Auto Caption

[Hugh]

I am creating a user guide which contains screen shots. How do I get Word
2007 to automatically insert a caption (figure number) when I paste the
clipboard content into my document?
I can do this manually, post-paste (right click, Insert Caption), and I can
see that there is an AutoCaption button which takes me to a dialogue called
"Add caption when inserting:" Here, I've ticked EVERYTHING, but to no avail.
I still have to add the caption manually.
Has anybody worked this out...? Thanks in advance.

 

[DeanH]

Unfortuantely AutoCaption does not work like that - however much it would
seem so, read the Help article about how it really works.
Instead do it the other way round, create the caption for, say Figure, and
create an Autotext (or what ever 2007 calls it now).
Do the following:
Create a Figure caption, I add false text like "Caption Text Required" maybe
highlighted.
Select the whole line (including paragraph mark) to retain the formatting.
Ctrl+F3 and enter the text to identify the entry, say "Figure Caption".
OK
The next time you want to insert a Figure, start typing out Figure and by
the fourth character Word will give you the option to insert the Figure
Caption, Return to select.
Now do the paste for the image.
I have caption autotext entries for for Figures, Tables, Equations.
For more on AutoText, see
http://word.mvps.org/faqs/customization/AutoText.htm.

 

[DeanH]

Sorry, Alt+F3, not Ctrl+F3 to create Autotext entry
DeanH

 

[Graham Mayor]

The next time you want to insert a Figure, start typing out Figure
and by the fourth character Word will give you the option to insert
the Figure Caption, Return to select.

Not in Word 2007! There is no autocomplete in 2007. You would have to press
F3 after typing FIG - or use an autocorrect entry instead.

--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[Hugh]

Thanks for your input, Gentlemen.

It sounds as if, for some reason, Word 2007 no longer offers autocaption in
the way 2003 did, explained here.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word/HP051893791033.aspx

" Word automatically adds the appropriate caption and a sequential number
whenever you insert one of the objects that you selected in step 3. "

I cannot determine what's "Auto" about Word 2007 AutoCaption. I could not
find a useful help document, suggested by DeanH and it's certainly not
intuitive.

So the easiest (only?) way to manage several images with figures added is to
add each image, then add a caption manually. This is still useful for
cross-referencing / table of figures, etc, but more arduous to set up.

Thanks again for your suggestions.

Hugh

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Hugh;

The feature works exactly the same way, but I believe you may be missing a
key point in the article you referenced

Please re-read point #7 of the "Add captions automatically..." instructions.
In order for AutoCaptioning to work you *must* use the Insert> Object
method... Pasting bypasses the mechanism that generates the caption.

Also, when you click the AutoCaption button closely examine the list of
applicable objects. Anything not in the list will not have an AutoCaption
created regardless of insertion method.

Bottom Line: If you capture your screen shots with a program that will allow
you to save them to disk as BMPs (Bitmap Image) or PDFs (Adobe Acrobat
Document), then use Insert> Object to put them into your doc I think you'll
find that the feature works as advertised. Note that other image file
formats [TIFF, JPEG, PNG, etc.] are excluded from the list.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Hugh]

Thanks for that, CyberTaz. (I've just said "aaaahhhhh" to myself as the
penny dropped.)

This explains why, despite having everything ticked in the list of
applicable objects, pasting from the clipboard didn't trigger the AutoCaption
- "Clipboard paste" is not a tickable option.

Perhaps it should be...? Saving a screen shot, then inserting it, via
browsing. etc, simply to trigger an AutoCaption is more trouble than it's
worth, especially as the only permanent record I need of the screen shot is
in the document I'm pasting into.

So I'll use the Paste > Right Click > Insert Caption method I have been
using. But at least I understand a bit more about it now.

Thanks again.

Hi Hugh;

The feature works exactly the same way, but I believe you may be missing a
key point in the article you referenced

Please re-read point #7 of the "Add captions automatically..." instructions.
In order for AutoCaptioning to work you *must* use the Insert> Object
method... Pasting bypasses the mechanism that generates the caption.

Also, when you click the AutoCaption button closely examine the list of
applicable objects. Anything not in the list will not have an AutoCaption
created regardless of insertion method.

Bottom Line: If you capture your screen shots with a program that will allow
you to save them to disk as BMPs (Bitmap Image) or PDFs (Adobe Acrobat
Document), then use Insert> Object to put them into your doc I think you'll
find that the feature works as advertised. Note that other image file
formats [TIFF, JPEG, PNG, etc.] are excluded from the list.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

Thanks for your input, Gentlemen.

It sounds as if, for some reason, Word 2007 no longer offers autocaption in
the way 2003 did, explained here.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word/HP051893791033.aspx

" Word automatically adds the appropriate caption and a sequential number
whenever you insert one of the objects that you selected in step 3. "

I cannot determine what's "Auto" about Word 2007 AutoCaption. I could not
find a useful help document, suggested by DeanH and it's certainly not
intuitive.

So the easiest (only?) way to manage several images with figures added is to
add each image, then add a caption manually. This is still useful for
cross-referencing / table of figures, etc, but more arduous to set up.

Thanks again for your suggestions.

Hugh

 

[AutoCAD_Girl]

This is a huge point of frustration for me as well. I'm in word 2007,
windows 7 x64. I use Image > Insert to add my screen caps.

I don't like the way we need to do Autocaptions now. My proverbial cheese
has been moved!

#1 bitmaps are far larger file format than, say png.
#2 turning an image into a pdf is just "clunky" and the compression in
non-acrobat applications is poor (IMHO).
#3 I usually use snagit 9. Both snag-it and the Windows Snipping tool
default to a png format...yet we can't auto caption these? <grumble>
#4 Word 2003 inserted auto-captions on Image> insert just fine. I create
software documentation most of my day and plan to ask my IT people to put me
back on 2003 unless I can figure out how to smack word '07 into submission.

If I am missing something in this rant, please set me straight!

Hi Hugh;

The feature works exactly the same way, but I believe you may be missing a
key point in the article you referenced

Please re-read point #7 of the "Add captions automatically..." instructions.
In order for AutoCaptioning to work you *must* use the Insert> Object
method... Pasting bypasses the mechanism that generates the caption.

Also, when you click the AutoCaption button closely examine the list of
applicable objects. Anything not in the list will not have an AutoCaption
created regardless of insertion method.

Bottom Line: If you capture your screen shots with a program that will allow
you to save them to disk as BMPs (Bitmap Image) or PDFs (Adobe Acrobat
Document), then use Insert> Object to put them into your doc I think you'll
find that the feature works as advertised. Note that other image file
formats [TIFF, JPEG, PNG, etc.] are excluded from the list.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

Thanks for your input, Gentlemen.

It sounds as if, for some reason, Word 2007 no longer offers autocaption in
the way 2003 did, explained here.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word/HP051893791033.aspx

" Word automatically adds the appropriate caption and a sequential number
whenever you insert one of the objects that you selected in step 3. "

I cannot determine what's "Auto" about Word 2007 AutoCaption. I could not
find a useful help document, suggested by DeanH and it's certainly not
intuitive.

So the easiest (only?) way to manage several images with figures added is to
add each image, then add a caption manually. This is still useful for
cross-referencing / table of figures, etc, but more arduous to set up.

Thanks again for your suggestions.

Hugh

 

[Graham Mayor]

SnagIt can be set to default to any graphics format you wish from the large
selection of graphics formats available.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP


<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

This is a huge point of frustration for me as well. I'm in word 2007,
windows 7 x64. I use Image > Insert to add my screen caps.

I don't like the way we need to do Autocaptions now. My proverbial cheese
has been moved!

#1 bitmaps are far larger file format than, say png.
#2 turning an image into a pdf is just "clunky" and the compression in
non-acrobat applications is poor (IMHO).
#3 I usually use snagit 9. Both snag-it and the Windows Snipping tool
default to a png format...yet we can't auto caption these? <grumble>
#4 Word 2003 inserted auto-captions on Image> insert just fine. I create
software documentation most of my day and plan to ask my IT people to put
me
back on 2003 unless I can figure out how to smack word '07 into
submission.

If I am missing something in this rant, please set me straight!

Hi Hugh;

The feature works exactly the same way, but I believe you may be missing
a
key point in the article you referenced

Please re-read point #7 of the "Add captions automatically..."
instructions.
In order for AutoCaptioning to work you *must* use the Insert> Object
method... Pasting bypasses the mechanism that generates the caption.

Also, when you click the AutoCaption button closely examine the list of
applicable objects. Anything not in the list will not have an AutoCaption
created regardless of insertion method.

Bottom Line: If you capture your screen shots with a program that will
allow
you to save them to disk as BMPs (Bitmap Image) or PDFs (Adobe Acrobat
Document), then use Insert> Object to put them into your doc I think
you'll
find that the feature works as advertised. Note that other image file
formats [TIFF, JPEG, PNG, etc.] are excluded from the list.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

Thanks for your input, Gentlemen.

It sounds as if, for some reason, Word 2007 no longer offers
autocaption in
the way 2003 did, explained here.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word/HP051893791033.aspx

" Word automatically adds the appropriate caption and a sequential
number
whenever you insert one of the objects that you selected in step 3. "

I cannot determine what's "Auto" about Word 2007 AutoCaption. I could
not
find a useful help document, suggested by DeanH and it's certainly not
intuitive.

So the easiest (only?) way to manage several images with figures added
is to
add each image, then add a caption manually. This is still useful for
cross-referencing / table of figures, etc, but more arduous to set up.

Thanks again for your suggestions.

Hugh


:

DeanH wrote:
The next time you want to insert a Figure, start typing out Figure
and by the fourth character Word will give you the option to insert
the Figure Caption, Return to select.

Not in Word 2007! There is no autocomplete in 2007. You would have to
press
F3 after typing FIG - or use an autocorrect entry instead.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>