Insert Picture as Link etc. in Word 2007

[Peter Jamieson]

Can someone please confirm/deny that in Word 2007, when you
a. Insert|Picture and select your picture then
b. choose Link to file or Insert and Link

Word actually just inserts the picture without any form of linking?

(It used to insert an INCLUDEPICTURE field, at least, with the configuraiton
options I generally use - the "create drawing canvas..." option used to
affect some stuff but I don't think it affected this).

If this is so, is there actually any difference between the behaviour of the
3 insert options (Insert, Link to file, Insert and Link?)

FWIW I ask because using the link option used to be a convenient way of
inserting an INCLUDEPICTURE field with the correct path name to the image -
you can still insert the field manually, but not appaarently using this
mechanism.

Thanks,

Peter Jamieson

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I don't have Word 2007 installed, so I can't check this, but it might be
worth noting that in earlier versions you aren't able to see the
IncludePicture field code unless the picture is In Line With Text. Wrapped
graphics can't be toggled with Alt+F9. Could that be responsible for what
you're seeing?

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Thanks Suzanne.

I don't think so. I did try that, and even when the picture is inline it is
still just a picture.

I also did some experiments using Copy|Paste Special as well and
interestingly enough there were no paste link options in that case either.

I assume this is because the graphics stuff in Word has been re-worked in
this version, but I suppose what I'm saying is that there are now some
useless artefacts in the UI.

Peter Jamieson

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I would be very surprised if the result is as you say, but who knows?
Perhaps Bob Buckland will chime in with the answer.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Hi Suzanne,

I would be very surprised if the result is as you say, but who knows?

Indeed. Who's a regular poster in this NG who's a Word graphics person with
Word 2007? (as it happens I'm using it on Windows Vista 64-bit at the
moment - shouldn't be relevant but of course it might be).

Peter Jamieson

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If Bob doesn't know the answer, I doubt that anyone does.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

HI Bob & Suzanne,

Thanks for having a look, Bob.

Unless someone comes up with something else, maybe that's as far as we can
take it here.

Unfortunately I don't have anything other than the routine utility
graphics apps that come with Vista & Office 2007 (no Photoshop, etc.) on
the 2007 system, so I can't be sure. However if I open an image in Paint
or one of the others & copy it the Link option is dimmed in Word's Paste
Special dialog & the only "Type" available in many instances is simply
Files.

This promises to be an interesting version!

Don't they all?

I suppose the key things in a case like this are
a. "who cares?"
b. "should it be this way" (e.g. is it an utterly trivial mistake that
might be fixed in a patch or an SP, or should vestigial U.I. be withdrawn in
favour of "this is "as desiigned" and "how it's going to be from now on"
c. what should "the documentation" say, and where? (from the "Word FIELD"
point of view, I've been pretty shocked by the online coverage so far.
It's...not good)

(Sorry, can't think beyond that right now!)

Peter Jamieson

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Peter & Suzanne -

I'm certainly not in Buckland's league, but I can confirm that there doesn't
_appear_ to be an IncludePicture field created using the Insert>Picture
method. If there is, Alt+F9 doesn't display it & I have confirmed that the
keystroke does still do as in the past for any other types of fields. This
is the case regardless of whether the picture is In Line or wrapped. If you
insert an IncludePicture field manually it does display with Alt+F9.

It also appears that there is no Paste Special-Link option available when
dealing with pictures. Unfortunately I don't have anything other than the
routine utility graphics apps that come with Vista & Office 2007 (no
Photoshop, etc.) on the 2007 system, so I can't be sure. However if I open
an image in Paint or one of the others & copy it the Link option is dimmed
in Word's Paste Special dialog & the only "Type" available in many instances
is simply Files.

This promises to be an interesting version!

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Peter,

The 'Office' graphics layer has sort of been there in the background before, but with the v2 Escher engine it's come more to the
front of the handling of graphics within the Office apps. I suppose that's to move toward more 'feels the same' capability within
the graphics apps.

When, in Word 2007, you're using Insert=>Picture to pull in a picture from File the picture is 'handed off' to the Escher 2 (Office
graphics engine). Putting pictures in that environment would be similar to the handling of an Includepicture (linked) graphic when
it's wrapped. (i.e. the link is still 'there' but not visible in the UI through Alt+F9. Even Word is handling the text wrapping of
the graphic as 'inline with text' there's an Office graphics wrapper around the picture & field. If you use File=>Save As to save
to a Word 97-2003 document the Office Graphics wrapper is lowered and you should see the IncludePicture links for inline graphics
(although you may also see some in the {Shape \* MERGEFORMAT} choice depending on what manipulations were done on the the graphic
before the downversion save. (Note that if you use a Word 2007 picture content control and insert a link into the control, the
includepicture link will take its place when saved as downversion document.


As with Word 2003, where a picture inserted in a document then cut won't give an option to paste as a link back into the document
(i.e. the 'Paste as Link' choice is greyed out in Edit=>Paste Special, the same basic effect happens when copying a
Microsoft Office [2007] Graphic Object to the clipboard.

In Word 2007 the links are still listed in the equivalent of Word 2003's Edit=>Link (Office Button=>Prepare=>Edit Link to Files) and
Include picture is still available.

I have an IncludePicture field saved as a quickpart that I use to change pictures in and out if I want to use the 'old' graphics
handling in a .docx document.
[side note: IncludePicture has two new switches \x & \y listed for horizontal and vertical sizing holds]

Programatically I'm guessing that there's access to both the old and new through that path and that might be used to 'switch things'
back and forth as needed on a random basis.

=================
HI Bob & Suzanne,

Thanks for having a look, Bob.

Unless someone comes up with something else, maybe that's as far as we can
take it here.
Don't they all?

I suppose the key things in a case like this are
a. "who cares?"
b. "should it be this way" (e.g. is it an utterly trivial mistake that
might be fixed in a patch or an SP, or should vestigial U.I. be withdrawn in
favour of "this is "as desiigned" and "how it's going to be from now on"
c. what should "the documentation" say, and where? (from the "Word FIELD"
point of view, I've been pretty shocked by the online coverage so far.
It's...not good)

(Sorry, can't think beyond that right now!)

Peter Jamieson >>
--

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the explanation. I see what happens when you save as Word
97/2003. The quickpart idea should also be useful.

I don't actually need to know this for my current purpose, but in what sense
is the picture in the 2007 version of the document actually "linked" to the
original image. If, for example, I insert an image "myimage.jpg" as a link,
save and close the document, rename the image and rename another image in
the same folder to "myimage.jpg", then re-open the document, I don't see the
updated image. I don't in the Word 97 version either, but selecting the
picture and pressing F9 gives me that there. Is there an equivalent "update
the picture" in 2007 or does it simply not work that way? -i.e. is the link
stuff there purely to support older versions, and has this automatic update
stuff been removed (perhaps for the same security reasons that the changes
were made to INCLUDE-type field handling a few years ago)?

Peter Jamieson

Hi Peter,

The 'Office' graphics layer has sort of been there in the background
before, but with the v2 Escher engine it's come more to the
front of the handling of graphics within the Office apps. I suppose
that's to move toward more 'feels the same' capability within
the graphics apps.

When, in Word 2007, you're using Insert=>Picture to pull in a picture from
File the picture is 'handed off' to the Escher 2 (Office
graphics engine). Putting pictures in that environment would be similar
to the handling of an Includepicture (linked) graphic when
it's wrapped. (i.e. the link is still 'there' but not visible in the UI
through Alt+F9. Even Word is handling the text wrapping of
the graphic as 'inline with text' there's an Office graphics wrapper
around the picture & field. If you use File=>Save As to save
to a Word 97-2003 document the Office Graphics wrapper is lowered and you
should see the IncludePicture links for inline graphics
(although you may also see some in the {Shape \* MERGEFORMAT} choice
depending on what manipulations were done on the the graphic
before the downversion save. (Note that if you use a Word 2007 picture
content control and insert a link into the control, the
includepicture link will take its place when saved as downversion
document.


As with Word 2003, where a picture inserted in a document then cut won't
give an option to paste as a link back into the document
(i.e. the 'Paste as Link' choice is greyed out in Edit=>Paste Special, the
same basic effect happens when copying a
Microsoft Office [2007] Graphic Object to the clipboard.

In Word 2007 the links are still listed in the equivalent of Word 2003's
Edit=>Link (Office Button=>Prepare=>Edit Link to Files) and
Include picture is still available.

I have an IncludePicture field saved as a quickpart that I use to change
pictures in and out if I want to use the 'old' graphics
handling in a .docx document.
[side note: IncludePicture has two new switches \x & \y listed for
horizontal and vertical sizing holds]

Programatically I'm guessing that there's access to both the old and new
through that path and that might be used to 'switch things'
back and forth as needed on a random basis.

=================
HI Bob & Suzanne,

Thanks for having a look, Bob.

Unless someone comes up with something else, maybe that's as far as we can
take it here.
Don't they all?

I suppose the key things in a case like this are
a. "who cares?"
b. "should it be this way" (e.g. is it an utterly trivial mistake that
might be fixed in a patch or an SP, or should vestigial U.I. be withdrawn
in
favour of "this is "as desiigned" and "how it's going to be from now on"
c. what should "the documentation" say, and where? (from the "Word FIELD"
point of view, I've been pretty shocked by the online coverage so far.
It's...not good)

(Sorry, can't think beyond that right now!)

Peter Jamieson >>
--

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*