Insert Picture

[Israel Dalven]

Greetings,
Is there any way, either in Word 2000 Insert Picture dialog box or in the Insert Picture WOPR macro, to make Link to File or Insert and Link the default instead of Insert (Embed)?

[gwhitfield]

Israel,

I started along this path, but I couldn't get any further.

I defined a VBA ine "InsertPicture" as follows:

Sub InsertPicture()
Dim dlgDialog As Dialog
Set dlgDialog = Dialogs(wdDialogInsertPicture)
dlgDialog.linktofile = True
dlgDialog.Show

End Sub

HOWEVER, it didn't work as expected.

It DID execute my routine, but DID NOT do anything with the "linking".

You might try something with SENDKEYS- or (as I've had to do sometimes- it depends on your desperation) you may need to write your own routine & dialog box.

I've never played with this dialog box, but I have found some which do not react as documented, and I've had to reproduce by userforms.

Not that it's the case here- a SENDKEYS might work well. I've not used that myself, but obviously others in the forum have used with success.

[gwhitfield]

Israel,

PS.

We used to link to picture files, but we don't any longer- there's too many dangers for us. If the LAN people change the configuration, or the users email to soemone else, the picture is no longer viewable.

We did the linking because of size- but later versions of Word have enabled embedding of gif and jpeg files, so size because much less of an issue.

[Andrew Lockton]

I agree with Geoff, the LinkToFile appears not to work. A way around that bug is to capture the filename and use that in a separate command such as

Sub temp2()
Dim sFilePath As String
With Dialogs(wdDialogInsertPicture)
  .Display
  sFilePath = .NAME
End With
MsgBox sFilePath & " is being linked into the file."
ActiveDocument.InlineShapes.AddPicture sFilePath, True, False
End Sub

I wouldn't hijack the InsertPicture command to do this though as you will eventually return to the fold and want to embed the graphic. You can get rid of the MsgBox line if you like.

[Israel Dalven]

Actually, I use Insert and Link routinely and enjoy the best of both worlds:
-Even if someone puts my files on their own computer, the pictures are still there.
-It is a snap to update pictures (which does happen a lot in my work)
When the job is done, I make a pdf for delivery.

Therefore I am interested in hijacking the dialog, or at least the part for selecting embed/link/link & include.

Referring to the book Word 97 Annoyances, the task seemed easier, but things seem to have changed in W2K, at least to a rank amateur VBA user such as me.

[Israel Dalven]

Greetings,
Yes, MS admits that LinkToFile does not work properly. The following macro, when placed in your normal template or any active global template will provide a quick means to insert pictures as linked (or as Include and Linked, with SaveWithDocument:=True, as below) instead of embedded.

Ref: MSKB Q209945 with modifications.

Sub LinkToFile()
With Dialogs(wdDialogInsertPicture)
      .Display                         ' Display dialog only, don't insert.
      If .Name <> "" Then              ' If dialog not Canceled.
         ' Insert as linked file.
         Selection.InlineShapes.AddPicture _
            FileName:=.Name, LinkToFile:=True, SaveWithDocument:=True
      End If
   End With
End Sub

[Israel Dalven]

The problem with this macro is that it always gives an absolute link, while the IncludePicture dialog gives a relative link. Does anyone know how to fix it?