Vector Drawing Objects

[MarkM]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: intel

In Word 2004, I could insert encapsulated drawing objects using:

Insert > Object... > Microsoft Word Picture

This was very useful for producing simple diagrams using the shapes from the drawing tool bars.

However, the option to insert a "Word Picture" (as opposed to a 'plain' picture, which is just a bitmap type graphic) is missing from Word 2008...

Can anyone tell me how to get the equivalent functionality?

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Mark:

You will need to go out and buy a graphics program.

Adobe Illustrator may be considered over-kill

When you find a good one, please come back and tell us which one you found.
We need to make a list of recommendations...

Cheers

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: intel

In Word 2004, I could insert encapsulated drawing objects using:

Insert > Object... > Microsoft Word Picture

This was very useful for producing simple diagrams using the shapes from the
drawing tool bars.

However, the option to insert a "Word Picture" (as opposed to a 'plain'
picture, which is just a bitmap type graphic) is missing from Word 2008...

Can anyone tell me how to get the equivalent functionality?

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
http://jgmcghie.fastmail.com.au/
Sydney, Australia. S33°53'34.20 E151°14'54.50
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[Matt Centurión [MSFT]]

Hi MarkM,

You can still draw the objects in your document if you want. If you want the
convenience of having just 1 object to deal with you could then select all
the objects and "Group" them via the Formatting Palette or Contextual menu

Does that achieve what you want to do? Please let us know.

Matt
MacOffice Testing
Microsoft


Date: 3/24/08 3:29 PM / From: "(e-mail address removed)"

 

[MarkM]

John - I already have a good vector graphics package, but it is a bit overkill sometimes and is a pain to use because the only way to embed in Word is to export as a JPG/PNG/etc.

Matt - Yes, I can group objects together. However, this is much less convenient than a single object containing the whole picture. For example, I draw a lot of hardware/software design block diagrams, which can get quite complex. For these, I use grouping for logical sections of the diagram.

Does this feature that was in Word 2004 no longer exist in 2008, or is it just hidden in the new UI?

Thanks,

-- Mark

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Mark:

The old vector drawing engine doesn't exist.

Matt's point is that the new one is "better". I don't find it so; at least,
not yet.

However, I meant to suggest yesterday that you do your drawings in
PowerPoint. The graphics engine is shared across all of the Office
applications. But the way PowerPoint lays out the controls makes it easier
to use when you get serious

When you have finished, copy the whole thing and paste it into Word. Better
still, save the slide as a PDF, then use Insert>Picture to "insert" it into
Word. That way, you work around Word's current "Fuzzy Pictures" bug.

Try that, let us know if it gets you there.

Cheers

John - I already have a good vector graphics package, but it is a bit overkill
sometimes and is a pain to use because the only way to embed in Word is to
export as a JPG/PNG/etc.

Matt - Yes, I can group objects together. However, this is much less
convenient than a single object containing the whole picture. For example, I
draw a lot of hardware/software design block diagrams, which can get quite
complex. For these, I use grouping for logical sections of the diagram.

Does this feature that was in Word 2004 no longer exist in 2008, or is it just
hidden in the new UI?

Thanks,

-- Mark

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
http://jgmcghie.fastmail.com.au/
Sydney, Australia. S33°53'34.20 E151°14'54.50
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[CyberTaz]

If you're as serious as you sound you may also want to consider:

http://www.omnigroup.com/applications/omnigraffle/

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Phillip Jones]

How about Denaba Canvas to do everything including the kitchen sink.
or Adobe Fireworks
Adobe Photoshop

for best all round Graphic program on the cheap try "Graphics Converter"
about $50. Great support.

Hi Mark:

You will need to go out and buy a graphics program.

Adobe Illustrator may be considered over-kill

When you find a good one, please come back and tell us which one you found.
We need to make a list of recommendations...

Cheers

--
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616 Liberty Street |Who's Who. PHONE:276-632-5045, FAX:276-632-0868
Martinsville Va 24112 |[email protected], ICQ11269732, AIM pjonescet
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If it's "fixed", don't "break it"!

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<http://www.vpea.org>

 

[Matt Centurión [MSFT]]

You can always have groups of groups, so no problems there.

Another option is to use "Insert | Object | Word Document" get your drawing
done there and have it appear in the document you inserted.

The functionality that you used in 2004 is not available in 2008.

Matt
MacOffice Testing
Microsoft

Date: 3/24/08 5:59 PM / From: "(e-mail address removed)"

 

[MarkM]

Ok, thanks for the replies.

Unfortunately, inserting a word document doesn't seem to work well in the current version of word, as there is no option to resize it (the object gets resizing handles but neither dragging them nor changing the values in the format dialogue changes anything).

It doesn't seem possible to embed powerpoint directly (insert object only has options for excel and word, and trying to insert a pptx file results in an error claiming that the powerpoint file is an 'obsolete' unsupported word document).

So I'm going to stick with OmniGraffle and embedded PNGs. This is more hassle (because I can not embed the original .graffle file, or even a Visio equivalent) and is less good for my PC based colleagues, but it will at least be possible to work.

Thanks,

-- Mark

 

[Matt Centurión [MSFT]]

Hi Mark,

Check out the thread titled: "Issues copying between Powerpoint and Word"
and let us know if that doesn't help as well. Seems like that person is
trying to do something similar as you.

Matt
MacOffice Testing
Microsoft


Date: 3/27/08 9:46 AM / From: "(e-mail address removed)"