OfficeTips Home || VBA Section || General Section ||  Download Section  ||  Privacy Policy

 Image Importer Wizard

IIW home
Features
Setup Instructions
Download
Purchase Online
FAQ
Tour

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  •  What is a Defined Layout?


    Defined Layout is a presentation containing a single slide with shapes of desired formatting and attributes. Any Rectangle autoshape on this slide represents an 'image placeholder' - shapes that will be replaced by the inserted images. If you are using version 2.4/2.5 then the shape should also contain the text- $IIWImage. You can have as many image placeholders on the slide. IIW picks up the attributes - formatting, size, aspect ratio, position etc - and applies it to the inserted images.

    How do I create a Defined Layout?

  • Launch PowerPoint.

  • Click File | New presentation and select a design template to be applied to the new presentation.

  • Apply the desired slide layout to new slide.

  • On the new slide, select  AutoShapes | Basic Shapes | Rectangle from the Drawing toolbar and add shapes to the slide. If you are using version 2.4/2.5 then type the following text into the shape - $IIWImage. Each of these rectangles represent 'Image placeholders', which will be replaced by the imported images by IIW. Refer to the 'Sample Layout' file for an example of the same.

  • Format the 'Image placeholders'. All attributes - formatting, size, position, aspect ratio etc - are picked up by IIW and applied to the imported image.

  • Add any other shapes that you wish to. These shapes will also appear in the created presentation along with the inserted images.

  • Save & close the presentation.

This saved presentation can be used as a Defined Layout now while using IIW. A sample defined layout is included in the IIW setup file and will be available in the same folder as IIW.PPA.

  • What additional image placeholder codes are available?

    Code Anchor position for image in relation to the image placeholder boundary
    $iiwimage Top-Left (default)
    $iiwimagetl Top-Left
    $iiwimagetm Top-Middle
    $iiwimagetr Top-Right
    $iiwimagebl Bottom-Left
    $iiwimagebm Bottom-Middle
    $iiwimagebr Bottom-Right
    $iiwimagecl Center-Left
    $iiwimagecc Center-Middle
    $iiwimagecr Center-Right

    *Note that the codes are not case-sensitive.
     

  • Imported images in a presentation created using a Defined layout appear stretched. How do I rectify it?

When this happens, it means that the aspect ratio of the 'image placeholder' is not locked in the Defined Layout. Edit the layout presentation and tick the 'Lock aspect ratio' property of the 'image placeholder'. Save the defined presentation and import the images using this newly edited layout.

  • What are Named settings?

Settings are the user defined choices (number of slides to be imported per slide, search type, image types, scaling factor etc.)  that can saved and invoked for later or repetitive use without having to key in the choices again.

  • How can I save my settings?

Once you have completed importing the images on the last window, click on ‘Save Settings’. Enter a name to save the settings used under that name.

  • How can I load my saved setting(s)?

In the main wizard window (Step 1) click on the combobox and select from the list of available settings, then click on ‘Load Setting’ to load the settings stored under that name.

  • How can I delete some named settings?

Select Tools|Image Importer Wizard|Delete named settings. In the window select the setting to be deleted from the list and click on Delete.

  • How can I load a particular setting automatically when the wizard is run?

Save the settings with the name – ‘Default’. This setting will be loaded automatically every time the Wizard is run.

  • Can I update my saved setting?

Yes, you can. Make changes to the settings while importing images and then save the setting under the setting you wish to update.

  • Help! I cannot load my Add-in in PPT2000/XP.

In all probability, you have the macro settings, set to a security level - HIGH, this would prevent any unsigned add-in from being loaded. To resolve this...

1. Select
Tools|Macros|Security on the security level tab, check MEDIUM.
2. Click on OK
3. Now load the IIW Add-in as per the instructions.
4. Once the add-in has been loaded you can set the Security level back to HIGH.
 

  • Why are certain image format choices grayed out (disabled) (for versions prior to 2.0)  ?

The Wizard checks for the existence of appropriate filters on your system, if it is unable to locate them, it disables that particular image format option.

  • What are the differences between Searching folder and Searching a folder list options?

Searching a folder and optionally it’s sub folders recursively is useful when you wish to locate all files from a folder and it’s sub folders. It can be more time consuming depending upon the number of sub folders present and works only across a single drive. It is useful when you want to locate existing image files.

Searching a folder list is useful when you want to load files from a given set of commonly used folders even across multiple drives.

  • How can I import all the images onto a single slide?

Set the number of images per slide to 0 (Step 1) and all the images will be imported into the same slide

  • I would like the importer images to be centered. I cannot locate an option to center the image on the slide. How can I achieve this?

All imported images are centered relative to the slide by default unless the user has selected to position the images at set co-ordinates.

  • How can I import more than one image onto a slide?

Set the number of images per slide to XXX (Step 1) where XXX represents the number of images you wish to import per slide. Note that the imported images are centered with respect to the slide unless you have set the position co-ordinates. When position has been set; the images are cascaded while they are imported

  • Tell me more about the image insertion point criteria

The location and the manner in which the images are imported depend upon selecting the right insertion criteria.

  • Beginning of presentation: New slides are inserted at the beginning of the selected presentation to import images.

  • End of presentation: New slides are inserted at the end of the selected presentation to import images

  • Before current position: New slides are inserted before the current selected slide to import images

  • After current position: New slides are inserted after the current selected slide to import images

  • Into existing slides starting from the first slide: This option will import the images into existing slides starting from the first slide. 

  • Into existing slides starting from the current slide: This option will import the images into existing slides starting from the current slide.

Please note: New slides are automatically added into the presentation at the end if the existing number of slides aren't sufficient to import the selected images as per the criteria set. For example: If a presentation consists of 4 slides and the number of images files is 9 and the criteria is set to import  2 images per slide, into existing slides starting from the first slide, IIW will insert an additional slide to accommodate the 9th image.

  • How do I create a folder list?

Select 'Create folder list' and search this folder list option'. Two ways to create the folder list.

1. Simply type the path of the folder in space provided, the button beside it will now have the caption 'Add', simply click on it to add this path to the list. In this manner proceed to create a list of folder you want IIW to look in

2. Click on 'Browse' and select the desired folder in the Browse for folders window. Click on Ok. The selected folder will be added to the list of folders. Proceed in this manner.

  • Why are the background options disabled when I set a value other than 1 in the number of images per slide?

You can import one and only one image as the background of a slide. Hence the background options get disabled when you set the number of images to imported per slide to greater than 1.  

  • My trial period has expired how do I register my IIW?

Look up the Purchase online page for further details.

  • Feedback, Support and Bug Reporting

    I welcome your feedback and suggestions to improve IIW to serve you better. Please email you feedback, suggestions and bugs to shyam@live.com . While reporting include information about the version of PowerPoint, version of operation system and if possible the exact steps which led to the error, include the error message and a brief description of the problem.


Copyright 1999-2022 (c) Shyam Pillai. All rights reserved.