Script for PowerPoint slide - reloading linked object 1

[c1utch]

I have a Kiosk that is using PowerPoint 2003 viewer to display a continuously looping presentation. Within that presentation, I have two slides that are simply an image, stretched to the full size of the slide. These images are linked to the original image (.jpg) files. However, these files change at different intervals in the day, while this presentation continues to run. (These two images are of our local forecast and local radar image, each is a static image from a website, being downloaded and saved to a share, overwriting the previous image.)

My problem is that while the PowerPoint presentation is running, it doesn't go out and reload the new versions of these image files. Rather, it simply continues to display the image that was loaded when PowerPoint presentation was initially launched…even though the original image has been updated.
Simply linking these images in PowerPoint isn't working while the presentation is looping.

I'm thinking that there might be a script that can be written so that when PowerPoint gets to those two particular slides, it will go out and grab the newer version of the linked image before it displays that particular slide. Anyone have any suggestions?

Chris

 

[BobRodes]

How exactly are you running your presentation?

 

[c1utch]

To paint a clearer picture of what I’ve got going on here, I’ve got a 40” LCD that has Windows XP (Embedded) running on it. It’s a digital sign for our employees. (I call it an LCD…but it’s actually a 40” LCD with an integrated computer inside.)

I’m running a PowerPoint presentation with various slides, two of which will show the current radar image and 3 day forecast. I’m using a batch file to copy these two .jpg images off of an internet site and save them to a directory on the LCD. These two files are named forcast.jpg and radar.jpg. The batch file is scheduled to run multiple times in the day, downloading new versions of these two files and saving them in the same directory….thus overwriting the originals.

In PowerPoint, I have a slide for each of these two images. Each slide is setup by inserting the image with “Insert->Object->Create from file”, browsing to the correct .jpg and clicking the “Link” option.

These images will update if I launch PowerPoint from my desktop because I get prompted my PowerPoint to update. However, when it runs on the LCD (which will be using PowerPoint 2003 Viewer), it will be automated. There won’t be any user intervention when the presentation launches. On top of that, PowerPoint seems to only do this update when you open the presentation. It doesn’t continuously update the images as it’s looping the presentation. Since these images will be changing, I need PowerPoint to go out and “grab” the file again, instead of using what was loaded when the presentation was opened.

The reason I’m trying to put this in a PowerPoint presentation rather than displaying the images separately is the 40” LCD sign comes with piece of software that lets you remotely manage the content and it’s scheduling. This software lets you schedule what is displayed and when the screen should power on and power off. The larger number of things you want to schedule, the more cumbersome the scheduling becomes. If I can consolidate everything I want to display into one file, like a PowerPoint presentation, it will make things a lot easier.

Hope this helps…


Chris

 

[BobRodes]

Well, your problem, as I suspected, is that the PowerPoint viewer loads a .ppt file and displays it, and that's all. As you have already explained. So, if you get a change to the .ppt file, you have to shut down the viewer and restart it for the changes to show.

 

[c1utch]

Actually...I'm testing it on my PC, which has the full version of PowerPoint, and it doesn't update either. To test it, I will start the presentation, and as it's running, I will paste a different image (with the same name) into that directory. But the slide won't change to the new image when it's displayed next.

That's why I thought I could embed a script into the .ppt that forces it to grab the newer version of the image.

Chris

 

[BobRodes]

I did a google to "powerpoint linked image" and found something you might be able to use.

http://skp.mvps.org/liveimage.htm.

It says it's an addin that refreshes the linked image every time you visit the page. Might be a bit slow, but worth a look.

 

[c1utch]

Actually, I already ran across that product. It didn't quite do what I wanted. It throws the image in a box within the slide, and won't let you resize the image to fit the entire slide. Instead, it let's you resize the box that the image is inside. Kind of hard to explain unless you actually see it.
Anyway, I've already sccoured the web, using a couple different search strings, and couldn't really find anything. The only thing I didn't I didn't search for was scripts that would do this.

Chris

 

[BobRodes]

Well, the other thing you could do is have a single powerpoint file, and have a script that restarts the powerpoint viewer every time you replace the file.

 

[c1utch]

So basically you're saying there is no way to embed a script within PowerPoint?

Chris

 

[johnwm]

As this is the VB5/6 forum, and you are asking about Powerpoint scripts (which are VBA) you may do better in forum707. You may also find that your PP VB help will sort the problem if you do a search for SlideShowBegin and SlideShowEnd events

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[c1utch]

Thanks John...I thought that maybe I was indeed posting this in the wrong forum.



Chris