Instructions for InsertPicturePPTX PowerPoint Add-in

The add-in will work fine in any file location, but the recommended location is the Add-Ins folder within the Microsoft Office 2004 directory. The PowerPoint 2004 version of the add-in file name is InsertPicturePPTX062104.ppa.

Use the Add-Ins folder within the corresponding Office directory for older versions of Office if you are using InsertPicturePPTX050204.ppa for PowerPoint v.X and 2001.

Memory management

Because you will be adding pictures to PowerPoint, it is important that you pay attention to image file sizes. With each picture you add to a presentation the file size and memory size of the presentation grows by the size of the added picture. MacOSX manages memory for you. It is possible to make PowerPoint presentations that are very large using this add-in. If you are using Mac OS9 then you must adjust PowerPointÕs preferred memory settings using FinderÕs GetInfo feature.

 

Pictures that have 72dpi (dots per inch) display well on screen, but if you want high quality for printing or enlarging use pictures that are 300 dpi or higher.

Activation

To activate the add-in:

  1. Open PowerPoint
  2. From the Tools menu choose Add-Ins
  3. Click ADD
  4. Navigate to the fileÕs location (see picture)
  5. Select InsertPicturePPTX062104.ppa
  6. Click OPEN
  7. Click ENABLE MACROS (if prompted)
  8. Click OK

 

You should immediately see a new small three-button toolbar appear. This toolbar is the add-in.

Deactivation

To remove the add-in

  1. Open PowerPoint
  2. From the Tools menu choose Add-Ins
  3. Select the Add-in
  4. Click REMOVE
  5. Click OK

 

To completely remove the add-in from your computer, drag the add-inÕs file to the trash, and then empty the trash. The add-in consists of a single file.

Privacy

InsertPicturePPTX062104.ppa does not use the internet nor does it create or transmit any information to anyone. The only files it makes are PowerPoint presentations that contain the pictures you select. The add-in does not create preference files.

Three Ways to Use this Add-In

  1. Import pictures using a Scanner
  2. Import pictures one at a time
  3. Import all the pictures in a folder all at once (Bulk Import)

Using InsertPicturePPTX062104.ppa add-in with a Scanner

This feature works if your computer has a scanner (or any other image generating device thatÕs driver enabled such as an all-in-one machine or scanner-copier).  Please be sure that the scanner is plugged in and turned on.

 

Click the Camera button. A new, blank Presentation file is created and the PROPERTIES window for this presentation is displayed. This window has several tabs to let you enter and organize information about the pictures you are about to insert.  Entering information is optional. Click OK when you have finished with the PROPERTIES window.

 

The next screen allows you to select an input device. If you have more than one scanner or input device you can choose from all available devices by selecting a device from the list displayed next to ÒDevice.Ó

Click ACQUIRE to activate the selected device. This screen will look different from this picture but should have similar wording.

 

At this point the add-in turns control of your computer over to the scannerÕs driver. Follow the instructions provided by the scannerÕs imaging software to generate an image to insert into PowerPoint.

 

When the image is sent to PowerPoint from the scannerÕs software, the CONTINUE window appears to let you know that PowerPoint-in is back in control. Click ÒClick Here to Continue.Ó

 

The InsertPicturePPTX menu screen will then be displayed.

This menu is explained in detail below. Click here for further instructions..

 

Using InsertPicturePPTX062104.ppa to import pictures one at a time

You can use this feature to insert pictures from any volume or folder that is on your computer. If you have a digital camera that attaches via USB or FireWire and it mounts a volume to your desktop you can insert directly from the camera.

 

Click the rainbow Iris button to make a new blank Presentation. The new presentationÕs PROPERTIES window is displayed. This window has several tabs to let you enter and organize information about the pictures you are about to insert.  Click OK when you have finished with the PROPERTIES window.

 

The next window that will appear is the CHOOSE A PICTURE dialog box. This is the standard Apple Macintosh dialog box that is used for navigating to the files and folders that have the pictures you wish to insert.

 

This dialog offers the option to LINK TO FILE. If you check LINK TO FILE the pictures inserted will not be saved with the presentation. PowerPoint will display the pictures, but the PresentationÕs file size will not grow larger with each added picture. Instead, PowerPoint will create a link to the picture and use the picture file when the presentation is run. The downside to not saving pictures in the document is that if you change the directory path in any way (for example, if you move the presentation to a new folder, move any picture, or move to a different disk, volume or hard drive) then you will break the links and PowerPoint will be unable to display the pictures. If you choose LINK TO FILE the pictures and the presentation must be saved in the same folder at the same directory level and that all pictures be in that one single folder before you link to them.

 

LINK TO FILE works well with PowerPointÕs SAVE AS POWERPOINT PACKAGE. Be sure to distribute the entire package folder, not just its contents. Add the file extension .ppt to the presentationÕs file name if you plan to distribute the package to users of Microsoft Windows. Most users should NOT use LINK TO FILE, as the links break easily.

 

By default LINK TO FILE is NOT CHECKED, which means copies of pictures inserted are added to the presentation and are included with the Presentation. The presentation will grow as pictures are added. The pictures will always be available to anyone you give the presentation to or if you open the presentation on a different computer or move the presentation to any file location you desire and it will make no difference whether the computer is Macintosh or Windows.

 

The InsertPicturePPTX menu screen will then be displayed.

This menu is explained in detail below. Click here for further instructions..

 

Using InsertPicturePPTX062104.ppa Bulk Import feature

 Click this button and PowerPoint will open a new blank presentation. YouÕll be prompted for Properties. Then a dialog box will appear. Type the exact file path to the folder that contains the pictures you wish to import. Use a colon : to separate each part of the file path.

 

File path example:

Hard Drive Name:My Documents:Pictures

 

Select other options as desired then click the Get Pictures button. The 2004 version imports pictures very fast. You may see the Pictures toolbar flicker while pictures are imported. In PowerPoint 2001 you will see a ÒwaitÓ cursor. In PowerPoint X you will see lots of flashing of the Pictures toolbar.

 

PowerPoint 2001 only: Before you use the bulk import feature you must have allocated enough RAM to PowerPoint. In Macintosh Finder select the PowerPoint icon (with PowerPoint not running). Choose File>GetInfo and adjust the Preferred memory setting upward (25000 is not too much).  The more pictures you import, the bigger that number has to be. If PowerPoint 2001 freezes that probably means you did not raise the memory setting enough.

Insert Picture Menu

This menu lets you work with pictures that have been inserted from a scanner or one at a time from a file.

 

The upper controls offer the opportunity to spruce up the picture thatÕs imported. The contrast and brightness controls are set at 10% increments.

 

The Entry Animation button lets you choose from PowerPointÕs built-in entry animations. Be sure to click the tabs and navigation buttons to see all of the choices available to you.

 

 

If you click the Entry Animation button and have already inserted a picture and given it an animation, the most recently used animation button from the previous picture will display as selected. You must re-select an animation. If you click DONE without making a new selection then an animation will not be applied.

 

The turn clockwise & counterclockwise buttons resize the picture to fit PowerPointÕs screen window in addition to rotating the picture.

 

Tilt, flip, and Next Picture buttons are self-explanatory. Tilt and flip do not resize the image.

 

When you click Finish the add-in will stop and PowerPoint will be running. The new presentation will display the first picture that was inserted (slide #1).

 

If you cancel in a window during an operation to insert a picture, then the InsertPicturePPTX add-in will stop and will not insert additional pictures into a presentation.

 

If the add-in gives an error, this may indicate that certain preference files are corrupted, and that you should try deleting them to rectify the problem.  In OSX these files are located in your Home directory, which can be found by opening the Finder and going to Go -> Home (alternatively Shift-Command-H).  From there, find the Preferences folder, which is located in the Library folder.  Delete the PowerPoint preferences and plist files with PowerPoint not running.

 

Then empty the trash. Open PowerPoint again and all should be well. If trouble persists then (with PowerPoint turned off) delete the PowerPoint plist file (in the Preferences folder) and PowerPoint preference file (in the Microsoft folder within the Preferences folder), empty the trash, and then try launching PowerPoint and using the add-in again.

 

PowerPoint 2001 only: First, quit PowerPoint, and then delete the file Microsoft Component Preferences, which is located in the Microsoft folder in your Preferences folder.

 

(Thanks to Mickey Stevens, Mac MVP, for these suggestions)

 

Bug or feature?

The picture in the presentation must be ÒselectedÓ in order for the add-in controls to work on the picture. You can tell that the picture is ÒselectedÓ because when a picture is selected there are little white squares (Microsoft calls them ÒhandlesÓ) in the corners of the picture.  If you click someplace on the screen other than the picture or the menu, then click once on the picture to select it again. You are allowed to scroll through the presentation to select pictures previously added and change their settings. Whether you consider this a bug or a feature, thatÕs how it works.

 

Picture does not resize to fit the PowerPoint window properly

Some pictures that are composed of multiple objects that have been grouped will not resize properly in OSX. This could be fixed in a future release if people request it.

Feedback

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Disclaimer

InsertPicturePPTX062104.ppa is As Is. There is no warranty or guarantee.