> ## 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.

# Previewing a presentation

The **PADS4 Designer application** allows you to **preview presentations** to see exactly how they will look and behave when played in the **PADS4 Viewer application**. This helps verify the layout, content, data connections, and interactivity before publishing.

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## **How to Start a Preview**

### **Preview the Entire Presentation**

1. **Click** on the **View** tab in the ribbon bar.
2. In the **Preview section**, click **Presentation**.
3. The **Presentation Preview window** will open and **automatically start the presentation**.

**Tip:**

* Quickly start a preview by pressing **F2**.
* Press **F12** during preview for **web element debugging** (when using Chromium browser engine).

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### **Preview a Specific Page**

1. Navigate to the page you want to preview using the **Go To** section in the **View** menu.
2. Follow the steps above to start the presentation preview.
3. Alternatively, inside the **Presentation Preview window**:
   * Use the **Page selector dropdown** to pick a starting page.
   * Click **Start** to begin the preview from that page.

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## **Presentation Preview Window Overview**

### **Presentation Group**

* **Close**: Closes the preview window.
* **Start**: Starts the preview from the selected page.
* **Stop**: Stops the running presentation.
* **Page & Total**: Shows the **current page number**, **time on current page**, and **total running time**.

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### **Zoom Group**

* **Stretch/Zoom Options**: Adjust the zoom level to fit the preview window.\
  Note: Some content like **web elements** may not scale perfectly.

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### **Options Group**

* **Viewer Name**: Enter an existing Viewer name to **simulate** how that specific Viewer would run the presentation. Useful for testing **Viewer Variables** like `#ViewerName#`.
* **Page**: Select the starting page for the preview.
* **Viewer Type**: Choose a Viewer Type to **simulate** and remove elements **not supported** by that Viewer Type.

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### **Data Source Group**

(These can only be adjusted **before** starting the preview)

* **Use Data Cache**:
  * Uses **cached data** for a faster preview.
  * Avoids time-consuming data provider calls.
  * Essential for working offline or designing with slow/remote data sources.
  * Learn more: **Data Caching in PADS4 Designer**.

* **Use Backup**:
  * Forces PADS4 to use **backup Data Providers** (if defined), allowing simulation of fallback scenarios.

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### **Show Group**

* **Viewer Variables**: Opens a window listing **all Viewer Variables** for this preview session. See **Viewer Variables** page for more details.
* **Data Preview**: Displays all connected **Data Providers** and their **retrieved data** for this presentation.
* **Log Information**:
  * Shows logs with **errors/warnings** during preview.
  * Automatically updates in real-time.
  * Button turns **red** if any issue is detected.
  * View the last 4 log messages directly.

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## **Important Notes**

* **Hidden pages** can still be forced into view for preview if chosen as the starting page.
* If using **web elements** with **interactivity enabled**, press **F12** to open the **Chromium browser debug tools**.\
  (Note: This is not supported for Internet Explorer engine).

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## **Summary of Shortcut Keys**

| Action                                    | Shortcut Key |
| ----------------------------------------- | ------------ |
| Start full presentation preview           | F2           |
| Open Chromium web debugger (for web elem) | F12          |