Removing Embedded WAV Files from Action Settings - Play sound

[joel]

In Action Settings - Play sound, you can import a sound from a wav file
(the function SoundEffect.ImportFrom File also does it).

I would like to be able to substitute a new wav file with the same name
and have the sound change.

However, these wav files seem to be embedded, and the embedding does
not seem to be sensitive to the file limit that controls embedding in
Insert Sound from File.

Any idea how i can

1. Delete a wav file from Action Settings - Play sound

2. Overwrite a wav file with the same name

3. Link the wav files in Action Settings - Play sound.

Thanks, Joel

 

[joel]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for your reply.

You said: Let's say you've assigned SoundA to a shape.
When you assign SoundB instead, A disappears.

Question: According to my experience, when you assign B, A doesn't
actually disappear, but remains in the Play sound list and can be
reassigned at a later time. That is also true if you assign two files
with the same file name. You see two entries with the same file name in
the Play sound list. I assume that means that both files are embedded.
Thus, if you load different sounds with the same file name many times,
the presentation will eventually get very big due to the accumulation
of embedded files. Is that right?

Thanks, Joel

 

[joel]

Hi Steve:

you suggested: You could experiment with linking directly to the sound
file (ie, make
Hyperlink To: your action setting)

I tried that and it worked like a charm. Only thing is, I get a
security message:
Opening filename.
Hyperlinks can be harmful... Do you want to continue?

Is there a setting can can prevent this message occurring?

Thanks, joel

 

[joel]

Hi Steve,

I am seeing it with PPT 2003 on my XP. I checked it again.

1. Right-click on clipart, Action Settings/Play sound/Other sound and
select A.wav from directory.
2. A.wav shows on Play sound list and plays during slide show
3. copy B.wav to A.wav in directory where B.wav is a different sound
from A.wav
4. repeat step 1
5 A.wav appears twice now on Play sound list. The one assigned in step
3 plays the new sound (the one copied from B) and the one assigned in
step 1 plays the original sound that was in A

Joel

 

[joel]

I see this in ppt 2003 on an xp

 

[joel]

Hi Steve,

You said: OK, I see the problem ... my embed level settings were
allowing the files to be
linked instead of embedded. With embedding forced, I'm seeing the same
as
you're seeing.

How did you get those files to link? I tried to adjust the
Tools/Options/General/Link sounds... option but I couldn't get the
files to link. That is what I really wanted to do!


You said: BUT
if you delete the shapes with sounds and save the presentation, the
sounds
disappear from the list. PPT only cleans out the un-necessary stuff on
save
(and you may need to have Fast Saves disabled in order for that to
happen, but
you shouldn't enable Fast Saves in any case.)

I would think that deleting the shapes to get rid of the sounds would
be like throwing the baby out with the wash!


Thanks, Joel

 

[joel]

HI Steve,

I see that now, the save gets rid of the wav file not selected. I
guess that means you can have at most one additional sound based on a
wav file in the Play Sound list.

Thanks a lot for for your help.

Regards, Joel

 

[joel]

HI Steve,

Ok, I understand. Perhaps that idea could also be used for storing
sounds in a PowerPoint macro or add-in.

Thanks, joel