You can easily open existing presentations to edit, update, or reuse them as templates for new designs. By default, PADS4 refers to the Content Library, but you may also choose to open files from other locations.Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.pads4.com/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Ways to Open a Presentation
1. Open from Content Library (Default Location)
- Go to the File menu.
- Click Open.
- In the Content Library, navigate to the folder where the presentation is stored.
- Double-click the presentation to open it.
2. Quickly Open Recent Presentations
- Go to the File menu.
- Under Recent Presentations, click the file you want to reopen.
3. Explicitly Open from Content Library
- Go to the File menu.
- Hover over Open to show the submenu.
- Click From Content Library.
- Locate and double-click the desired presentation.
4. Open from Other File Locations
- Go to the File menu.
- Hover over Open to show the submenu.
- Click From File.
- Browse to the folder containing the presentation.
- Double-click to open it.
5. Import a PADS4 Show (.padsz file)
- Go to the File menu.
- Hover over Open to show the submenu.
- Click Import PADS4 Show.
- Follow the Import Wizard to bring the show into your system.
6. Open and Import a PADS 3.1 Presentation (Upgrade to PADS4)
- Go to the File menu.
- Hover over Open to show the submenu.
- Click Open PADS 3.x to 4 Wizard.
- Follow the Import Wizard to convert and open the presentation.
Important Notes and Tips
-
Automatic Conversion:
When you open a presentation created in PADS4 3.1 SR1, it will automatically convert to the current PADS4 format. -
Older PADS4 Versions:
For presentations created in versions earlier than PADS4 3.1 SR1, you must first convert them to 3.1 SR1 format using the PADS4 3.x to 4 Converter tool (found under PADS4 > Tools in the Windows Start menu). -
Reusing Presentations:
Opening an existing file is a great way to reuse layouts and content, simply adjust and save as a new file if needed.
Summary
| Task | Menu Path | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Open from Content Library | File → Open | Select file in library |
| Quick open recent presentations | File | Click file under Recent Presentations |
| Explicitly open from Content Library | File → Open → From Content Library | Browse and select file |
| Open from other file location | File → Open → From File | Browse and select file |
| Import PADS4 Show | File → Open → Import PADS4 Show | Follow Import Wizard |
| Open PADS 3.1 presentation (convert) | File → Open → Open PADS 3.x to 4 Wizard | Follow Import Wizard |