

• On slide 1, insert your 3D model and position it on the slide.
• Duplicate the slide to create slide 2.
• On slide 2, rotate, scale, or reposition the model to the endpoint position.
• Go to Transitions and apply Morph to slide 2.
• Preview the slideshow to see the animation.

If you want the model to appear to rotate in and then back out, add a third slide. Duplicate slide 1 and place it after slide 2. The morph transition will carry the model back to its starting position.

Fine-tune the timing

The speed of the animation is controlled by the slide duration in the Transitions tab. You set this under “Advance Slide.” Here’s how timing works across the three slides:

• Slide 1 is just the starting position. Set it to advance after 0.25 seconds so it moves on quickly.
• Slide 2 triggers the morph animation. The slide duration here controls how fast the 3D object moves.
• Slide 3 (optional) creates the return rotation. Set the duration to match slide 2 for a consistent feel.

All slides need to use “Advance Slide after X seconds” so the animation runs without any clicks. This is required for the video export to work correctly.

Save the file as a video

Go to File, Export, and then Create a Video. PowerPoint offers two formats: .MP4 and .WMV.

Both work, but there’s a known issue with .MP4 files exported from PowerPoint. When used in Storyline, the end of the video can appear jumpy. Exporting as .WMV and letting Storyline handle the conversion resolves this. If you’re using the video outside of Storyline, .MP4 is fine.

Key takeaways

This technique opens up a wide range of possibilities for interactive course content. Once you have the video, you can layer in hotspots, labels, and interactions in Storyline. Building that interactivity is covered in the follow-up post on creating interactive video in Storyline. What kind of 3D content would work best in your courses?