How to replace image while maintaining cross-references, captions?

[Distractabledude]

I have several chapters filled with figures and tables, which are imported as
pictures from other programs into Word 2003. Each image has a caption, added
manually in Word and most images are referenced by several cross-references
using the appropriate Word feature (so that references to Figure 5
automatically shift to become references to Figure 6 if I insert another
Figure earlier in the chapter).

My problem is that if I decide I need to change a Figure/Table in my program
outside Word (like Excel or Tableau), then when I delete the existing image
and re-import the replacement image, I have to recreate the caption and redo
all the cross-references (which will now display an error message like
"REFERENCED IMAGE NOT FOUND"). This isn't a big deal to fix once or twice but
I need to do this all the time and would like to make the process as easy as
possible.

So, any suggestions on how I can replace a figure while maintaining its
current caption and all the cross-references to it?

I currently have my images inserted into the document directly. Should I try
to have the images dynamically inserted so I could just replace them in their
file folder? (I have not tried to do this but if necessary, I could go this
route.)

 

[Cindy M.]

Hi =?Utf-8?B?RGlzdHJhY3RhYmxlZHVkZQ==?=,

Cross-references in Word are maintained by bookmarks. In the case of Figure
numbers or captions, the bookmark isn't actually around the picture, but the
caption. So deleting the picture (only) and inserting a new one shouldn't affect
the cross-reference.

I have several chapters filled with figures and tables, which are imported as
pictures from other programs into Word 2003. Each image has a caption, added
manually in Word and most images are referenced by several cross-references
using the appropriate Word feature (so that references to Figure 5
automatically shift to become references to Figure 6 if I insert another
Figure earlier in the chapter).

My problem is that if I decide I need to change a Figure/Table in my program
outside Word (like Excel or Tableau), then when I delete the existing image
and re-import the replacement image, I have to recreate the caption and redo
all the cross-references (which will now display an error message like
"REFERENCED IMAGE NOT FOUND"). This isn't a big deal to fix once or twice but
I need to do this all the time and would like to make the process as easy as
possible.

So, any suggestions on how I can replace a figure while maintaining its
current caption and all the cross-references to it?

I currently have my images inserted into the document directly. Should I try
to have the images dynamically inserted so I could just replace them in their
file folder? (I have not tried to do this but if necessary, I could go this
route.)

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 17 2005)
http://www.word.mvps.org

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