Macro to "bring to front" a picture

Question

Hi,

I'm completely new to macros and to VBA although I have done a tiny bit of work in VB6. What I would really want is a list of commands that I can use in VBA, but I  can't seem to find one.

The general project is:

I have a PowerPoint presentation in PowerPoint 2010 and I have 18 images that give a 360 view of a particular molecule. I want the user to be able to move the mouse over a bar made out of 18 little squares, and when the cursor is over each square, a corresponding image is shown. Basically, a system where the user can spin the 360 view of the image using mouse over.

I was planning to have each of the squares open a macro when the cursor is over them, and the macro would bring the corresponding image to the front. However, I cannot record the macro because PowerPoint 2010 doesn't do that for some reason and I haven't got a clue how to write it manually. Is what I'm trying to do even possible, or could there be a much simpler way to do it?

I'd really appreciate any help, or even a link to a list of commands. I looked in the "library" and "learn" and nothing had anything about VBA. I also searched for "Bring to Front" in the help file in VBA to no avail.

Thanks in advance,

David.

Answer 1

Hello David,

For VBA references you can look at

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa293363(office.10).aspx,

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd941266(office.12).aspx,

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee441138(office.12).aspx

 

Here is the list of VBA functions: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa178230(SQL.80).aspx

Nadia

 

Answer 2

Those links are great and I now know the best way to achieve what I want would be to create a box then change its fill instead of bringing 1 out of 18 images to the front (since there is no 'bring to front' method).

I can create the box but I can't workout how to fill it using a separate macro. I can create it and fill it at the same time:

Sub pic()
Set myDocument = ActivePresentation.Slides(1)
With myDocument.Shapes
  .AddShape(msoShapeRectangle, 0, 0, 200, 100).Fill _
    .UserPicture "c:\windows\tiles.bmp"
End With
End Sub

but can't separate the two processes: 

Sub pic()
Set myDocument = ActivePresentation.Slides(1)
myDocument.Shapes.AddShape Type:=msoShapeRectangle, _
  Left:=300, Top:=200, Width:=200, Height:=100
End Sub

Sub pic1()
Set myDocument = ActivePresentation.Slides(1)
With myDocument.Shapes
  .Fill _
    .UserPicture "c:\windows\tiles.bmp"
End With
End Sub

How do I fill a shape that has not just been added?

Thanks again,

David.

Answer 3

To simplify your code, you can define a name of the added shape:

 

Sub pic()

   Set myDocument = ActivePresentation.Slides(1)

   With myDocument.Shapes

     .AddShape(msoShapeRectangle, 0, 0, 200, 100).Fill _

       .UserPicture "c:\windows\tiles.bmp"

   End With

   myDocument.Shapes(myDocument.Shapes.count).name="Tiles"  ' or whatever works for you

End Sub

 

Now you can refer to a specific shape by a name. For example, to change the picture of this shape you can add code:

 

Dim sh as Shape

Set sh = myDocument.Shapes("Tiles")
sh.Fill.UserPicture "c:\windows\OtherPicture.bmp"

 

Read http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa220958(office.11).aspx to learn more about fill formatting for a shape.

 

Nadia

 

Answer 4

Hi,

It still doesn't seem to work. It's creating the new shape with the correct fill and I think it's giving it the name "Tiles" (how can I check?). However when I try to run the part that should change the fill it gives an error message of "Object Required" indicating line 11.

Sub pic()
Set myDocument = ActivePresentation.Slides(1)
With myDocument.Shapes _
    .AddShape(msoShapeRectangle, 0, 0, 200, 100)
  .Name = "Tiles"
  .Fill.UserPicture "C:\Users\alband\Documents\ProDT\C4\C41.jpg"
End With
End Sub
Sub pic_change()
Dim sh As Shape
Set sh = myDocument.Shapes("Tiles")
sh.Fill.UserPicture "C:\Users\alband\Documents\ProDT\C4\C42.jpg"
End Sub

Also, what does the "sh" mean?

Thanks again for all this help; really apriciate it!

Answer 5

Hello,

Your change procedute is missing the line, please adjust it:

Sub pic_change()
   Set myDocument = ActivePresentation.Slides(1)
   Dim sh As Shape
   Set sh = myDocument.Shapes("Tiles")
   sh.Fill.UserPicture "C:\Users\alband\Documents\ProDT\C4\C42.jpg"
End Sub

sh is just a variable to reference the Shape object.

If you want to look at your objects - set a breakpoint in your code and look at the Locals window (from menu View-Locals).

Nadia

 

Answer 6

Succes!!

Thank you so much for the help! I just copied the extra across and it works. I've now multiplied the process and have got two 360 degree view of two isomers on my presentation!

Thanks again for your help!

David.

Answer 7

You are welcome!

Glad that you delivered your presentation the way you wanted.

Nadia