Re: PowerPoint applescript for shape type free form
Re: PowerPoint applescript for shape type free form
- Subject: Re: PowerPoint applescript for shape type free form
- From: Tracy Lakin <email@hidden>
- Date: Fri, 16 May 2008 13:46:01 -0700
- Thread-topic: PowerPoint applescript for shape type free form
Hi,
Thanks for the response, but no, not what I need.
Just getting the shape object of type free form is not enough. I need the
data that defines the line. In the case of 'line shape' the data is in the
properties, the X,Y pairs. In the free form case, I can find no access to
how the line is defined - the point data that makes the line. That is, a
line is a series of points, so that data must be somewhere. The size and
position are useful, but do not describe the line.
I need to be able to recreate the line outside of PowerPoint. Also I need to
make a new free form line in PowerPoint from point data generated from
outside of PowerPoint. Neither of these appears possible as I find no
properties to hold the point data, no way to fully define the line.
I was thinking that the free form case is just a bunch of 'line shape'
objects strung together, as a shape can contain a line shape. But asking the
free form shape for all its line shapes comes up empty (which makes sense,
I'm just trying things to see what happens).
I'm now thinking of trying to hack the clipboard data for a free form line,
as the points must be there. Then I can copy and paste, with basically the
same results.
I'm also very wary of the 12.1.0 upgrade as so many folks are having issues.
It's a bit moot since I have to work with Office 2004 as well as 2008.
It's been many years since I did any Applescripting, so I'm hoping I'm just
missing something obvious.
How do you ask Microsoft this kind of technical question? On the news group
microsoft.public.mac.office.powerpoint? What is the direct way to ask?
(hopefully without paying for support).
Thanks for reading this,
Tracy
> On 5/15/08 8:39 PM, "Tracy Lakin" <email@hidden> wrote:
>
>> Hi All,
>>
>> I¹m needing to get objects, in particular the curve / freeform / scribble
>> lines, into and out of PowerPoint (2004 or 2008). I can get any ³shape type
>> free form² objects on a slide, but I can¹t find where the point data is
>> stored.
>>
>> Line Shapes have a beginning and end x,y pair. What do the free form shape
>> types use?
>>
>> Is there a relation between free form type shapes and line shapes that I¹m
>> not
>> seeing? That is, do free form shape types have line shapes in them? I don¹t
>> find any.
>>
>> Thanks for any help,
>> Tracy
>>
>
> 'line shape' is a proper class a specific subclass of 'shape' - with many
> properties including those 'begin line X', 'begin line Y' properties you
> mention. There are a few other subclasses of shape (e.g. connector, picture,
> place holder, etc.) which have their own specialized properties. 'shape'
> itself (so all varieties of 'shape') have 'left position', 'top', 'width'
> and 'height' properties. Also 'rotation'. Are those not enough to get what
> you need? Check them out - they can be set as well as got. 'shape type free
> form' etc. is just one of the enumerated values for 'shape type' property of
> shape. It's not a class - it has no properties. You can't do anything with
> it as such.
>
> The big - very big - news is that in the brand new 12.1.0 upgrade of
> PowerPoint (and other MS Office apps) that was released yesterday, you can
> now get 'selection' with 'shape range' and 'slide range' properties (classes
> in their own right). If 'left position', 'top', 'width' and 'height' of
> shape still doesn't get you what you're looking for, see if the same
> properties of 'shape range of selection' helps.
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