PLS VOTE: BUG: SmartArt is perm. convert. w/ 2003 saves to docx

[funnybroad]

Please vote "I Agree" at the end of this post to ask Microsoft to fix this bug.

I have tested this 10 times, and it will happen every time: "Feature
Refresh" completely FAILS... your SmartArt will be permanently converted into
images every time... even if no changes are made to the object in Word 2003.

In Word 2007, create a SmartArt Object, and save the document in the new
..docx format.

In Word 2003 with the latest compatibility pack installed, open the
document. Insert some text, but do not make any changes to the SmartArt
object whatsover. Re-save the document in the .docx format.

In Word 2007, open the document. Notice that it opens in Compatibility
mode. Do not make any changes to the document whatsoever.

Do an "Office Button / Save As / Word Document" to save it again over the
same filename.

Note: The only way to get it "out of compatibility mode" so that you can
access the SmartArt tools again is to re-save it to the .docx format using
Office Button / Save As / Word Document". The regular "Office Button / Save"
or the save button in the Quick Access toolbar won't work to get back to
compatibility mode.

Notice that once out of compatibility mode, your SmartArt object has been
PERMANENTLY CONVERTED into a graphic image.

According to Office 2007, this should not happen because of "feature
refresh".

The crazy thing? If Word 2007 saves the document to the legacy 97-2003
format (.doc), Word 2003 w/compatibility pack adds some text and saves again
in the legacy format, and then Word 2007 opens and re-saves back to the new
format, the SmartArt refreshes perfectly!!!

The problem also occurs when Word 2007 saves it to the legacy format, and
Word 2003 saves "back up to" the new format.

Also, as I've mentioned in previous posts, if you modify any of the SmartArt
in Word 2003 using Picture Tools (brightness, text wrapping, etc.) or using
Drawing Tools (adding a shadow), once saved to any format in 2003, the
SmartArt will be permanently converted to a graphic image.

Bottom line: If you or the users you support will be using the new SmartArt
feature in your documents, and will be collaborating with Word 2003 users,
then heed my advice:

ALWAYS MAKE AN EXTRA BACK UP OF THE DOCUMENTS IN .DOCX FORMAT BEFORE A WORD
2003 USER IS ALLOWED TO TOUCH IT.

Please click "I Agree", because it is stated in this discussion group that
"Microsoft responds to the suggestions with the most votes." We can use
this post as a little experiment to see if this is really true... SO PLEASE
CLICK "I AGREE".

Thanks!

----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
click "I Agree" in the message pane.

http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...ddfdee&dg=microsoft.public.word.docmanagement

 

[funnybroad]

p.s.

I forgot to mention: you can also "break" the feature refresh of SmartArt
within Word 2007 (no Word 2003 involved):

If you are in compatibility mode in Word 2007, SmartArt Objects will be
presented as images, and clicking on them will present a Picture Tools menu
above the Format tab in the ribbon. If you use these Picture Tools to modify
the object, when you save back to .docx, they will be permanently converted
to images:

brightness
contrast
Recolor
Shadow Effects
Rotate

These tested ok (although I know that 'Compress Pictures' will break feature
refresh if done in 2003):
Compress Pictures
Position
Text wrapping

Also, if you use some of the Left Click / Format Picture options, you could
also cause the objects to permanently convert.