Breaking links in Power Point

[Frustrated Power Point User]

Hi -

I am trying to write a macro that will break the links between PP Graphs and
excel. I have been going in and manually breaking them but there has to be a
better way. I have seen the macro to break OLE links but it doesn's work
becasue these are actaully graphs built in power point. Can someone help me -
I have tried to trace a macro but I read somewhere that the macro recorder
doesn't record changes to the link dialog box. Thanks in advance for the
help!

Mary

 

[Glen (TD DTP)]

I was going to sugest a macro which copies and pasts all linked objects,
however I came across this... works fantastically

http://skp.mvps.org/ppt00047.htm

---------------------------------------------------------------------
' Copyright ©1999-2007, Shyam Pillai, All Rights Reserved.
' ---------------------------------------------------------------------
' You are free to use this code within your own applications, add-ins,
' documents etc but you are expressly forbidden from selling or
' otherwise distributing this source code without prior consent.
' This includes both posting free demo projects made from this
' code as well as reproducing the code in text or html format.
' ---------------------------------------------------------------------

Sub BreakLinks()
Dim oSld As Slide
Dim oShp As Shape
Dim oCmdButton As CommandBarButton
Set oCmdButton = CommandBars("Standard").Controls.Add(ID:=2956)
ActiveWindow.ViewType = ppViewSlide
For Each oSld In ActivePresentation.Slides
For Each oShp In oSld.Shapes
If oShp.Type = msoLinkedOLEObject Then
ActiveWindow.View.GotoSlide oSld.SlideIndex
oShp.Select
Application.CommandBars.FindControl(ID:=2956).Execute
' Do not forget to add this line else you will get erratic
' results since the code execution does not halt while menu
' command is executed hence we have to let the execution
' complete before proceeding.
DoEvents
End If
Next oShp
Next oSld
oCmdButton.Delete
End Sub

Good luck

 

[Frustrated Power Point User]

Hi Glen -

Thanks so much for you response. Unfortuntely the macro doesn't work
because my charts are in Power Point that is linked to an excel file. I saw
a previous post on this site at:


http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...&p=1&tid=1ef8d751-12c8-4f54-9b7f-cd8f15a0dafb

and the response than was that this could not be done through a macro. I
was hoping that since this thread was written that some user might have
figured it out or came up with a work around. The option of ungrouping then
regrouping the charts will not work for me becasue I need to send the data
out in a chart format.

Thanks again for your response - it is helpful to break links but just not
for my scenario. If you come up with something else I am all ears.

Thanks again,
Mary

 

[Glen (TD DTP)]

What is you where to repaste each item as an emf metafile. Would that not
break the link.
You can get a macro for that.

 

[Frustrated Power Point User]

Hi Glen -

That sounds like a great solution although I am not familiar with emf
metafile but will do some research now ... you don't happen to have an
example macro handy?

Thanks so much for you help!

Mary

 

[Frustrated Power Point User]

Hi Steve -

I ran the macro and it works great but I can't use the solution becasue my
users still want to see the charts as graphs (not pictures) in Power Point.
This macro converts them from graphs so akthough this is a handy litle macto
it won't work for me. I have about 50 pages of charts and before I send
them out I have been going in and breaking the links - the power point charts
are linked over to excel. Our users like having the charts in Power Point so
my options are limited. I could break the links and find a macro that
updates the data from excel to power point but with so many charts and charts
moving all the time that may not be optimal either.

Let me know if you think of anything else and THANK YOU for your help!

Mary

 

[Frustrated Power Point User]

Hi Steve -

These are Power Point charts and the data in the datasheet is linked over to
excel (edit and than paste link when you are in the datasheet). When I
double click on the charts the Link Dialogue box comes up and I hit the Break
Link button. The chart still remains intact - it just the link is broken.
This action does not convert the graphs to pictures. The reason we have been
asked to break the links in the chart is if people copy the chart and change
the data the link overwrites the changes they have made and it gets
frustrating for them. It just going into each chart on 50 pages, double
clicking on each chart to break the link is such a manual process that I was
hoping I could streamline. The EmbedLinked Charts macro won't work becasue
therse are actually Power Point charts.

Is my issue clear? Let me know if you have any other thoughts and once
again THANK YOU for your help.

The other issue I was having with these Power Point charts was that although
you select update links when you open the file - the actual charts don't
update until you double click on them. Your fellow MVP Phyllis provided the
Update Graph add on that works great for this issue.

THANKS AGAIN!!

I ran the macro and it works great but I can't use the solution becasue my
users still want to see the charts as graphs (not pictures) in Power Point.

Ah. In that case, you're getting the right answer but asking the wrong question.
Breaking links to charts turns them into pictures.

This macro converts them from graphs so akthough this is a handy litle macto
it won't work for me. I have about 50 pages of charts and before I send
them out I have been going in and breaking the links - the power point charts
are linked over to excel.

And what happens when you double click them after doing this?
Here, I get a picture formatting dialog box.

It sounds like what you want is to convert the linked charts to embedded ones,
not just break the links. Is that about right?

Give this a try instead. A bit crude but it might do the job for you.

Convert linked Excel charts to embedded Excel charts
http://www.pptfaq.com/FAQ00935.htm

 

[Frustrated Power Point User]

Hi Steve -

Thanks for the feedback - it's not what I wanted to hear but at least I know
now there isn't an easier way to do it so I'll just have to grin and bear it


Thanks so much for all your input!!!!

Mary