PowerPoint 2007 'features'

[agibsonsw]

Hello.
I've had a few issues and am not sure whether to blame PowerPoint:

a) Adding a SmartArt (funnel) diagram I can Ungroup it (twice), add a custom animation and then change the order for individual circles. My colleague is trying to do the same thing but the option to Group/Ungroup is greyed. Why might this be?
b) Someone sends someone a presentation containing a picture. Although the recipient also has PowerPoint 2007 the picture appears as just a brown box. ?
c) Someone copies and pastes an Excel 2007 chart, but the y-axis labels and legend don't appear. Re-sizing the chart in PowerPoint doesn't help. Pasting as a picture works, but they might want to keep it as a chart. ?

Any suggestions will be appreciated. Andy.

[StuartR]

...Any suggestions will be appreciated. Andy.

I don't know if PowerPoint 2007 is similar to 2010 here, but I have to convert the smart art to shapes before I can ungroup it.

SmartArt.png

[HansV]

a) Does he select it correctly?
b) Wrong graphics settings? Or perhaps a linked image?
c) No idea - try again?

[agibsonsw]

Stuart: The option is not quite the same in 2007.
a) I'm pretty sure he did as I tried it a few times myself. But he is no longer in front of me.
b) Which graphic settings do you mean. It might be a linked image - might that account for the brown box?

Ta, Andy.

[HansV]

If the image is linked on the sender's computer and not available to the recipient, it might not be displayed correctly.

[agibsonsw]

Is there a way to 'unlink' the image before e-mailing the presentation? Ta, Andy.

[agibsonsw]

.. how do you create a picture link in the first place please? I copied a picture from Excel but the Paste Link option is greyed. Andy.

[HansV]

To link to a picture on disk:
- Activate the Insert tab of the ribbon.
- Click Picture.
- Select the picture, then click the dropdown arrow on the right hand side of the Insert button.
- There are several options to choose from.

To paste a link to an Excel range or chart:
- Select the range or chart the normal way. Do not select the option to copy as picture.
- Click the lower half of the Paste button in PowerPoint and select Paste Special...
- Paste Link will be enabled.

[HansV]

To break a link:
- Click the Office button.
- Click Prepare.
- Scroll down the popup list until you see Edit Links to Files, then click that.
- Select a link, then click Break Link.
- Close the dialog.

[agibsonsw]

Thank you.
One more question on this subject please. If I choose Insert/ Picutre and click the arrow next to the Open button it says 'Insert and Link' or 'Link to File'.
What is the difference between these two options? They appear to behave the same? Andy.

[HansV]

Insert and Link creates a link (so that the picture will be updated when the source is changed), but also stores a copy of the picture in the presentation. This has the avantage that if the source is not available (for example because you e-mail the presentation to someone else), the picture can still be displayed. The downside is that the size the picture is added to that of the presentation.

Link to File only creates a link, the picture is not stored in the presentation. So if the source is not available, the picture cannot be displayed. But it keeps the file size of the presentation down.

[agibsonsw]

Thank you for another clear explanation.
I am unable to replicate the problem the lady had with her chart losing the y-axis labels and legends. Never mind. Andy.