Format-Autoshape-Size

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ralf
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R

Ralf

After recently "upgrading" my Win 2000 Pro/Office 2000,
the size spaces in the Format-Autoshape-Size are almost
always blank. After I enter 100% in the corresponding
scale space, the dimensions faithfully appear.
What can I do to always get the size info immediately?
 
Ralf,

What version did you upgrade to? I checked in 2003, and autoshapes created
in that version do show the dimensions without this problem. One thing you
may be able to try is to copy a file that does it, and try it on another
machine with the same upgrade version of PowerPoint you went to. That may
tell us if it is machine specific. Else, we can have a chook (Aussie for
have a look) at an example file.

--
Regards,

Glen Millar
Microsoft PPT MVP
http://www.powerpointworkbench.com/
Please tell us your ppt version, and get back to us here
Remove spaces from signature
Posted to news://msnews.microsoft.com
 
Thanks Glen for the quick reply.
By upgrade, I didn't mean my computer s/w but rather the
motherboard and hard drives etc. The s/w was the same and
I think that includes the office SR-1 (a) service pack.
Today, I will reactivate the old computer with its hard
drive and check on the SR-1 vs SR-1a. Also, I will try
some other files which I created on the old computer and
see how they behave on the new one. Finally, I will open
the file which has troubled me in the old computer.
Depending on what I learn, I'd appreciate your offer to
examine my file. I will post again regardless.
 
After recently "upgrading" my Win 2000 Pro/Office 2000,
the size spaces in the Format-Autoshape-Size are almost
always blank. After I enter 100% in the corresponding
scale space, the dimensions faithfully appear.
What can I do to always get the size info immediately?
Click to expand...

You're in good, if a bit muddy, hands with Glen, but since you mentioned that
this happens *almost* all the time ... it's probably worth investigating what
the difference is between the circumstances when it does vs doesn't happen.

Something different about the autoshapes or the way you access the dialog box
or ...??
 
Thanks Glen and Steve for the effort.
First, I'd like to know what I might have done wrong this
morning when I posted a reply on the newsgroup to Glen. I
know I saw the typical screen that says it would take a
few minutes. Could a few minutes somehow be actually many
hours?
So, now some additional details in response to Glen and
Steve's postings:
1. By "upgrading", I was only intending to be a bit
sarcastic. I did upgrade the computer hardware (new
motherboard, memory and hard drives).
2. My son did the MS s/w updating and all he is certain
of is that he thought he had brought all the MS s/w up to
date. He remembers that it was 2 sequential downloads. The
office 2000 install CD is probably about 3 years old.
3. Today also, I compared the versions for the Office
2000 in the old computer and the new one. In the old one.
the version shows as SR-1 followed by a number. In the new
computer, all the office programs I checked show SP-3
followed by a number.
4. The problem is the same in both computers.
Specifically, it seems to be related to one file which
probably was modified in the new computer using a version
of Powerpoint that had NOT been updated. From that file,
I created 3 additional files all of which behave strangely.
5. The original file which may have been updated using
Ppt. from the Office 2000 install CD behaves most
strangely. When I ungroup the first sheet, many rectangles
show up which were invisible in the grouped form. I cannot
conceive of the possibility that I added them.
6. All of the 4 files involved have the similar problem
that I originally described. If I had to guess, I'd say
80% of the objects in the se files show no size info. when
clicking on Format-Autoshape-Size.
7. When I open other Ppt. files in the new computer,
they all show the size info as should be expected (normal).
8. My take on all this is that the problem was
originally caused by using a non updated Ppt. version to
edit a file. The only way to prove it would be to install
an older version of Office 2000 in a formatted computer
and see what happens.
9. My biggest concern with the problem is that the files
which are misbehaving seem doomed to remain that way. if
there is a way to "Cleanse" them, I'd sure be interested.
-----Original Message-----
Click to expand...
 
First, I'd like to know what I might have done wrong this
morning when I posted a reply on the newsgroup to Glen. I
know I saw the typical screen that says it would take a
few minutes. Could a few minutes somehow be actually many
hours?
Click to expand...

It's unpredictable, really. I wouldn't worry about it too much.
But if you plan to do more than just the occasional swim through this and other
newsgroups, it's worth learning how to use Outlook Express or some other
news-reader software instead of the web interface you're using now.

More info on that here:
How do I join the PowerPoint newsgroup?
http://www.rdpslides.com/pptfaq/FAQ00024.htm

Is there any chance that you have more than one object selected at a time when
you're viewing the format dialog box? If so, normally the size WILL be blank.
 
Hi Glen,
I tried your round trip link but it didn't help. I am sure I did it
correctly but the procedure you wrote didn't work exactly. So, I edited the
text (but not the graphics) and I'll be glad to e-mail it to you if you
like. You can send me an e-mail by reversing the first 4 letters of my
email address. Or, I could put the text on my (just created) web site which
is: http://home.earthlink.net/~ralft/id1.html.
I created the website for the purposes of demonstrating my problem files. To
test it, I was able to get the files from the web site but they would only
display as a slide show so only the "many rectangle" problem was evident.
But, by using the use the save as command, I was able to put them back into
a (Read only) .ppt format. The you will see what I have been talking about.
 
Hi Steve,
Thanks for the encouragement and the suggestion to use OE for accessing &
posting to the news group. I used to do that but I think I was told by some
"MVP" that it was better to use the MSN site.
Regarding your comment about multiple objects not showing size, I can only
respectfully say that this has never been my experience in using PowerPoint
for 5 or more years. It would be much less useful to me if that what you
said was true.
Please look at my reply to Glen's most recent post in this thread for
information how to get access to me directly or to my "problem" files.
Thanks again for the help.
 
Ralft said:
Regarding your comment about multiple objects not showing size, I can only
respectfully say that this has never been my experience in using PowerPoint
for 5 or more years. It would be much less useful to me if that what you
said was true.
Click to expand...

FWIW, I've seen this on occasion. I do believe it has to do with the
particular image, but right now, I couldn't tell you what exactly would
be doing it.

ISTR that it might be something to do with image type and/or what image
program was used to edit the picture -- or whether the image had been
resized in PPT or not.
 
Hi,

Firstly, you are right about round tripping as it wont help. Sorry for the
wrong direction.

The files seem to be AutoCAD files (*.dwg ?). ISTR I've done this by copy
and paste, then ungroup a couple of times.

Some objects are grouped, as on slide one of problem.ppt (so that no size
options are available). Some are text boxes, that exhibit the behaviour you
describe. Someone else will know if that is normal behaviour for text boxes.
Some are lines that also exhibit the problem, but lines do not have
dimensions, but thickness.

How were the files added? I would call this normal behaviour for vector
files I have added and busted up.

Anyway, if they are dwg files, this is better way to view them:

http://www.indezine.com/products/powerpoint/ppvoloview.html

Hope that helps, 'cause my time clock says it is sleep time.

--
Regards,

Glen Millar
Microsoft PPT MVP
http://www.powerpointworkbench.com/
Please tell us your ppt version, and get back to us here
Remove spaces from signature
Posted to news://msnews.microsoft.com
 
Thanks Glen BUT:
1. None of the files are ANYTHING but PowerPoint (Office 2000).
2. When multiple items are NOT grouped, Format-Autoshape-Size will not
show anything and that is normal behavior.
3. I THINK text boxes will never show size info unless:
a. The Format-Text box-Text Box(tab) is selected and the Resize
Autoshape to fit text box is unchecked or
b. The text box is made part of a group of objects even if the other
objects are text boxes.
4. The major curiosity with Problem.ppt is the many rectangles.
5. I think my problems all came about using the PowerPoint 2000 without
updates. I say this because only the first 2 sheets of Problem.ppt have the
peculiarities. I only edited those 2 sheets. The other 2 files were created
from Problem.ppt also before updating PowerPoint.
6. Today, I will plan on doing a test making a new install of Win2000 and
Office 2000 and try some Powerpointing without updates.
7. I cannot comment on vector files because I don't know what they are.
 
Thanks Echo. Please read my reply to Glen. If by image file you mean some
other graphics s/w, that is not possible.
 
What I mean is that it may depend on where the image came from in the first
place.

For instance, if you create/edit a picture in Photoshop and then put it into
PPT, it's still an image -- and the Photoshop processing may have an effect
on what PPT recognizes from the image file and format.

So, editing, say, a JPG in PaintShop Pro might make it behave differently in
PPT than if you edited it in Corel Draw or Photoshop or MS Paint. I don't
know for sure, but it wouldn't really surprise me if something like that
were to occur.

An Illustrator graphic (which is vector art) might also behave differently
than an image edited in Corel Draw (which also can do vector art). An
AutoCad drawing imported into PPT might behave differently than those also,
because of what PPT can interpret.

Just trying to give you some examples of the reasoning behind my thoughts.
Please note that I'm not talking about general image behavior -- I'm just
talking about PPT interpreting the original size when you first open that
size dialog. As I said, I have seen this "non size" thing occur, but I
didn't pay much attention at the time, so I didn't investigate what might
have been causing it. I just have a suspicion it may have to do with the
type of things I described above.

--
Echo [MS PPT MVP]

Ralft said:
Thanks Echo. Please read my reply to Glen. If by image file you mean some
other graphics s/w, that is not possible.
Click to expand...
 
These files were made and edited by PowerPoint 2000. I haven't done the test
using my Office 2000 without updating but I am willing to bet I can
reproduce the missing size issue. But, all the rectangles in Problem.ppt
seems less likely. I will report back after I do the test.
Echo S said:
What I mean is that it may depend on where the image came from in the first
place.

For instance, if you create/edit a picture in Photoshop and then put it into
PPT, it's still an image -- and the Photoshop processing may have an effect
on what PPT recognizes from the image file and format.

So, editing, say, a JPG in PaintShop Pro might make it behave differently in
PPT than if you edited it in Corel Draw or Photoshop or MS Paint. I don't
know for sure, but it wouldn't really surprise me if something like that
were to occur.

An Illustrator graphic (which is vector art) might also behave differently
than an image edited in Corel Draw (which also can do vector art). An
AutoCad drawing imported into PPT might behave differently than those also,
because of what PPT can interpret.

Just trying to give you some examples of the reasoning behind my thoughts.
Please note that I'm not talking about general image behavior -- I'm just
talking about PPT interpreting the original size when you first open that
size dialog. As I said, I have seen this "non size" thing occur, but I
didn't pay much attention at the time, so I didn't investigate what might
have been causing it. I just have a suspicion it may have to do with the
type of things I described above.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for posting the files.

I downloaded Problem-2.ppt and had a look.

First of all, there aren't many rectangles in the drawing - it's mostly
composed of lines.

Most of the text boxes are rectangles with text in them.
These show no size, but if you click the Text Box tab of the formatting dialog
box, you'll see that "Resize Autoshape to fit Text" has a check mark next to
it. This means that PPT ties the size to the text size rather than leaving it
as a fixed value. Remove that check mark, click OK then bring the formatting
dialog box up again and the size boxes will no longer be blank.

Then there are the filled rectangles on a couple of the other pages. These had
me scratching my head. When I brought up the formatting dialog box, the Text
Box tab was disabled/grayed out. Then I realized that this was because there
was no text in the rectangle. Ah. If you select the rectangle then type some
text, the rectangle will IMMEDIATELY reformat itself to follow the size of the
text. So these have been set to "Resize Autoshape to fit Text" also.

That presents a bit of a problem: if you type text into them so that you can
access the Text Box tab to turn "Resize" OFF, the size of the rectangle changes
before you can get to the formatting dialog box. Grrrrr ...

If you need to work with these, there's probably some way to fix them with VBA,
but instead, you can download our free PPTools Starter Set. The remember
position tool WILL pick up the correct size/position of the rectangle, so you
can use it to memorize the position/size, make whatever changes you need in the
formatting dialog after adding text, then use the "hammer" tool to reset the
size back to what it's supposed to be.

Whew!
 
Thanks for the encouragement and the suggestion to use OE for accessing &
posting to the news group. I used to do that but I think I was told by some
"MVP" that it was better to use the MSN site.
Click to expand...

If you let us know who, we'll hurt them for you. ;-)

If you like the web interface or don't use newsgroups much or work someplace
where you're not allowed to use newsgroups, then the web interface is a real
blessing. Otherwise ... well. Mom said "If you can't say anything nice, don't
say anything." My silence says it all. ;-)
Regarding your comment about multiple objects not showing size, I can only
respectfully say that this has never been my experience in using PowerPoint
for 5 or more years. It would be much less useful to me if that what you
said was true.
Click to expand...

It's always been my experience that the size boxes are blank when multiple
(different-sized) shapes are selected, but that I can type in a size at that
point and make them all the same size, if I wish.
Please look at my reply to Glen's most recent post in this thread for
information how to get access to me directly or to my "problem" files.
Click to expand...

Yes, I've seen that, and thanks for posting the files. SO much easier to
figure out what's going on when you can see and play with them.
 
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