linked vs. embedded images

G

Giuseppe Bertini

Hello,

there is something misterious to me about the way PP
handles linked images.
When inserting into a slide a bitmap image from a file,
you are given the option to either embed the image or
create a link to the file. I like links for two reasons.
First, because I want to be able to modify the source file
and have the changes reflected in the presentation without
having to reinsert them. Second, because my ppt files are
much lighter that way.

At times, however, I would need to be able to break a
previously established link and have the image embedded in
the presentation, instead.

Unfortunately, PP does not seem to treat linked images the
same way it does other linked objects (e.g., an Excel
chart). For one thing, linked images do not appear in
the "Edit->Links..." dialog.

This is particularly surprising, considering that if I
open the same PP-generated presentation in OpenOffice
(v.1.1.0), linked images DO show up under the
equivalent "Links..." dialog! In OO, links to image files
can be updated, edited, or broken.

As far as I can tell, however, there is no way to tell PP
to manually update, to modify the location of the source
file, or to break a link and place the corresponding image
into the presentation file itself.

I'd love to find out that I'm wrong. Any ideas?

Thank you all,
Giuseppe
 
G

Giuseppe

Hi, thanks for your prompt reply.

I had actually already tried to come up with a VBA
workaround for turning a liked image into an embedded one.

I started writing a small script that looks for linked
images, retrieves their source path/file name, inserts the
corresponding bitmap at the same location of the linked
object, which is then deleted.

I thought I had succeeded applying all of the linked
image's properties (size, position, z-order, etc.) to the
newly embedded one, until I found out that the animation
effects cannot be properly transfered.

The AnimationSettings object that supposedly contains all
the information about animation effects applied to a shape
is, I believe, outdated.

In particular, it seems to me that this object does not
include Office-XP-specific properties. In PP-XP, in fact,
multiple animation effects can be applied to a single
shape. For example, an oval can be made to appear, then
move along a path, then blink, then fade away.

On the other hand, the AnimationSettings object (a child
of the shape object) appears to have been designed to
handle only one animation effect, consistent with Office
2000's limitation.

Thus, if I apply 2 or more animation effects to a shape,
then query its AnimationSettings object, I only get
information on the first effect to appear in chronological
order.

Maybe I am missing something, or maybe different libraries
exist that allow one to programmatically add and retrieve
multiple animation effects for any given shape object. Any
help on this matter would be much appreciated!

Giuseppe
 
T

Troy @ TLC Creative

Check out Corporate Imaging's EFFECT LIBRARY and IMPORT/EXPORT add-ins. I
live by their ability to preserve animations, copy animations to other
objects and update images without loosing their animation settings
(including multiple animations applied to one object).
--
Best Regards,
Troy Chollar
==============================
TLC Creative Services, inc.
www.tlccreative.com
==============================
 
J

John Langhans [MSFT]

Hello Giuseppe,

PowerPoint does not have the specific capability that you are looking for
although, as others have shown, there are 3rd party solutions and VBA
workarounds.

If you (or anyone else reading this message) think that PowerPoint should
provide link/content management for more than just OLE linked objects
(without have to resort to VBA or 3rd party add-ins), don't forget to send
your feedback to Microsoft at:

http://register.microsoft.com/mswish/suggestion.asp

As with all product suggestions, it's important that you not just state
your wish but also why it is important to you that your product suggestion
be implemented by Microsoft. Microsoft receives thousands of product
suggestions every day and we read each one but, in any given product
development cycle, there are only sufficient resources to address the ones
that are most important to our customers so take the extra time to state
your case as clearly and completely as possible.

IMPORTANT: Each submission should be a single suggestion (not a list of
suggestions)

John Langhans

Supportability Program Manager
Microsoft Office PowerPoint for Windows
Microsoft Office Picture Manager for Windows

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

Use of any included script samples are subject to the terms specified at
http://www.microsoft.com/info/cpyright.htm
 

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