Edit pictures in Word XP or 2003

[Daz]

In Word 2000 I could snapshot a picture using Alt + <print screen>, paste it
into Word and then edit picture and use callouts to detail what is displayed
in the screen shot. Saving the edited picture then embeds the callouts in the
picture so if the picture is moved the callouts move with the picture.

When I try this in Word XP or Word 2003 I can paste picture from clipboard
into word however when I try to edit this picture the "Edit Picture" option
is greyed out on the edit menu. Options menu shows Microsoft Word as
preferred picture editor.
Any suggestions on how to edit the snapshot and embed it into word document?

 

[Cooz]

Hi Daz,

Paste your picture in the document.
Add callouts from the AutoShapes button on the Drawing toolbar.
Keep Ctrl pressed down and select both the callouts and the picture.
Right click and select Grouping > Group.

Now the picture and the callouts behave as if they are the same picture.

Good luck,
Cooz

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Cooz -

Keep Ctrl pressed down and select both the callouts and the picture.

Good alternative, but try it using the Shift key instead - you don't have to
click precisely on the edges of the AutoShapes, so you're less likely to
deselct one while trying to select another. Of course, there's always the
Select Objects tool on the Drawing Toolbar as well.

 

[CyberTaz]

Hello Daz -

'02 & '03 are pasting the screen shots in as Device Independent Bitmaps,
which I believe are too sophisticated for Words picture editor. The
suggestion from Cooz will give you a similar effect which should be quite
acceptable.

If you do a lot of this type of work, though, you might want to take a look
at actual screen shot utilities, such as SnagIt!, which give you a great
deal more capabilities & control.

http://techsmith.com/snagit.asp

 

[Daz]

Tried the suggestions of Cooz and CyberTaz but I cannot select the picture
and the callouts at the same time using any of the three methods suggested.
System will only allow me to select the snapshot or the callouts not both.
If I have multiple callouts and use the object selector then I can group the
callouts together but it will not group the callouts with the snapshot object.
Does not seem to matter what type of picture object I use for snapshot. I
tried it with bitmap files(bmp), windows meta files (wmf), enhanced meta
files (emf) and jepg's (jpg). In every case would not allow me to select the
picture object and callouts at the same time to allow grouping.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Most likely the screen shot is In Line With Text (in the text layer) and the
callouts are in the drawing layer.

Tried the suggestions of Cooz and CyberTaz but I cannot select the picture
and the callouts at the same time using any of the three methods suggested.
System will only allow me to select the snapshot or the callouts not both.
If I have multiple callouts and use the object selector then I can group the
callouts together but it will not group the callouts with the snapshot object.
Does not seem to matter what type of picture object I use for snapshot. I
tried it with bitmap files(bmp), windows meta files (wmf), enhanced meta
files (emf) and jepg's (jpg). In every case would not allow me to select the
picture object and callouts at the same time to allow grouping.

document?

 

[Daz]

On the Draw menu you can use Order menu to move objects between different
layers. There does not seem to be options to align in the same layer. I am
assuming that your reply is suggesting the objects need to be in the same
layer to allow grouping.

In this case when the snapshot is selected the order menu is available
however none of the options allow you to move the snapshot to any other
layer. Word 2002 help on "Move a drawing object in front or behind text"
suggests "You cannot change this setting (the layer setting) for an inline
object or an object on the drawing canvas". Inline object is defined as
grahic directly in the text. If my object is an inline object which it sounds
like what you are saying then help confirms it cannot be moved.

If you select the callout you have the option to move the callout in front
or behind the picture object. I tested every menu option but moving the
callout to any other layer does not allow you to then go on and group the
snapshot and callouts together.

This used to be so simple in Word 2000. Any idea what has changed between
Word 2000 & Word 2002

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi =?Utf-8?B?RGF6?=,

On the Draw menu you can use Order menu to move objects between different
layers. There does not seem to be options to align in the same layer. I am
assuming that your reply is suggesting the objects need to be in the same
layer to allow grouping.

Suzanne wasn't very clear in her explanation. You have to format the snapshot
with text flow ("square", for example) in the Format/Picture dialog box, Layout
tab. As long as the text flow is set to "In line with text", the picture isn't
in the Drawing layer, and the Drawing tools can't work on it.

FWIW, I have no problems using Word's picture editor with Word 2002/2003. But
you have to go about it a bit differently. In Tools/Customize/Commands, from the
"Drawing" category, drag "Word Picture" to the Drawing toolbar. Click it to open
the Picture Editor. Now you can insert the snapshot from a file or from the
Clipboard. You do need to apply text flow formatting. And you can add call-outs
etc. in the usual manner.

In this case when the snapshot is selected the order menu is available
however none of the options allow you to move the snapshot to any other
layer. Word 2002 help on "Move a drawing object in front or behind text"
suggests "You cannot change this setting (the layer setting) for an inline
object or an object on the drawing canvas". Inline object is defined as
grahic directly in the text. If my object is an inline object which it sounds
like what you are saying then help confirms it cannot be moved.

If you select the callout you have the option to move the callout in front
or behind the picture object. I tested every menu option but moving the
callout to any other layer does not allow you to then go on and group the
snapshot and callouts together.

This used to be so simple in Word 2000. Any idea what has changed between
Word 2000 & Word 2002

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply
in the newsgroup and not by e-mail

 

[Daz]

OK that works yes can now edit picture and add callouts as required.
On more thing however is that when you import your picture into the picture
editor the default is to resize the picture to the picture boundries which
are very small by default.
Is there any way to import the picture at 100% and quickly reset the picture
boundries to the imported picture size?
Alternatively is there a way to set the size of the default boundries. I
found that if I make the boundries larger than picture before importing the
picture the picture imports at 100%

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi =?Utf-8?B?RGF6?=,

On more thing however is that when you import your picture into the picture
editor the default is to resize the picture to the picture boundries which
are very small by default.
Is there any way to import the picture at 100% and quickly reset the picture
boundries to the imported picture size?

Alternatively is there a way to set the size of the default boundries. I
found that if I make the boundries larger than picture before importing the
picture the picture imports at 100%

The only way I know to affect the boundaries is to put something in the editor
and resize them before bringing in the picture. Such as a rectangle or a
textbox. I know of no way to affect the default, or force it to recognize the
size of what I'm inserting.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply
in the newsgroup and not by e-mail

 

[Daz]

Thankyou for your help. Just getting as far as I have with your suggestion
has been a big help. All our users use this technique to write procedure
manuals and use snapshots and callouts to document their procedures very
effectively, pictures being worth thousand words and all. The frustration
with this issue has been one reason we have been reluctant to upgrade to
later versions of Office.

Default settings would probably be a registry setting somewhere. Will keep
digging and if I find it will post back here.

Thankyou again for your help much appreciated.