Replacing graphic images in documents

users
#1

Hello List,

For years with OpenOffice I was able to use a document as template to print my photos on 8 1/2"x11" photo paper by reloading the document and simply replacing the images.

I think it was UBuntu version 11 that changed me over to LibreOffice. I have found that my documents seem to load and print just fine as they were originally saved. But I have not been able to locate a method to replace the graphic images in a document, either by the top menu or by right clicking the image.

The only way I have found is to delete the image and then insert the new image from scratch! This is most difficult for precise image size and placement. I use a standard aspect on my camera (3:2) and have the image size for all four photos exactly the same. They are also positioned to allow just a barely visible white line between the photos for cutting. And the margins are set to be allowed on my printer without the images being cropped off.

To duplicate all these settings on every image is way too time consuming. I need to be able to simply change the image in the four graphic entities without effecting size, placement or aspect ratio of the original image.

Anybody have any suggestions that I might try to replace the images of a document?

Thank you,
James

#2

Have you tried to insert a frame, and then put your photo into it?
Joe Conner, Poulsbo, WA USA

#3

Thank you for the suggestion. No, I had not attempted to use a frame. I just spent a few minutes with frames. But it came down to the same problem, I was unable to replace the image inside of the frame. Also, when I attempted to size the image to the frame, the frame size just self adjusted to allow for the image. So I did not see where it made any improvement in the delete and replace option if the frames adjust to any changes.
Thanks,
James

#4

Thank you for the suggestion. No, I had not attempted to use a frame. I just spent a few minutes with frames. But it came down to the same problem, I was unable to replace the image inside of the frame. Also, when I attempted to size the image to the frame, the frame size just self adjusted to allow for the image. So I did not see where it made any improvement in the delete and replace option if the frames adjust to any changes.
Thanks,
James

#5

Hi James,

James Finnall wrote (29-11-11 15:48)

For years with OpenOffice I was able to use a document as template to
print my photos on 8 1/2"x11" photo paper by reloading the document and
simply replacing the images.

I think it was UBuntu version 11 that changed me over to LibreOffice.

Argh, nasty situation.
I remember a quite extensive discussion in OpenOffice.org some year or so ago (don't over-ask my memory) where the behaviour was discussed what to do when an image is selected and a new image is inserted. And that in Writer, Impress/Draw, Calc.
And indeed, it was about: should a newly inserted image replace the selected one or be added alongside.
So no doubt, that the change you experience is a result of what has been discussed then.

I think, without real code work, there is little relief for you...
But maybe the behaviour in Draw is different (I'm afraid not...)

Hmm, it would not be too difficult to write a macro to do the changes for you. Maybe that's an idea?

Kind regards,

#6

Hi :slight_smile:
Ok, can you increase the memory allotted to this sort of thing?
Tools - Options - Memory

Also i have found it better to make sure both the pictures and the document are stored locally rather than accessed over a network. It helps to edit the picture with Gimp or something to try to get the pictures file-size down. Jpg is quite nasty lossy compression. Png is usually better. Gif is often great for logos. I try saving the picture in all 3 formats and then see which is lightest and which looks best. Sometimes cleaning up an image so that it has less random weirdnesses where it's been broken (such as "wake" and stray fuzziness around the corners of things in a jpg) can significantly improve the quality of the picture AND drop file-size at the same time.

Note that cameras and even phones are taking hugely higher resolution pictures which are making pictures heavier and heavier even at the same physical size.

Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#7

Hi :slight_smile:
Ouch! Please completely ignore my last post!! Utterly useless and nothing
to do with the question
Apols and regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#8

So it sounds like their discussion ended with "Just don't do anything!"

It has been awhile since I had to print any photos, but it seemed to me that I would select the old image and "Insert->Picture->From File" on the menu and then select the new image file to use. It would then replace the image with the new image. When doing repeat operations of even small images, I could do the first image and resize, etc then copy/paste as many as needed and locate on paper. Then load a new image into each one. But I have not been able to replace any images since LibreOffice installation. (LibreOffice Version 3.4.4 with Ubuntu 11.10)

It is difficult for me to believe I am the only one that desires this operation.

Thank you for your response.
James

#9

Hi :slight_smile:
I think it might be worth posting a bug-report about this issue
http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/BugReport
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#10

I've had problems with getting proper positioning of images in a document with multiple columns. I move things just a little, and the image may jump to some crazy place, e.g., swapping places with a line or covering up a footnote or jumping to a different column, etc . I tried using a frame but found that the frame was too big and covered up some of my footnotes. I'm using LibreOffice 3.4.3 under Windows 7.

       Spencer
p.s. I tried installing LibreOffice 3.4.4 but couldn't remember how to do it with multiple language support, so I sent a question to this list on that.

#11

Hello James

Using LO 3.4.4 under Windows XP I can simply open the image in any image
viewer (or even LO Draw) and then Copy the image, select the precisely
formatted image in LO Writer and simply Paste. This will replace the
previous image and apply the size and position to the pasted image.

Doesn't it work this way in Ubuntu?

#12

Tom Davies wrote (29-11-11 22:37)

Hi :slight_smile:
I think it might be worth posting a bug-report about this issue

Without a clear picture/discussion ... I doubt.
Pls mind that the change was decided upon in a long discussion.

Cheers,

#13

Hi Spencer,

It's better to start with a new mail if you have a new question.
In that way, discussions do not get mixed up and it's easier to follow / give good advises

Spencer Graves wrote (29-11-11 23:09)

I've had problems with getting proper positioning of images in a
[...]

Kind regards,

#14

James Finnall wrote (29-11-11 22:31)

So it sounds like their discussion ended with "Just don't do anything!"

No, they made a change.

It has been awhile since I had to print any photos, but it seemed to me
that I would select the old image and "Insert->Picture->From File" on
the menu and then select the new image file to use. It would then
replace the image with the new image. When doing repeat operations of
[..]

Yes, that was the behaviour you described and that has been changed, as I tried to explain.

#15

Pedro wrote (29-11-11 23:51)

Using LO 3.4.4 under Windows XP I can simply open the image in any image
viewer (or even LO Draw) and then Copy the image, select the precisely
formatted image in LO Writer and simply Paste. This will replace the
previous image and apply the size and position to the pasted image.

Doesn't it work this way in Ubuntu?

It does, Interesting solution - thanks :slight_smile:
Mind that for me it only works if I use paste special > as Bitmap.

Cheers,

#16

May tryin with this extension:
http://extensions.services.openoffice.org/en/project/ChangePicture

#17

James:

If all you are doing is using the template to print the picture, then you could just link the image to your template. Then when you want to print a new picture, just change the link in the document to the new picture.

From LibreOffice Help:

    "Inserting Bitmaps

A bitmap image can be inserted in LibreOffice Writer, LibreOffice Calc, LibreOffice Draw and LibreOffice Impress documents.

   1.

      Choose *Insert - Picture - From File*.

   2.

      Select the file. In the *File type* box you can restrict the
      selection to certain file types.

   3.

      Click the *Link* box if you want a link to the original file.

      If the *Link* box is marked, whenever the document is updated and
      loaded the bitmap image is reloaded. The editing steps that you
      have carried out in the local copy of the image in the document
      are re-applied and the image is displayed.

      If the *Link* box is not marked, you are always working with the
      copy created when the graphic was first inserted.

      To embed graphics that were first inserted as links, go to *Edit -
      Links* and click the *Break Link* button.

   4.

      Click *Open* to insert the image."

You can change the picture from the menu Edit|Links
or
In the Picture properties dialog, select the Picture Tab, there you can change the picture link.

TomW

#18

Have you tried linking the images instead of embedding them. Call them 1,2,3,4 and just copy over them with the new images each time.

#19

There were two version of LO for Windows, but not there is only one.

It is better this way, since it could have caused confusion about which version do you need to download and install.

Yes, the custom install will give you the languages you want. You will also need to go to the dictionary section to make sure you install only the ones you want, instead of it installing 5 or 10 other language dictionaries.

I remember the first time I used the "all language version" without a custom install for Windows. I got all of the different language dictionaries that was included with the install file.

It would be nice to have some "Custom" install option for Linux. Then you can install the English version without having the Spanish dictionary being installed and locked. Will I not get Spanish dictionary when I install the Spanish language pack? Why force it on the English Only user who does not want to install any Spanish options? Sometimes Windows is easier to deal with for software installs. Linux does have it perks though.

#20

Hi :slight_smile:
Would this mean that renaming a copy of the new picture would make it replace the old picture in the document?  If so then that might well be the easiest, fastest option
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile: