Photo linking when data merging

[flamejob]

I am cataloguing a lot of products and need to add photos. I have read
that it is possible to add the photo's path in the data spreadsheet (on
a PC) but can't work out how to do it on a Mac.

Basically there is an Excel sheet with columns showing description,
price etc. and rows of products.

This is data merged into individual Word product sheets.

I can't get the pictures to appear and don't want to do it manually.

Does anyone else know?

 

[Jeffrey Weston [MSFT]]

Hello,

One option you can try is to copy the contents of your data spreadsheet into
a Word document (in a table) and use that as your data source instead of the
Excel spreadsheet.

You can then add a column to that Word data table which would contain your
pictures. A Word document used as a data source will allow you to merge
graphics into your Data Merge Main document.

If putting all the graphics into that Word table is again too tedious, you
could try writing a Word Macro to convert your File Paths to the
"IncludePicture" field. This field will use your file paths to place the
pictures into your data table.

You might want to try all this on a test document first.

Hope this helps,

--
Jeffrey Weston
Mac Word Test
Macintosh Business Unit
Microsoft

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[flamejob]

Thanks for the reply guys; I'll give it a bash and tell you how it
goes. It's nice to know someone is listening

Jason (AKA flamejob)

 

[flamejob]

Hi John,
That looks as if it is working, but it isn't updating the picture. All
I get is a big, old skool microsoft picture icon (the one with the
coloured shapes in it. I don't know if it is the path that is not
correct or what? The path is from our server and comes out
":Volumesroducts Server:Blue Bird
Furnitureics:2005-11-07SC01649.JPG" (I have tried
"Pics:2005-11-07SC01649.JPG" which is from the directory where the
data sheet and the word document are). The path is in the 'Photo' field
in { INCLUDEPICTURE { MERGEFIELD Photo } \d }

The problem may be the F9 thing. Is that a refresh? I have tried that
too, after assigning exposé to another key.

I am getting the impression that doing this manually would have been
faster now!

 

[Shawn Larson [MSFT]]

Hi John,
That looks as if it is working, but it isn't updating the picture. All
I get is a big, old skool microsoft picture icon (the one with the
coloured shapes in it. I don't know if it is the path that is not
correct or what? The path is from our server and comes out
":Volumesroducts Server:Blue Bird
Furnitureics:2005-11-07SC01649.JPG" (I have tried
"Pics:2005-11-07SC01649.JPG" which is from the directory where the
data sheet and the word document are). The path is in the 'Photo' field
in { INCLUDEPICTURE { MERGEFIELD Photo } \d }

The problem may be the F9 thing. Is that a refresh? I have tried that
too, after assigning exposé to another key.

I am getting the impression that doing this manually would have been
faster now!

I got my merge to work by updating the INCLUDEPICTURE field after merging to
a new document. To update the field, do CMD+A to select everything, then
press F9. Yes, that is the key to update all selected field codes.

Double check your paths to the pictures. Do that by inserting one of them
via Insert, Picture, From File and check Link to File. To see the resulting
field code, press Alt+F9. Alt+F9 toggles the display of field codes in a
document. Also, in your data document, make sure the paths are enclosed in
quotation marks.

HTH,
Shawn Larson
Mac Word Test