inline objects <-> floating objects

[eric theise]

We're having problems, wrestling with graphics in Word 2000 and Word X. From what I've read, it seems that we'd be better off using inline objects and frames instead of floating objects. We never need to put graphics behind of or in front of text. We're generating reports and proposals that require graphs, images, and tables, usually with captions, that should behave in a predictable manner to the co-authors of the documents

Some questions

http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/DrwGrphcs/DrawLayer.htm and other resources linked from that doc talk about converting floating objects to inline objects by selecting Format + Picture, Layout, Inline with Text. I do this, and expect that the graphics will then be viewable in Normal View. But they are not, and I do not believe that they've been converted

How can you tell what layer a graphic lives in? How can you change it

Finally, is it really necessary to run VBA code to reconfigure Word so that dragged images become inline objects and not floating objects

Thanks, Eri

 

[Jon Weaver]

Eric,
I'll address your questions (and key statements) from last to first:
Note: I'm using Word 2000 terminology re inline vs floating.

VBA code necessary so dragged images become inline objects and not floating
objects:
-- not necessary; once you have converted all graphics with floating
wrapping style to In line with text wrapping style, you can manipulate the
inline graphic just like you would any character or group of characters in
Word; wherever you drag it, it will remain an inline graphic

Changing the layer a graphic lives in:
-- assuming we want to change floating objects to inline objects, first
double-click the object, click the Layout tab; if the In line with text box
is not grayed out, click it and click OK; you have converted the floating
object to an inline object.
If the In line with text box is grayed out, exit the dialog box; copy the
floating object, move the insertion point to where you want to insert it,
click Paste Special, click Picture (png) and click OK; double-click this
pasted object (still a floating object), click the Layout tab, click In line
with text and click OK; then delete the original object. You now have an
inline object.

Telling what layer a graphic lives in:
-- if you click an inline object, the sizing handles will be black; if you
click a floating object, the sizing handles will be white; to review the
status of the wrapping style of all the graphics objects, click Options on
the Tools menu; click the View tab; make sure the Picture placeholders check
box is cleared (related to inline objects) and make sure the Drawings check
box is checked (related to floating objects); click OK; if you switch to
normal view, the only graphics objects visible will be inline objects (Note
that inline objects are visible in all views; floating objects are only
visible in print layout and web layout views)

"Converted" floating objects not visible in normal view:
-- the 2 preceding "paragraphs" address this issue

Should behave in a predictable manner:
-- there's no question inline objects are far more stable and simpler to
understand and manipulate than floating objects (problems with anchors,
shifting positions, etc.); one tip would be to place the inline object in an
otherwise empty paragraph in all situations except where you need the
features of a frame

Reports and proposals requiring graphs, images and tables, usually with
captions:
-- floating objects are a disaster when it comes to captions (and the table
of figures you can generate from them); a caption for a floating object is
inserted in a text box (a floating object); consequently, it's in the
drawing layer; fields in the drawing layer are not recognized by fields in
the text layer so all captions in text boxes will be omitted from a table of
figures; this is not a problem with inline objects which are in the text
layer. This shortcoming of captions for floating objects also affects other
fields, such as cross references

Finally, if you need to wrap text, just put the inline graphic and the
caption in a frame (Insert Frame on the Forms toolbar; not on any menu).

Good luck!

Jon
----------------------

We're having problems, wrestling with graphics in Word 2000 and Word X.

From what I've read, it seems that we'd be better off using inline objects
and frames instead of floating objects. We never need to put graphics
behind of or in front of text. We're generating reports and proposals that
require graphs, images, and tables, usually with captions, that should
behave in a predictable manner to the co-authors of the documents.

Some questions:

http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/DrwGrphcs/DrawLayer.htm and other resources

linked from that doc talk about converting floating objects to inline
objects by selecting Format + Picture, Layout, Inline with Text. I do this,
and expect that the graphics will then be viewable in Normal View. But they
are not, and I do not believe that they've been converted.

How can you tell what layer a graphic lives in? How can you change it?

Finally, is it really necessary to run VBA code to reconfigure Word so

that dragged images become inline objects and not floating objects?

 

[Carl.]

Finally, if you need to wrap text, just put the inline graphic and the
caption in a frame (Insert Frame on the Forms toolbar; not on any menu).

If it helps any, existing text boxes can be converted to frames by
right-clicking on the box, select "format text box," and selecting that
option under the text box tab.

 

[eric theise]

Jon, thank you, that is probably the single-most informative post I've seen in months. On any topic, anywhere

----- Jon Weaver wrote: ----

VBA code necessary so dragged images become inline objects and not floatin
objects
-- not necessary; once you have converted all graphics with floatin
wrapping style to In line with text wrapping style, you can manipulate th
inline graphic just like you would any character or group of characters i
Word; wherever you drag it, it will remain an inline graphi

I wasn't clear in my question. I meant "is VBA code necessary to change Word's default behavior so that objects dragged in from the web and/or other sources do not automatically become floating objects?". The article on Word 97 at

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;16380

suggests that this is so

My boss plays fast and loose when it comes to pulling images and charts into his papers, and it may make sense for me to change the default behavior of his Word installations

Best, Eric

 

[Jon Weaver]

Eric,
I really appreciate your kind remarks.


I think VBA is the only answer in Word 2000. Microsoft's suggested macros
for 2000
don't seem to work for me, at least. Try this macro from John McGhie, an
Australian technical writer who knows as much about Word as anyone.

I copied his macro and saved it in a new macro module in a document template
that I commonly base documents on that contain
pictures from web; then I placed it on a button on a new custom toolbar.
The reason I use a new macro module (not the default Newmacros module), a
document template (not the normal template) and a new custom toolbar (not
the Standard or Formatting toolbar) is that I can easily use the Organizer
(Tools menu, Templates and Add ins, Organizer) to copy both the macro module
containing the macro and the new custom toolbar to a template on other
computers.

Sub Pastepicture()
'
' PastePicture Macro
' Macro recorded 10/10/98 by John McGhie
'
Selection.PasteSpecial Link:=False, DataType:= _
wdPasteDeviceIndependentBitmap, Placement:=wdInLine,
DisplayAsIcon:=False
End Sub

To save this macro in a document template:
Copy the macro from Sub through End Sub in this message
Open Word and open a document that has the desired template attached or open
the template itself
On the Tools menu, point to Macro and click Macros
In the Macros in box, select the name of the template
Click Create, which will open the Visual Basic Editor
Assuming there is no macro saved in the document, click Paste on the Edit
menu
The macro above will now appear in the Editor
Click Save xx on the File menu in the Editor
Close the Editor by clicking x Close button in the upper right corner.

To put a button on a toolbar that when clicked will run this macro, click
Customize on the Tools menu, click the Commands tab,
in the Save in box, select the template you want to save the customized
toolbar in.
Click the Macros category, find the macro and click and drag it to a
toolbar.
You can change the name of the macro by right clicking on the name and
changing it before you quite the Customize dialog box

By giving the button a meaningful name, hopefully it'll be easier to train
your
boss to click this button after he has copied a graphic from a web page
instead of using paste or paste
special.

Note that if your boss uses Paste on the Edit menu, you end up with an
INCLUDEPICTURE field that links to the web site (highly undesirable); if he
uses Paste Special, Device Independent Bitmap, you always end up with a
floating graphic (top and bottom wrapping style)

Good luck!

Jon
--------------------------------

Jon, thank you, that is probably the single-most informative post I've

seen in months. On any topic, anywhere.

----- Jon Weaver wrote: -----

VBA code necessary so dragged images become inline objects and not floating
objects:
-- not necessary; once you have converted all graphics with floating
wrapping style to In line with text wrapping style, you can manipulate the
inline graphic just like you would any character or group of characters in
Word; wherever you drag it, it will remain an inline graphic

I wasn't clear in my question. I meant "is VBA code necessary to change

Word's default behavior so that objects dragged in from the web and/or other
sources do not automatically become floating objects?". The article on Word
97 at

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;163808

suggests that this is so.

My boss plays fast and loose when it comes to pulling images and charts

into his papers, and it may make sense for me to change the default behavior
of his Word installations.