how do I access my template in another document?

[Andy]

This is probably a dumb question, but let's say I open a document that
uses some other template, how do I access my own template so that I can
replace the current styles with my own? If I go under Tools>Templates
and Add-Ins, I see that the Document Template is "Normal," and I've got
the template I want listed under Global templates and Add-ins. But I
don't see any of those styles in the formatting palette. How do I
access them? Hopefully I'm making sense here.

 

[Andy]

Thanks for the help. I'm starting to understand what's going on. The
reason I'm doing this is to take an outline that is exported from
OmniOutliner, which will have all of the text tagged as various levels
of headings, and convert parts of it to Body Text, for example. I see
how checking the "automatically update" box will convert them to my
style of headings. What I'm trying to figure out is if and how to make
changes to my Normal template in order to get my preferred style of
Body Text and other styles from my custom template in there (for
example, I have a style for block quotes that is not in my Normal
template).

BTW, I'm using Word X.

 

[Elliott Roper]

Thanks for the help. I'm starting to understand what's going on. The
reason I'm doing this is to take an outline that is exported from
OmniOutliner, which will have all of the text tagged as various levels
of headings, and convert parts of it to Body Text, for example. I see
how checking the "automatically update" box will convert them to my
style of headings. What I'm trying to figure out is if and how to make
changes to my Normal template in order to get my preferred style of
Body Text and other styles from my custom template in there (for
example, I have a style for block quotes that is not in my Normal
template).

BTW, I'm using Word X.

Aha! I use OmniOutliner like that too. My usual working method is to
take the .doc(HTML) that Omni exports then copy and paste the whole lot
into a fresh one based on my normal and all the stuff in my global
template.

OK, it's a slack way of doing it, but it is quick and gets me at a
reliable starting point. It's only four keystrokes: cmd-ACNV

The trick for using OO for exporting to Word is to put everything that
will become body text in an OO note

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

Hi Andy,

I would store the styles in whichever template you are using to create new
documents. If you commonly hit cmd-n for a new doc, then keep the styles in
Normal (just back up Normal up regularly). (If you usually want to base
documents on a different template, you can set up one-click access, by the
way).

Wherever you decide to put the styles, rather than re-modifying them in a
different template, you can use the Organizer to move the style definition
from one template to another, if necessary. Help topic: "Copy styles,
AutoText entries, toolbars, or macros", or ask again.

Re your general process, it is also possible to Find and Replace one style
with another one, to reapply styles, which might help in this system.

Rather like Elliott, when I need to update styles, I usually create a new
doc and use Insert | File to bring in the old doc. Added benefit of
creating a redundant backup. Text as heading 4, etc, should automatically
take on the heading 4 appearance that is set in the new doc (I *think*,
check this), so then I don't have to worry about going back and unchecking
the "automatically update" box later (cause if you send the doc to someone
else with it checked, it will take effect again).

And, finally, you might be interested in this compilation of links on
dealing with very long documents in Word?
http://daiya.mvps.org/bookword.htm

Daiya