Link PowerPoint Slides in Word

[Grip]

Hi,

We are using PowerPoint for storyboarding and Word to do the narration
and programmers notes.

Currently this is how we do it:
1. In Word doc, put a 3 column table
2. Create Multiple Powerpoint files - one for each storyboard
[StoryboardXX.ppt]
3. In first column, first row, Insert > Object > Create from File >
Link to File > [Storyboard01.ppt]
4. Repeat Step 3 for each row (actually, I just ALT+F9 and
copy/paste/edit the field codes.

What we get is one MSWord file and way too many PowerPoint files.

Instead, what I want to do for Step 3 is link to a specific slide in
one PowerPoint (eg. StoryboardAll.ppt)

Here is the field code text:

{LINK PowerPoint.Show.8 "C:\\storyboard.ppt" "" \a \f 0 \p }

Now, if I were linking to an Excel Spreadsheet, in the second set of ""
(aka PlaceReference) I could add a sheet reference. However, although
all the slides in PowerPoint are numbered, I can't seem to add a
PlaceReference to a slide.

I tried things like:
{LINK PowerPoint.Show.8 "C:\\storyboard.ppt" "2" \a \f 0 \p }
{LINK PowerPoint.Show.8 "C:\\storyboard.ppt" "slide2" \a \f 0 \p }

Is there anyway I can get this to work?

Thanks,
Colin

 

[Grip]

Hi again,

Ok, I seem to have answered my own question by looking a little
further. I have discovered that if you copy/paste the slide from the
slide sorter (using Paste Special > Paste Link in Word) you can link to
a specific slide, the link text looks like:

{LINK PowerPoint.Show.8 "C:\\storyboard.ppt" "268" \a \f 0 \p }

Now the hard questions --
1. Where does that "268" name for the slide come from?
2. Is this a stable reference (i.e. if I move the slide in the sorter,
does the slide's name change?)
-- my initial tests suggest that it is stable, I can move the slide
around and it keeps its PlaceReference name.
3. Is there an easy way to divine the PlaceReference number (e.g.
"268") in PowerPoint, so I can just copy/paste/edit field codes, rather
than going through all that extra work of Paste Special ...?
4. Is there anything else I should know before keeping on this road?

Thanks,
Colin

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Hi again,

Ok, I seem to have answered my own question by looking a little
further. I have discovered that if you copy/paste the slide from the
slide sorter (using Paste Special > Paste Link in Word) you can link to
a specific slide, the link text looks like:

{LINK PowerPoint.Show.8 "C:\\storyboard.ppt" "268" \a \f 0 \p }

Now the hard questions --
1. Where does that "268" name for the slide come from?

Most likely it's the SlideID, a number assigned by PowerPoint when the slide is
created. If there are fewer than 268 slides in the presentation, it's almost a
sure thing that this is what it is.

2. Is this a stable reference (i.e. if I move the slide in the sorter,
does the slide's name change?)

The slide's SlideID doesn't change when you reorganize slides (and in fact
there's no way for you to change the ID of a slide within a given
presentation). The slide's name is a different property; that can change but
it shouldn't be a concern in this situation. "268" is not its name.

3. Is there an easy way to divine the PlaceReference number (e.g.
"268") in PowerPoint, so I can just copy/paste/edit field codes, rather
than going through all that extra work of Paste Special ...?

You could run a little bit of VBA macro code:

Sub ID_ME()
Dim oSl As Slide
For Each oSl In ActivePresentation.Slides
Debug.Print "Slide #: " _
& CStr(oSl.SlideIndex) _
& vbTab _
& "ID: " & CStr(oSl.SlideID)
Next
End Sub

That'll give you a result like this in the immediate window (Ctrl+G toggles it
on and off):

Slide #: 1 ID: 256
Slide #: 2 ID: 261
Slide #: 3 ID: 258
Slide #: 4 ID: 259
Slide #: 5 ID: 260
Slide #: 6 ID: 257

You can copy it from there to a notepad doc or other convenient place.
Temporarily into your Word doc, for that matter.

 

[Grip]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the advice. I don't mean to sound dense, but I'm not sure
how to use the VB code you clipped in.

I opened a presentation, then went into the Tools>Macro>Visual Basic
Editor, then Insert>Module and copied the code in.

Then I go to Tools>Macro>Macros...>Run - but I get nothing.

What am I missing?

Tx.
Colin

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the advice. I don't mean to sound dense, but I'm not sure
how to use the VB code you clipped in.

I opened a presentation, then went into the Tools>Macro>Visual Basic
Editor, then Insert>Module and copied the code in.

Then I go to Tools>Macro>Macros...>Run - but I get nothing.

What am I missing?

Hm. Try making the presentation you want to work on the active one, then do
Alt+F11 to get into the VBA editor, put your cursor anywhere in the code and
press F5 to run it.