Inserting DRAW file as linked OLE in WRITER file?

Hi,
I am writing manual book of machine. I've got many pictures. I import this
picture one by one to DRAW file and I put arrow sign or text box on some
points of the pictures.

I import this DRAW file as linked OLE object. But I can not center the
picture in OLE container/frame? When I adjust it once than it may change
later?! I can not fix the main picture region of the DRAW object in OLE
container/frame?...

In MS Office you can add picture in the word file and you can add arrows in
the picture. Than all this object became like one solid. When you resize the
picture than arrows indicating same point of the picture... But in WRİTER
when you resize the picture than you arrow shapes not resizing?! This is
really big lack according to MS unfortunately?!

Regards,
Mucip:)

Hi Mucip,

Is there a good reason for using OLE objects? I have used such for putting tables (Writer) in Draw documents, simply because Writer has much better table handling than Draw, but position control was a bit hit-and-miss.

When you add the arrows to the picture, where is the arrow being placed? If you are using the Writer drawing tools to place the arrow, then it is a different object to the picture, so they will behave as different objects. If however you select the OLE object, then use its drawing tools to add the arrows, the arrows will be part of the OLE object. Then, repositioning the OLE object reposition the picture and arrows as one.

If you want to resize the picture and arrows as one object, the only way I know to achieve this is to arrange both together in the Draw document, select both, and Group them - which converts them to a single entity.

My work flow for similar tasks is as follows:

Drawings created with Writer/Draw: always create in Draw (better tools), group all elements, then copy into Writer. If editing is required, copy drawing into Draw, ungroup, edit, regroup, copy back. This might sound inefficient, but for a complex drawing the overhead is negligible and the productivity is far greater than trying to do the edit in Writer. Note that editing the text of Draw text elements can be done in Writer, and without ungrouping the object.

Pictures with overlayed drawing elements (e.g. arrows):
If the result will NOT require resizing: Create a frame in Writer, add the picture to the frame, add the graphics to the frame. If the graphics are complex, I first create them in Draw, then add as one object into the frame. The frame should ideally not contain other text. i.e. it should have just the one paragraph marker. By default the objects added to the frame are linked to the nearest paragraph marker. With just the one paragraph marker, the objects are easy to position within the frame, and their relative position does not move as the frame moves. i.e. they move as one object.

If the result WILL require resizing, then I would arrange them in Draw, group, then copy to Writer.

I hope this helps.

Dale.

Mucip wrote

I import this DRAW file as linked OLE object. But I can not center the
picture in OLE container/frame? When I adjust it once than it may change
later?! I can not fix the main picture region of the DRAW object in OLE
container/frame?

You will need to rescale the ODG prior to inserting it as an OLE object into
the Writer document. There are some limits on how large the Draw canvas can
be before it is rescaled when imported via OLE. Refer my explanation
<http://ask.libreoffice.org/en/question/24444/size-of-odg-inserted-via-ole-in-odt/?answer=24459#post-id-24459>
on AskLO.
Best wishes, Owen.

Hi Dale,
First of all I do not want to copy/paste from DRAW to WRITER. Because I
use same picture in many documents. I want to insert picture to the
document as linked. In this case when I change the main picture file
than all documents can change... This is very good for me... One change
(work) and many results... :slight_smile:

According to my demand the best solution is inserting all pictures as
hard link in DRAW file and make all changes/arrows in DRAW file. And
inserting this file as hard linked to WRITER...

In this case you may double-click to DRAW OLE and open the source file.
Than you may change, adding arrow, shapes and return to main WRITER
file... The biggest problem in this situation is, when I do this than
size of the OLE container is changing. I can not fix the size of OLE and
visible region of the resource OLE file!...

Hi Owen,
Thanks. I will check the page...

Hmmm... I see you are no novice and you are making sound decisions. I have no experience or knowledge which can help you with your OLE problem. However Owen's investigations do look like they might be helpful.

Hi Dale,
Yes... :slight_smile: Unfortunately I tried many ways... And I came to decision that
It's not good way to use OLE in my situation. :frowning: In my opinion OLE logic
is not rock solid yet.

I think it's the best way for me that inset (not linked!) pictures in
DRAW and put arrows, leaders on it and than making group and copy/paste
to WRITER unfortunately... In this case I can not use the advantage of
"linked file" but nothing to do?!... :frowning:

Mucip wrote

I came to decision that It's not good way to use OLE in my situation. :frowning:
In my opinion OLE logic is not rock solid yet.

Unfortunately OLE is one area that has no equivalent in ODF (v1.2 of the
specification references the 1995 work "Inside OLE" by Kraig Brockschmidt).
In fact OLE is a massively complex design that appears to do what it does
(hand off a foreign blob of content for external editing and receive an
updated foreign blob back) deceptively well. Use of OLE will likely remain
potentially problematic for interoperability until the OLE data structure
spec ( MS-OLEDS <http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd942265.aspx> )
is listed in the Open Specification Promise
<http://www.microsoft.com/openspecifications/en/us/programs/osp/default.aspx>
. Even then there will likely be people unhappy about using this technology.

Mucip wrote

I think it's the best way for me that inset (not linked!) pictures in DRAW
and put arrows, leaders on it and than making group and copy/paste to
WRITER unfortunately...

You could still use linked graphics, but perhaps try and link to a PNG
exported from the Draw file. This way you can maintain the location (in the
file system) of the images and update a given image (or many) in Draw, while
leaving the graphics linked in Writer.

Best wishes, Owen.

21-03-2014 14:04, Owen Genat [via Document Foundation Mail Archive] yazmış:

You could still use linked graphics, but perhaps try and link to a PNG
exported from the Draw file. This way you can maintain the location
(in the file system) of the images and update a given image (or many)
in Draw, while leaving the graphics linked in Writer.

Dear Owen,
Yes... You're right. I think exporting picture and arrow shapes from the
DRAW as png/jpg than linking to WRITER is the way also. Bot it adds one
more extra step to me and I have lots of pictures unfortunately... :frowning:

I will try to live with this lack... :slight_smile:

Thanks for your all kind helps...

Hi,
perhaps I am wrong, but I think a good way to have more control, it's insert
a new draw OLE object in the document Menu/Insert/Object/OLE object - create
new - LibreOffice Drawing.
The new draw object is embedded in the document, no external draw file, you
can insert/paste images in it and use the draw tools.
In this way it's possible resize the object frame without lost any part of
the image, or edit as draw after double click.
Miguel Ángel.

Hi,
Yes but in this case DRAW object is included to WRITER and in this case
it's very difficult to open/save/edit because of the huge size of the
file unfortunately...

By the way when you edit DRAW OLE than position of the OLE Frame is
changing. Not stable!...