Powerpoint graphics filters

[NigelGomm]

Are PowerPoint graphics filters an option somewhere in the powerpoint
installation?

I've tried JPEG, PNG and GIF but some (1 in 50) installations don't have
them.

(i know this because my application causes powerpoint to crash on
slide.export())

Reinstalling Powerpoint isn't fixing the issue ... at leat not leaving it to
default settings and i don't remember seeing them anywhere in a custom
install.

Is it possible to download and install the filters separately?

TIA

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Are PowerPoint graphics filters an option somewhere in the powerpoint
installation?

I've tried JPEG, PNG and GIF but some (1 in 50) installations don't have
them.

(i know this because my application causes powerpoint to crash on
slide.export())

A missing filter shouldn't cause PPT to crash, though it'd throw an error when
you use Slide.Export .... your application/add-in would crash if it weren't
trapping errors at this point, but not PPT itself.

Check to see what version of PPT is involved when you get one of these crashes.
It might be one of the following that occur to me off top of head:

- If memory serves, JPG and perhaps PNG were optional install items with PPT
97, but I don't think they were with later versions.

- A corrupt PPT file might cause errors on exports.

- There were some issues with PPT 2002 that caused it to crash under certain
circumstances; I think this was corrected in one or another of the service
packs

 

[NigelGomm]

Steve,


as best i can tell on some powerpoint installations slide.export() will
cause powerpoint to crash. My application then gets an error "remote
procedure call failed".

This happens rarely (one in 50 PCs perhaps) but enought to be a nuisance.

Seems to happen with all versions of powerpoint (well, i've not seen it in
2007 yet).

A previous posting here (perhaps 2 years ago) got a response from Microsoft
that the issue was to do with graphics filters being missing and i should
tell customers to reinstall powerpoint. (Which didn''t help)

You're saying that the filters are no longer optional? So the export method
is failing for someother reason ?

It seems to be that on any one installation it either always works or always
crashes. i.e. not something i can recreate at will or have ever seen 'go
away'.

as always thanks for you help.

Nigel

 

[Jialiang Ge [MSFT]]

Hello Nigel,

From your post, my understanding on this issue is: you want to know whether
graphics filters are optional in PowerPoint installation and why your
application crashes on Slide.Export() sometimes. If I'm off base, please
feel free to let me know.

For your first question, some Graphics filters are optional in PowerPoint
installation according to the kb article:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/212271/. If you are using Microsoft Office
2003, you will find the options of Graphics filters in Office 2003 setup
application -> Choose advanced customization of applications -> Office
Shared Features -> Converters and Filters -> Graphics Filters. The options
include the import of EPS, CGM, CDR, WPG, PNG, PICT, GIF, and JPEG. But
most of the filters are native (built-in) to Microsoft Office and do not
require a separate filter to be installed.

To verify whether a graphics filter has been installed, please go to
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\GRPHFLT. In the directory,
there are several FLT files representing the corresponding graphics filters
(see: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/235928). For instance, if
GIFIMP32.FLT is the graphics filter for GIF.

For your second question, we could first verify if the correct graphics
filter is available on the computers that encounter the errors.
As to those computers, I wonder whether your application crashes for all
the export image types (GIF, JPEG, etc) and all the powerpoint files? As
Steve said, a corrupt PPT file might cause errors on exports.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/279238/en-us
Does it work if you directly save the presentation as gif or jpeg in
File->SaveAs command?
Do the powerpoint slides contain images? (see this issue which is caused by
the image size:
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsce/browse_thread/thre
ad/f549e4c2f6c7c225/42a3b34dc9663a57?lnk=st&q=remote+procedure+call+failed+p
owerpoint&rnum=2&hl=en#42a3b34dc9663a57)
Does your application access some remote services and is it possible that
the firewall setting caused the problem of 'remote procedure call failed'?

Please let me know the information above so that I can provide further
assistance on this problem. I am looking forward to your reply.

Sincerely,
Jialiang Ge ([email protected], remove 'online.')
Microsoft Online Community Support

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[NigelGomm]

Ge

the nature of my s/w means i have no control and very little knowledge over
the powerpoint installation.

My software always tries JPEG first, if that fails it tries PNG and if that
fails it reports an error. In the past i've tried GIF and BMP also but
discovered that if it was going to fail on JPEG it will always fail.

I believe the problem is intsallation specific in that if it's going to fail
(and remember on 49 out 50 PCs it works just fine) it will always fail...
for every ppt file.

The link you provide suggests that .export() can fail if embedded images in
the slide are too large? I am sceptical - in my testing and with other
customers i have exported some VERY VERY large embeded images.
But I suppose it is possible that that the failing PCs have exceptionaly
large images embedded in all their slides. Is there a way to automate
decreasing the size of all embedded images within a ppt? I know there is a
menu option but i never found a way to automate that.

The automation is normal COM ; no firewalls or .Net remoting.

Nigel

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Steve,

as best i can tell on some powerpoint installations slide.export() will
cause powerpoint to crash. My application then gets an error "remote
procedure call failed".

This happens rarely (one in 50 PCs perhaps) but enought to be a nuisance.

Seems to happen with all versions of powerpoint (well, i've not seen it in
2007 yet).

A previous posting here (perhaps 2 years ago) got a response from Microsoft
that the issue was to do with graphics filters being missing and i should
tell customers to reinstall powerpoint. (Which didn''t help)

That might work if the filter'd been installed originally then deleted or
overwritten, but if the filter was missing because the user elected not to
install it, a simple reinstall wouldn't help, I don't think, since the default
behavior would be to reinstall using the same options the user'd chosen in the
first place. They'd have to do a custom install and elect to install the
missing filters.

You're saying that the filters are no longer optional?

I haven't run all the installers and listed what is and isn't optional, but I'm
fairly certain that JPG/GIF/PNG are part of the default install now and for the
past few versions (otherwise Save as Web Page wouldn't work)

(And now that I've belatedly read Jialiang Ge's reply, I see that the three
filters in question are native to Word, which I presume applies to Office as a
whole/thus PPT as well - Jialiang, is that correct?)

So the export method is failing for someother reason ?

If the filter's there, then we'd have to look for another reason, yes.

By default, filters are installed in:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\GRPHFLT

You might want to add errortrap/logging to record the names/sizes/dates of
files found there when the export fails (and when it doesn't, so you have a
basis for comparison).

I'm not certain what happens to these files when the user installs Office to a
non-standard location; the shared graphics stuff probably still lands in
Program Files.

It seems to be that on any one installation it either always works or always
crashes. i.e. not something i can recreate at will or have ever seen 'go
away'.

That, at least, is A Good Thing. Better that than something that comes and
goes with the wind.

It also would point away from corrupt PPT files or corrupt objects in the files
(but it'd be a good idea to have the user test with a known-good file to be
certain).

as always thanks for you help.

Happy to help. And then there's the Pure Self Interest aspect ... several of
my own add-ins use .Export too. If WhateverThisIs is nibbling your sensitive
bits, it's liable to chew on mine as well ;-)

 

[Jialiang Ge [MSFT]]

Hello Nigel,

For your question about how to automate to compress a image in ppt, I think
the following code may work though there is no 'Compress' method of Shape
objects.
Dim osl As Slide
Dim osh As Shape
Dim oPic As Shape

Set osl = Application.ActivePresentation.Slides(1)
Set osh = osl.Shapes(1)
osh.Copy
Set oPic = osl.Shapes.PasteSpecial(ppPasteJPG)(1)
With oPic
.Left = osh.Left
.Top = osh.Top
.Height = osh.Height
.Width = osh.Width
End With
osh.Delete

Steve's suggestions aside, I find another issue talking about the failure
of Export which is caused by the incorrect versions of FLT:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/newsgroups/managed/default.aspx?dg=microsoft.publi
c.excel.charting&mid=4c99f4ed-ea2f-4f80-a816-99b7f9cb4c09&sloc=en-us

I have downloaded your software from www.slidewhere.com and find that it
works well in my computer. I will have further tests in other computers and
let you know if there is any finding.

Sincerely,
Jialiang Ge ([email protected], remove 'online.')
Microsoft Online Community Support

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[NigelGomm]

I just sent my versions of the JPEG and PNG filters to a customer that is
having this problem

and he sent me the ppt that was failing.

I can export all slides from that ppt on my machine... he still gets the
error on his machine.

Another customer is able to .export() on one machine but not on another.

btw. each time powerpoint crashes most users are sending an error report to
microsoft. Is there any way of tracking down that error report if i give you
an ip number and/or a date/time ?

Nigel

 

[NigelGomm]

i asked a customer to check his eventlog and send me a screen dump of any
powerpoint errors

too large to attach to this message but take a look at

www.dotgomm.ca/0829-0000.jpg

does that provide any clues ?

nigel

 

[Jialiang Ge [MSFT]]

Hello Nigel,

According to the screen dump, a possible reason of the error is a conflict
of the Microsoft PowerPoint with another application, such as, a third
party Office plug-in or printer. My suggestions are:

1. test a macro that does 'Slide.Export' directly in a PowerPoint file, to
determine whether it is problem of PowerPoint itself or an error of your
application.
2. Download 'PorcessMonitor' from
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/utilities/processmonitor.mspx,
and run it on the computer that encounters the problem. Create a filter in
process monitor to only show the system activities for Powerpnt.exe. Then
open the SlideWhere and have a look at the Process Monitor at the point
where it crashes. You will see the file that it was trying to access when
it crashed.

I understand that we didn't make much progress on this issue so far. It's
mainly because it's not reproducible in my side and yours and it is not
convenient to do the tests directly. Although troubleshooting such issues
in newsgroup might not be the best channel, I will try my best to help. If
possible, do you mind letting me know your email address (by sending a mail
to my email: (e-mail address removed)) ?

Sincerely,
Jialiang Ge ([email protected], remove 'online.')
Microsoft Online Community Support

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[NigelGomm]

i have already asked the customer with one PC that works and one that
doesn't to compare Add-ins. I haven't heard back from him yet.

I just sent you a direct email


NIgel

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

i have already asked the customer with one PC that works and one that
doesn't to compare Add-ins. I haven't heard back from him yet.

And when you do, the answer may not be complete. There are almost always more
add-ins than are shown in Tools, Add-ins.

Have a look here:

What add-ins are loaded?
http://www.pptfaq.com/FAQ00655.htm

Scroll down to "Alternative ..." near the bottom and grab a copy of Chirag's
excellent diagnostic tool for the user to run on their system.

 

[NigelGomm]

ahah

it's google desktop

and the error is being caused by an .export() to a ppt file (but it fails
after doing the export so it's my next instruction, the export to JPG, that
gets the error)

i guess i report the error to google (or would anyone at MS derive a lot of
satisfaction from doing that ?)


nigel

 

[Jialiang Ge [MSFT]]

Hello Nigel,

I am glad to see that you find out the cause of the error: Google Desktop
Search. We have recorded it into our internal database so that others could
also benefit from it. But honestly, I have tried the Google Desktop Search
in my side, and your software still works well. Would you let me know the
detailed steps to reproduce the issue with Google Desktop Search? Would you
tell me the version, service pack and language of the operating system and
Office system? My computer is installed with Windows 2003 SP2 (English) and
Office 2003 Enterprise (SP2). Thanks for your knowledge shared in the
newsgroup.

Sincerely,
Jialiang Ge ([email protected], remove 'online.')
Microsoft Online Community Support

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[NigelGomm]

hmmm.

Powerpoint 2007, Windows XP SP2

a standard download and install of Google Desktop Search - not the
enterprise version.

oSlide.export("c:\temp\xyz.ppt","PPT") found the error here

NIgel

 

[Jialiang Ge [MSFT]]

Hello Nigel

Thanks for the information. I also reproduce the issue in my side when I
export the slide to a PPT file. But the export to image files, such as GIF,
still works. I notice that Google Desktop Search has its own PPT Filter.
There might be some issues in it since it interferes with normal functions
of PowerPoint. My suggestion is to report this issue to Google and they
might provide you with a more solid workaround. Thank you again for your
sharing and we will log this issue for future reference.

Sincerely,
Jialiang Ge ([email protected], remove 'online.')
Microsoft Online Community Support

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[NigelGomm]

well i reported to google but no response yet. Where did you see google's
own ppt filter.. perhaps i should just overwrite it with the MS one ?


thanks
nigel

 

[Jialiang Ge [MSFT]]

Hello Nigel

In Google Desktop Search's preference setting page, I see that Google has
its indexing plugin for Powerpoint. (Right click Google Desktop Search
icon->select 'Preference¡­' -> select 'Local Indexing'). I am not sure
whether it influence the export function of PowerPoint because it depends
on how Google implements it. Under the Google Desktop Search's installation
directory, it seems all the indexers for Office file types are packaged in
GoogleDesktopOffice.dll. I will continue my research to see why PowerPoint
is influenced by GDS, Would you also go on trying to connect to Google's
customer service department and report the issue?

Sincerely,
Jialiang Ge ([email protected], remove 'online.')
Microsoft Online Community Support

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[NigelGomm]

still no reply from google


but i'm also seeing the same error with "mathtype" as well.


Nigel

 

[Jialiang Ge [MSFT]]

Hi Nigel,

Thanks for your updated information. I've also tried MathType and
reproduced the issue in my side.

This might be an issue of PowerPoint, I have sent an email to confirm with
our product group and see if it's a known issue, but this may take some
time.

If this issue is critical for you, I would suggest you to contact our
Customer Support and Service via telephone so that a dedicated Support
Professional can assist you in a more efficient manner. Please note if this
proves to be an issue of our product in the end, the support incident will
be free (All the charges will be refunded).

To obtain the phone numbers for specific technology request please take a
look at the web site listed below.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;PHONENUMBERS

Please feel free to let me know if you have any concerns or questions.
Thanks.

Sincerely,
Jialiang Ge ([email protected], remove 'online.')
Microsoft Online Community Support

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