PPT 2003 - Problem saving guidelines in template

[TrippyTom]

Is it just me, or can you not save your ruler guidelines in a PPT template in 2003? I set them up in my blank.pot file, saved, and started a new file and they were gone!

[John Wilson]

It's not just you!

You could always write an event handler to open a blank presentation with the guides (-after new presentation event)

PS Trippy if you use XP / 2003 we have a new free addin being tested to give something similar to the selection / visibility function in 2007. If you fancy helping test it email me john AT SIGN technologytrish.co.uk

[TrippyTom]

Ok, thanks John. At work, they got their .pot files to save the ruler guidelines, so that must be what they did. I will look into that. I think I saw somewhere during my research ways to add event handlers in PPT.

p.s. - Email sent

[TrippyTom]

Sorry to revive an ancient post, but I just discovered the guides are saved in the pres.xml section of your file (in PPT 2003) toward the bottom.

 <p:guide type="horizontal" position="2387"/>
<p:guide type="horizontal" position="3793"/>
<p:guide type="horizontal" position="981"/>
<p:guide type="horizontal" position="391"/>
<p:guide type="horizontal" position="527"/>
<p:guide type="horizontal" position="822"/>
<p:guide type="vertical" position="200"/>
<p:guide type="vertical" position="2754"/>
<p:guide type="vertical" position="2880"/>
<p:guide type="vertical" position="3006"/>
<p:guide type="vertical" position="5560"/>

If a user had messed up my guides and I wanted to reset them to the original location, I could alter the xml code in the Script Editor (SHIFT ALT F11). I guess my question now is, can a vba macro alter script code?

It would be great if I could make a button to reset the guides this way.

[John Wilson]

Shyam has some code here which might be a pointer. Bad timing I was with Shyam last week and could have asked him to give me some pointers!
http://skp.mvps.org/pptxp008.htm

[TrippyTom]

Thanks John... that looks interesting. I couldn't figure out where to put that code to make it work. Obviously the class code goes in a class module but I guess I copy/pasted the wrong sections into the wrong modules... /shrug

Anyway, if you see him again, please ask him to write up an explanation of how to read/write to the pres.xml file via VBA (if it's even possible). I didn't see a feedback or help section on his website.

Thanks

[John Wilson]

You can write / read the pres.xml BUT only when the presentation is not open. Basically save a copy and work on that. Still not easy though.

[John Wilson]

Tom

I was thinking of 2007 above. Not sure about 2003.

[TrippyTom]

i'm sure it's the same in 2003.. as far as not having the file open. I guess this is just one of those things I will have to live with. Thanks anyway.