Automatic generation of template files

[Nathan_Ekstrom]

I have 1,000 images that each need to be set as a background image for a Word
template file probably as a watermark or background image. Is there a way I
can do this programmatically instead of doing each on by hand?

 

[Helmut Weber]

Hi Nathan,

I have 1,000 images that each need to be set as a background image for a Word
template file probably as a watermark or background image. Is there a way I
can do this programmatically instead of doing each on by hand?

Yes, in theory.
In reality, IMHO, this would require a lot of testing
and error-handling. The problem isn't so much
how to do it, but what to do, if an error occurs.
And there may be lots of different erros.

Do You really want to create 1000 different templates,
each with a different picture as watermark?

Do you have a list with the names of the 1000 pictures?
Without typos, of course.
What names should the templates have?

 

[Jonathan West]

I have 1,000 images that each need to be set as a background image for a
Word
template file probably as a watermark or background image. Is there a way
I
can do this programmatically instead of doing each on by hand?

I would take a different approach. Have a single template file, and have a
macro that displays the Insert Picture dialog when the user creates a new
document based on the template, and the user then gets to choose which of
the 1000 images he will use for that particular document. Then the code can
insert the image behind text in the header so that it appears on every page.


--
Regards
Jonathan West - Word MVP
www.intelligentdocuments.co.uk
Please reply to the newsgroup
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[Nathan_Ekstrom]

Hi Nathan,


Yes, in theory.
In reality, IMHO, this would require a lot of testing
and error-handling. The problem isn't so much
how to do it, but what to do, if an error occurs.
And there may be lots of different erros.

Do You really want to create 1000 different templates,
each with a different picture as watermark?

My company is basically creating online stationary. You come to our site
and either pay a subscription or buy a specific stationary page. So yes I
need 1,000 different files. I already have all of the images and could just
sell those but we would prefer to provide a word template file for people to
download so they didn't have to do it themselves.

I don't really care if the image is set as the watermark or as the
background. I just noticed in my personal testing that it gets sized better
as a watermark. If you know how to size the background image that would be
great also.

Do you have a list with the names of the 1000 pictures?
Without typos, of course.
What names should the templates have?

I can generate a list of input and output filenames without any difficulty
and without typos. The name of the templat file would just be the same as
the image except with .dot on the end instead of .jpg. Thanks for any help
and thanks for replying.

 

[Nathan_Ekstrom]

I would take a different approach. Have a single template file, and have a
macro that displays the Insert Picture dialog when the user creates a new
document based on the template, and the user then gets to choose which of
the 1000 images he will use for that particular document. Then the code can
insert the image behind text in the header so that it appears on every page.

Thanks for the reply but sadly that won't work for us because we will be
selling each template file individually so the users won't actually have the
pictures handy. Instead they will be able to download them off of our site
and put them into their documents instead of buying fancy stationary paper.
We would prefer to provide them template files however instead of forcing
them to download and set the picture themselves.

 

[Helmut Weber]

Hi Nathan,

for creating x dots from x jpgs,
where all jpgs are in the same folder,
and all the dots in another folder:

Sub Test0796()
Dim sPth As String ' Source Path
Dim tPth As String ' Target Path
Dim sFil As String ' Source File
Dim tFil As String ' Target File
sPth = "c:\test\jpg\"
tPth = "c:\test\dot\"
sFil = Dir(sPth & "*.jpg", vbNormal)
While sFil <> ""
tFil = sFil
tFil = left(tFil, Len(tFil) - 3)
tFil = tFil & "dot"
With ActiveDocument.Sections(1).Headers(wdHeaderFooterPrimary)
.Shapes.AddPicture _
FileName:=sPth & sFil, _
LinkToFile:=False, _
SaveWithDocument:=True
End With
ActiveDocument.SaveAs tPth & tFil
sFil = Dir
Wend

End Sub

If you know how to size the background image
that would be great also.

Sizing is not a problem, but to what values?

Like, add these lines:

.Shapes(1).LockAspectRatio = msoFalse
.Shapes(1).Height = CentimetersToPoints(25)
' etc


Analyzing the jpg beforehand
and acting according to the results
would be a not too small project, if possible at all.

If the picture is too small, how to enlarge?
What about distortion? etc....


--
Greetings from Bavaria, Germany

Helmut Weber, MVP WordVBA

Win XP, Office 2003
"red.sys" & Chr$(64) & "t-online.de"

 

[Nathan_Ekstrom]

Hi Nathan,

for creating x dots from x jpgs,
where all jpgs are in the same folder,
and all the dots in another folder:

Sub Test0796()
Dim sPth As String ' Source Path
Dim tPth As String ' Target Path
Dim sFil As String ' Source File
Dim tFil As String ' Target File
sPth = "c:\test\jpg\"
tPth = "c:\test\dot\"
sFil = Dir(sPth & "*.jpg", vbNormal)
While sFil <> ""
tFil = sFil
tFil = left(tFil, Len(tFil) - 3)
tFil = tFil & "dot"
With ActiveDocument.Sections(1).Headers(wdHeaderFooterPrimary)
.Shapes.AddPicture _
FileName:=sPth & sFil, _
LinkToFile:=False, _
SaveWithDocument:=True
End With
ActiveDocument.SaveAs tPth & tFil
sFil = Dir
Wend

End Sub


Sizing is not a problem, but to what values?

Like, add these lines:

.Shapes(1).LockAspectRatio = msoFalse
.Shapes(1).Height = CentimetersToPoints(25)
' etc


Analyzing the jpg beforehand
and acting according to the results
would be a not too small project, if possible at all.

If the picture is too small, how to enlarge?
What about distortion? etc....


--
Greetings from Bavaria, Germany

Helmut Weber, MVP WordVBA

Win XP, Office 2003
"red.sys" & Chr$(64) & "t-online.de"

Thanks for your help. Thankfully all of the pictures are the same size.
One more question though. I'm assuming the code is a VB script. Can I just
create it in the Visual Basic Editor and run it? Or do I do something else?
Thanks again for your help.

Nathan

 

[Nathan_Ekstrom]

Thanks for your help. Thankfully all of the pictures are the same size.
One more question though. I'm assuming the code is a VB script. Can I just
create it in the Visual Basic Editor and run it? Or do I do something else?
Thanks again for your help.

Nathan

Yep that seems to work. I just run it in the VB editor in word. Thanks
again Helmut.

Nathan

 

[Nathan_Ekstrom]

Yep that seems to work. I just run it in the VB editor in word. Thanks
again Helmut.

Nathan

I've run into another problem. I need the images to fill the enire page.
They are sized to 8.5x11 inches with 200x200 dpi so they should fit right, at
least in the US. Currently the script has the image scaled down to fit in
the margins. How do I make it fill the entire page?

Nathan

 

[Helmut Weber]

Hi Nathan,

software development is a process of trial and error.
More or less, of course.

With starting from a blank document,
inserting a picture,
saving as,
and repeating all,
a new picture would be _added_ to the header
with each run.

So deleting the inserted picture is an essential step,
which I didn't think of, at first.

Have a close look at the section,
which sizes and places the picture.

This one seems to work quite right.

Though I'd strongly advise,
not to try to create all 1000 dots in one go.

Sub Test0796()

Dim sPth As String ' Source Path
Dim tPth As String ' Target Path
Dim sFil As String ' Source File
Dim tFil As String ' Target File
sPth = "c:\test\jpg\"
tPth = "c:\test\dot\"
sFil = Dir(sPth & "*.jpg", vbNormal)
While sFil <> ""
tFil = sFil
tFil = Left(tFil, Len(tFil) - 3)
tFil = tFil & "dot"
With ActiveDocument.Sections(1).Headers(wdHeaderFooterPrimary)
.Shapes.AddPicture _
FileName:=sPth & sFil, _
LinkToFile:=False, _
SaveWithDocument:=True
.Shapes(1).LockAspectRatio = msoFalse
.Shapes(1).RelativeHorizontalPosition =
wdRelativeHorizontalPositionPage
.Shapes(1).RelativeVerticalPosition =
wdRelativeVerticalPositionPage
.Shapes(1).Height = InchesToPoints(11)
.Shapes(1).Width = InchesToPoints(8.5)
.Shapes(1).Top = InchesToPoints(0)
.Shapes(1).Left = InchesToPoints(0)
ActiveDocument.SaveAs tPth & tFil
.Shapes(1).Delete
End With
sFil = Dir
Wend

End Sub

Beware of linebrakes by the newsreader.

HTH

--
Greetings from Bavaria, Germany

Helmut Weber, MVP WordVBA

Win XP, Office 2003
"red.sys" & Chr$(64) & "t-online.de"

 

[Helmut Weber]

hmm...

to define the filetype,
seems like a good idea, too.

Like:

ActiveDocument.SaveAs _
FileName:= StringVariable, _
FileFormat:=wdFormatTemplate

Helmut Weber