Keynote provides a simple way to build a series of photos or other images on a single slide with animated transitions in between them. These build effects are called Smart Builds. It’s easy to set up a Smart Build using the default speed, build direction, and other attributes that are already defined for each build effect. But you can customize the details, if you wish.

It’s always easy to recognize a Smart Build on the slide canvas because it’s enclosed in a blue box with a small purple diamond in the lower-right corner.

To set up a Smart Build:

  1. Choose Insert > Smart Build > build effect.

  2. Drag images from the Photos pane of the Media Browser (if it’s not open, click Media in the toolbar) to the drop zone on the slide canvas (a blue square with a dashed outline) or in the Smart Build editor.

    You can also drag photos and other image files from the Finder.

  3. Use the Smart Build editor to modify the Smart Build in any of the following ways:

    To switch the position of two images, drag one over the other in the Smart Build editor.

    To remove an image from the build, drag it out of the Smart Build editor, or select it and press Delete.

    To make all photos the same size, select “Scale images to same size.”

    To use the relative sizes of the photos, deselect “Scale images to same size.”

    Some Smart Builds display images in two states. Use the size buttons and the Scale slider to specify the image size in each state.

  4. To make the maximum size of the images larger or smaller on the slide canvas, drag the handles of the blue Smart Build box.

To modify the build speed, direction, alignment, or other attributes:

  1. Select the Smart Build and click the Inspector button in the toolbar.

  2. Click the Build button in the inspector, and then click Action.

    Different build styles have different attributes, so the options you see depend upon which build effect you have selected.

  3. To change the speed of the Smart Build, set a value in the Duration field. A longer duration means each image will stay onscreen for a longer period of time.

  4. To specify which image you want to begin the build cycle, and which image you want to be the last, select their corresponding numbers in the “Build from” and “to” pop-up menus.

    Depending on the first and last images you select, you can cycle through any consecutive subset of the images, or you can cycle through all the images.

  5. To customize other attributes of the Smart Build, use the controls to customize the Smart Build.

To separate the timing of the individual image builds:

  1. In the Action pane of the Build inspector, select the checkbox labeled “Set timing and order for each build.”

  2. If the Build Drawer isn’t open, click More Options.

    In the drawer, all the images that will build as part of this Smart Build are selected and appear in the order in which they’ll build. By default, each image will appear on the slide only after you click to trigger its build.

  3. To make an image automatically build in after a set amount of time (instead of having to click), select “Automatically after build n” or “Automatically after previous build” from the Start Build pop-up menu at the bottom of the drawer.

    The selected build will automatically begin immediately after the previous one ends.

  4. To set a delay between the previous build and the selected build, specify an amount of time in the Delay field.

  5. To intersperse the build of another object on the slide between the image builds of this Smart Build, drag the other object build in between the image builds where you want it to occur.

    For details about interspersing object builds, follow the general instructions in Intermixing Builds of Text, Tables, and Charts.

To change the build style:

Select the Smart Build, and then select a new effect from the pop-up menu in the Action pane of the Build inspector.

To make the Smart Build editor appear:

Click anywhere within the blue Smart Build box.

Some Smart Builds use effects that can also move the images on or off a slide. For more information, see Moving Objects on or off Slides Using Builds.

You can create an action build on a master slide so that build effects appear on every slide created using that master. See Defining Default Transitions for instructions.

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