PowerPoint to Excel link issues

[Guest]

PowerPoint 2003 11.6361.6360 SP1
Excel 2003 11.6361.6360 SP1
Windows 2000 Pro

My company generates reports in PDF from MS-SQL Server. One of our clients
wanted the data put into a Powerpoint presentation. This consisted of 45
charts (80-120 slides). I spent weeks trying to get the data into Powerpoint
and the only thing that has come close is to import the data into an Excel
spreadsheet and then do links into Powerpoint. There are quite a few problems
that I have run into. Here are a few:

Instead of being able to take the data from Excel into a PP chart I need to
make a link to an Excel object which creates a PICTURE. Why can't I just send
the data over instead of having a picture of the cells? Since I don't want
boxes around text items I have to turn off the gridlines in Excel or they go
into PowerPoint along with the data.

I need a chart in excel for each graph in Powerpoint. When I try to put 2
linked charts on a Powerpoint slide and resize them, as soon as I add
another linked object all of the linked objects revert back to their original
size.

The above often happens when you update links.

Charts will often lose part of their content as if they have been visually
cropped.
The only way to fix them is to do an update link which will sometimes cause
all of the objects to revert back to their original size.

The only way around the resizing issue that I've found is to make the charts
a size which doesn't need to be resized in Powerpoint. Of course then if you
use a different size monitor, which is smaller than the size the Powerpoint
monitor was when the show was developed, the charts resize again.

With all of the above issues I can't help but feel that I'm missing
something but I can't fathom what. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

DLIE

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Never tenderize your desk with your head for more than an hour or so.
The continual thudding annoys your officemates.

Bring the problems here ... chances are somebody knows at least some of the
answers.

and the only thing that has come close is to import the data into an Excel
spreadsheet and then do links into Powerpoint. There are quite a few problems
that I have run into. Here are a few:

Instead of being able to take the data from Excel into a PP chart I need to
make a link to an Excel object which creates a PICTURE. Why can't I just send
the data over instead of having a picture of the cells? Since I don't want
boxes around text items I have to turn off the gridlines in Excel or they go
into PowerPoint along with the data.

I don't understand the question ... specifically whether you really do or don't
want a picture. If you don't, select the data in XL, copy, then Paste, Special,
Link into PPT. You'll still need to turn off gridlines in Excel.

I need a chart in excel for each graph in Powerpoint. When I try to put 2
linked charts on a Powerpoint slide and resize them, as soon as I add
another linked object all of the linked objects revert back to their original
size.

See this, PARTICULARLY the part about Automatic Layout. That's what's causing
this particular problem:

Do this before using PowerPoint seriously
http://www.rdpslides.com/pptfaq/FAQ00034.htm

Charts will often lose part of their content as if they have been visually
cropped.
The only way to fix them is to do an update link which will sometimes cause
all of the objects to revert back to their original size.

This may also be solved by disabling Autolayout. Not sure, but it's worth a
shot.

 

[Kurt]

Hi
Maybe www.take-off.as/datapoint could solve this problem.
Kurt.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Steve,

Since I work at home as much as possible to avoid annoying officemates I've
taken the precaution of a padded bandana.

No, I don't want pictures. I wish I could set up the charts totally in
PowerPoint and just import the data directly into the datasheets from Excel.
Since you seem to know what I need to know I have a couple of more questions.

When I try to work on charts in PP if I double click on a chart I get a pair
of dialogs asking for the office 2000 CD. I can continue to work by canceling
both of them but I'd really like to give PP whatever it's looking for so I
don't have to do the double cancel. We got a full update for Office to 2003
and I've tried to use those disks but it still wants the old 2000 CD. If I
try those it tells me that they're not the correct version. Any ideas here?

As far as the pasting of data using copy in XL, Paste, Special, Link that
appears to copy a picture. Still not clear on how to do just data.

Once again
THANKS!!!!

DLIE

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Since I work at home as much as possible to avoid annoying officemates I've

taken the precaution of a padded bandana.

I have a condition I call "comedic dyslexia" that caused that to render at first

No, I don't want pictures. I wish I could set up the charts totally in
PowerPoint and just import the data directly into the datasheets from Excel.

You can do that in a couple of ways:

1) Select the data in Excel and Ctrl+C to copy it. Switch to PPT, open the graph or
start a new one, click in the upper left corner of the graph's data sheet and Ctrl+V
to paste in the Excel data. If there's less XL data than the dummy data in the
graph's default datasheet you'll need to delete it, but otherwise, you're good to go.
It helps if you first format the data layout in XL to match the Graph datasheet.
You can also choose Edit, Paste Link if you want the data to be linked to the
original XL worksheet.

2) Start a new Graph in PPT, activate it, then choose Edit, Import File. You'll get
a dialog where you can choose the file, then you get to pick the worksheet and so on.

When I try to work on charts in PP if I double click on a chart I get a pair
of dialogs asking for the office 2000 CD. I can continue to work by canceling
both of them but I'd really like to give PP whatever it's looking for so I
don't have to do the double cancel. We got a full update for Office to 2003
and I've tried to use those disks but it still wants the old 2000 CD. If I
try those it tells me that they're not the correct version. Any ideas here?

Not offhand. People do run into this from time to time (happens on one of my
systems, but it's one with multiple "live" versions of Office that I use for
testing/support so I've elected just to live with it). I haven't seen any real
solutions to the problem. Try Help, Detect and Repair, though. That *might* do it.

If it really started to bug me, I'd probably uninstall Office, run a registry cleaner
for Office 2000 to get rid of any remains and then try installing 2003 from scratch
again. It'd have to bug me a LOT before I'd tackle this on a production machine,
though.

As far as the pasting of data using copy in XL, Paste, Special, Link that
appears to copy a picture. Still not clear on how to do just data.

OLE embedded or linked objects (which is what you're getting from Excel) include a
Windows Metafile (WMF) picture; that is in fact what you see. You can ungroup that
to convert to individual text and graphics objects that you can manipulate in PPT
directly if you like (but that tosses out the data behind the graph/table and any
connection to Excel)

 

[Guest]

I only use the padded banana when my wife decides to make bread...

I must say this has been one of the most enlightening and enjoyable
repartees I've had in a while with Microsoft. IMNSHO I hope they pay you
enough because you do deserve it.

Armed with my shiny new implements of destruction it's back into the fray
for me.

Thanks again!!!!!!

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I only use the padded banana when my wife decides to make bread...

Don't let her grab the bandana by mistake then ... crunchy crusts are one thing, but
texture can go TOO far.

I must say this has been one of the most enlightening and enjoyable
repartees I've had in a while with Microsoft. IMNSHO I hope they pay you
enough because you do deserve it.

We're all volunteers. MS doesn't pay us anything, but you just did. Thanks!
Glad to be able to help.