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Impress Guide 7.3

Chapter 7,
OLE, Spreadsheets, Charts, and Other Objects

Copyright

This document is Copyright © 2022 by the LibreOffice Documentation Team. Contributors are listed below. This document maybe distributed and/or modified under the terms of either the GNU General Public License (https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html), version 3 or later, or the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), version 4.0 or later.

All trademarks within this guide belong to their legitimate owners.

Contributors

To this edition

Peter Schofield

Kees Kriek

 

To previous editions

Peter Schofield

Samantha Hamilton

Michele Zarri

T. Elliot Turner

Jean Hollis Weber

Rachel Kartch

Feedback

Please direct any comments or suggestions about this document to the Documentation Team’s mailing list: documentation@global.libreoffice.org

Note

Everything sent to a mailing list, including email addresses and any other personal information that is written in the message, is publicly archived and cannot be deleted.

Publication date and software version

Published May 2022. Based on LibreOffice 7.3 Community.
Other versions of LibreOffice may differ in appearance and functionality.

Using LibreOffice on macOS

Some keystrokes and menu items are different on macOS from those used in Windows and Linux. The table below gives some common substitutions for the instructions in this document. For a detailed list, see the application Help.

Windows or Linux

macOS equivalent

Effect

Tools > Options on Menu bar

LibreOffice > Preferences on Menu bar

Access to setup options

Right-click

Ctrl+click and/or right-click depending on computer setup

Opens a context menu

Ctrl or Control

⌘ and/or Cmd or Command

Used with other keys

Alt

⌥ and/or Alt or Option

Used with other keys

F11

⌘+T

Open the Styles deck in the Sidebar

OLE objects

Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) is a software technology that allows linking and embedding of the following types of files into an Impress presentation.

The major benefit of using OLE objects is that it provides a quick and easy method of editing an object using tools from the software that created the object. These file types can all be created using LibreOffice and OLE objects can be created from new or from an existing file.

Inserting new OLE objects

When inserting a new OLE object, it is only available in the presentation it is being inserted into and the OLE object can only be edited using Impress.

1)  Select the slide in a presentation to insert an OLE object.

2)  Go to Insert > Object > OLE Object on the Menu bar to open the Insert OLE Object dialog (Figure 1).

3)  Select Create new and then select the type of OLE object in Object Type.

4)  Click OK and a new OLE object is inserted in the center of the slide in edit mode. The toolbars displayed change providing the necessary tools to create a new OLE object.

Note

For computers using the Windows operating system, an additional option of Further objects is available in the Object Type list. Clicking on Further objects opens an Insert Object dialog (Figure 2) allowing an OLE object using other software that is compatible with OLE and LibreOffice to be inserted. This option is available for new OLE objects and OLE objects from a file.

Figure 1: Insert OLE Object dialog

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Figure 2: Insert OLE Objects dialog - Windows further objects option

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Figure 3: Insert OLE Object dialog - Create from file option

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Inserting OLE objects from files

1)  Select the slide in a presentation to insert an OLE object.

2)  Go to Insert > Object > OLE Object on the Menu bar to open the Insert OLE Object dialog.

3)  Select Create from file and the dialog changes to a file search dialog (Figure 3).

4)  Click on Search and a file browser window opens.

5)  Navigate to where the file is located.

6)  Select the file required and click Open. The filename appears in the File text box.

7)  Insert the OLE object into the center of the slide in edit mode using one of the following methods:

Note

By default, when inserting a file into a slide as an OLE object, any changes made to the original file after insertion do not affect the copy of the file inserted into a presentation. Also, changes to the file copy in a presentation do not change the original file. If any changes made to the file, either in the original or in the presentation, are to appear in both versions the original file has to be linked with the presentation when the file is inserted.

Editing OLE objects

1)  Double-click on the OLE object to open it in edit mode. The toolbars in Impress change to provide the necessary tools for editing an OLE object.

2)  When editing the OLE object is complete, click anywhere outside the OLE object to exit editing.

3)  Save the presentation. Any changes made to the OLE object are also saved.

Resizing and moving OLE objects

Resizing and moving OLE objects is exactly the same as resizing and moving graphic objects in Impress. For more information, see Chapter 5, Managing Graphic Objects.

Note

When resizing or moving a spreadsheet in slides, ignore any horizontal and vertical scroll bars, and the first row and first column. The first row and first column are easily recognizable because of their light background color. They are only used for spreadsheet editing purposes and are not included in the spreadsheet that appears as an OLE object on the slide.

Note

Do not double click on an OLE spreadsheet object when moving or resizing. Double clicking opens the OLE object editing mode for spreadsheets.

Spreadsheets

To include a spreadsheet in an Impress presentation, either insert an existing spreadsheet file or insert a new spreadsheet as an OLE object. For more information on spreadsheets, see the Calc Guide and the Getting Started Guide.

Embedding a spreadsheet into Impress includes most of the functionality of a Calc spreadsheet. Impress is capable of using Calc functions to carry out calculations and data analysis. However, if complex data or formulas are going to be used, it is recommended to perform those operations in a separate Calc spreadsheet first, then embed the spreadsheet into Impress with the results.

It is tempting to use spreadsheets in Impress for creating tables or presenting data in a tabular format. However, inserting a table into Impress is often more suitable and faster, depending on the complexity of the data. See Chapter 3, Adding and Formatting Text for more information on inserting and formatting tables.

Note

The entire spreadsheet is inserted into a slide as an OLE object. If the spreadsheet contains more than one sheet and the one required is not visible, double-click the spreadsheet and then select a different sheet from the sheet tab row at the bottom. See “Editing OLE objects” on page 1 for more information on editing a spreadsheet as an OLE object.

Editing spreadsheets

When a spreadsheet is inserted into a slide, it is in edit mode ready for inserting or modifying data or modifying the format (Figure 4). The following also happens to provide tools and functions for spreadsheets:

Figure 4: Example spreadsheet in Impress

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Figure 5: Formatting toolbar for spreadsheets

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Cell navigation

By default, when an embedded spreadsheet is opened, the active cell is A1. To move around the spreadsheet to select a cell to make it active, use one of the following methods:

Note

Other keyboard shortcuts are available to navigate around a spreadsheet. Refer to Getting Started Guide or the Calc Guide for more information.

Entering data

Data input into a cell can only be done when a cell is active. An active cell is easily identified by a thickened and bolder border. The cell reference for the active cell is displayed in the Name Box at the left hand end of the Calc editing toolbar.

1)  Double-click on the embedded spreadsheet to open in edit mode.

2)  Select a cell to make it active and start typing in the cell or in the Input Line. The data input displayed in the Input Line makes the data entry easier to read.

3)  Use the various tools and options on the Menu bar to enter data, formula, function, text, or date into a cell.

4)  To confirm data input into a cell use one of the following methods:

5)  When finished editing the embedded spreadsheet, click anywhere outside the border to exit edit mode and save the changes.

Tip

Sometimes it is useful to treat numbers as text (for example, telephone numbers). To prevent Impress from removing the leading zeros or right aligning numbers in a cell, type a single quotation mark (') before entering a number as text.

Merging cells

1)  Double-click on the embedded spreadsheet to open in edit mode.

2)  Highlight the required number of cells to be merged.

3)  If there is no data in the cells being merged, use one of the following methods to merge cells:

Figure 6: Merge Cells dialog

Image6

4)  If the selected cells for merging contain data, the Merge Cells dialog (Figure 6) automatically opens. Merge the selected cells as follows:

a)  Use one of the methods in Step 3 to merge cells and open the Merge Cells dialog.

b)  Select an option in the Merge Cells dialog.

c)  Click OK to merge the cells and close the Merge Cells dialog.

5)  When finished editing the embedded spreadsheet, click anywhere outside the border to exit edit mode and save the changes.

Splitting cells

Only multiple cells that have been merged can be split into separate cells.

1)  Double-click on the embedded spreadsheet to open in edit mode.

2)  Select a cell that was merged from multiple cells.

3)  Split the merged cell into separate cells using one of the following methods:

4)  When finished editing the embedded spreadsheet, click anywhere outside the border to exit edit mode and save the changes.

Inserting cells

1)  Double-click on the embedded spreadsheet to open in edit mode.

2)  Select the same number of cells on the embedded spreadsheet as are going to be inserted.

3)  Insert cells using one of the following methods. Inserting cells opens the Insert Cells dialog (Figure 7).

4)  Select an insert option for cells, then click OK to insert the cells and close the Insert Cells dialog.

5)  When finished editing the embedded spreadsheet, click anywhere outside the border to exit edit mode and save the changes.

Figure 7: Insert Cells dialog

Image7

Inserting rows

1)  Double-click on the embedded spreadsheet to open in edit mode.

2)  Select the same number of rows on the embedded spreadsheet as are going to be inserted.

3)  Insert rows using one of the following methods:

4)  When finished editing the embedded spreadsheet, click anywhere outside the border to exit edit mode and save the changes.

Inserting columns

1)  Double-click on the embedded spreadsheet to open in edit mode.

2)  Select the same number of columns on the embedded spreadsheet as are going to be inserted.

3)  Insert columns using one of the following methods:

4)  When finished editing the embedded spreadsheet, click anywhere outside the border to exit edit mode and save the changes.

Deleting cells

1)  Double-click on the embedded spreadsheet to open in edit mode.

2)  Select the cells for deletion on the embedded spreadsheet.

3)  Delete the selected cells using one of the following methods. Deleting cells opens the Delete Cells dialog (Figure 8).

Figure 8: Delete Cells dialog

Image8

4)  Select a delete option, then click OK to delete the cells and close the dialog.

5)  When finished editing the embedded spreadsheet, click anywhere outside the border to exit edit mode and save the changes.

Deleting rows

1)  Double-click on the embedded spreadsheet to open in edit mode.

2)  Select the rows for deletion on the embedded spreadsheet.

3)  Delete the selected rows using one of the following methods:

4)  When finished editing the embedded spreadsheet, click anywhere outside the border to exit edit mode and save the changes.

Deleting columns

1)  Double-click on the embedded spreadsheet to open in edit mode.

2)  Select the columns for deletion on the embedded spreadsheet.

3)  Delete the selected columns using one of the following methods:

4)  When finished editing the embedded spreadsheet, click anywhere outside the border to exit edit mode and save the changes.

Quickly inserting sheets

1)  Double-click on the embedded spreadsheet to open in edit mode.

2)  Quickly insert a sheet using one of the following methods:

3)  When finished editing the embedded spreadsheet, click anywhere outside the border to exit edit mode and save the changes.

Note

If there are multiple sheets in an embedded spreadsheet, only the active sheet is shown on the slide after exiting edit mode.

Inserting sheets

For more control over inserting sheets into an embedded spreadsheet, the Insert Sheet dialog (Figure 9) is used as follows:

1)  Double-click on the embedded spreadsheet to open in edit mode.

2)  Open the Insert Sheet dialog using one of the following methods:

3)  In Position select one of the following options:

4)  In Sheet select New sheet and the No. of sheets required.

5)  In the Name text box, enter a name for the new sheet. This option is not available if inserting multiple sheets.

6)  Click OK to insert the sheet and close the Insert Sheet dialog.

Figure 9: Insert Sheet dialog

Image9

7)  When finished editing an embedded spreadsheet, click anywhere outside the border to exit edit mode and save the changes.

Insert sheet from file

When inserting a sheet from a file, the Insert Sheet dialog has to be used.

1)  Double-click on the embedded spreadsheet to open in edit mode.

2)  Open the Insert Sheet dialog using one of the following methods:

3)  In Position select one of the following options:

4)  In Sheet, select From file and click on Browse to open an Insert browser window.

5)  Navigate to the file location and select the file.

6)  Click on Open and the sheet names contained in the file appear in the preview box.

7)  If necessary, click on Link to create a link to the original file.

8)  Select the sheet required for insertion in the preview box.

9)  Click OK to insert the selected sheet into the embedded spreadsheet and close the Insert Sheet dialog.

10)  When finished editing an embedded spreadsheet, click anywhere outside the border to exit edit mode and save the changes.

Renaming sheets

1)  Double-click on the embedded spreadsheet to open it in edit mode.

2)  Select the sheet for renaming to make it active.

3)  Right-click on the sheet tab and select Rename Sheet from the context menu, or go to Sheet > Rename Sheet on the Menu bar.

4)  Enter a new name for the sheet in the Rename Sheet dialog that opens.

5)  Click OK to save the name change and close the Rename Sheet dialog.

6)  When finished editing the embedded spreadsheet, click anywhere outside the border to exit edit mode and save the changes.

Moving or copying sheets

1)  Double-click on the embedded spreadsheet to open it in edit mode.

2)  Select the sheet for moving or copying to make it active.

3)  Right-click on the sheet tab and select Move or Copy Sheet from the context menu, or go to Sheet > Move or Copy Sheet on the Menu bar to open the Move/Copy Sheet dialog (Figure 10).

4)  Move or copy a sheet to another position within the embedded spreadsheet in the same presentation as follows:

a)  In Action, select the Move option or Copy option.

b)  In Location, select a destination from the options in the To document drop-down list. In Impress, the presentation is named as Untitled 1 (current document).

c)  In Insert before, select the position within the spreadsheet from the available list.

Figure 10: Move/Copy Sheet dialog

Image10

d)  If necessary, enter a new name for the sheet in the New name text box.

e)  Click OK to move or copy the sheet and close the Move/Copy sheet dialog.

Note

To move or copy a sheet from an embedded spreadsheet in an Impress presentation into another document, then the target document must be a Calc spreadsheet or a document that contains an embedded Calc spreadsheet.

5)  Move or copy a sheet to another document containing a spreadsheet is as follows:

a)  Make sure the spreadsheet in the target document is selected.

b)  In Action, select the Move option or Copy option.

c)  In Location, select a destination from the options in the To document drop-down list. In Impress, the presentation is named as Untitled 1 (current document). If the document is a Calc spreadsheet, the filename of the Calc spreadsheet is displayed.

d)  In Insert before, select the position within the spreadsheet from the available list.

e)  If necessary, enter a new name for the sheet in the New name text box.

f)  Click OK to move or copy the sheet and close the Move/Copy sheet dialog.

6)  To move the sheet within the embedded spreadsheet using the cursor, click on the sheet tab and drag the selected sheet to a new position.

7)  When finished editing the embedded spreadsheet, click anywhere outside the border to exit edit mode and save the changes.

Deleting sheets

1)  Double-click on the embedded spreadsheet to open it in edit mode.

2)  Select the sheet for deletion to make it active.

3)  Right-click on the sheet tab and select Delete Sheet from the context menu, or go to Sheet > Delete Sheet on the Menu bar.

4)  Click Yes to confirm the deletion of the sheet.

5)  When finished editing the embedded spreadsheet, click anywhere outside the border to exit edit mode and save the changes.

Formatting spreadsheets

For presentation purposes, it may be necessary to change the formatting of a spreadsheet to match the style used in the presentation.

When working on an embedded spreadsheet, any styles created in Calc are also available for use. However, if styles are going to be used, it is recommended to create specific styles for embedded spreadsheets. Calc styles maybe unsuitable when working in Impress.

Figure 11: Format Cells dialog - Numbers page

Image11

Cell data formatting

1)  Select a cell or a range of cells in an embedded spreadsheet using one of the following methods:

2)  Open the Format Cells dialog (Figure 11) using one of the following methods:

3)  Use the various pages in the Format Cells dialog to format the cell data so that it matches the style of the presentation.

4)  Click OK to close the Format Cells dialog and save the formatting changes.

5)  When finished formatting the embedded spreadsheet, click anywhere outside the border to exit edit mode and save the changes.

Row formatting

1)  Select a row by clicking in the row header.

2)  Adjust the row height using one of the following methods:

3)  When finished formatting the embedded spreadsheet, click anywhere outside the border to exit edit mode and save the changes.

Column formatting

1)  Select a column by clicking in the column header.

2)  Adjust the column width using one of the following methods:

Figure 12: Calc Styles deck in Sidebar

Image12

3)  When finished formatting the embedded spreadsheet, click anywhere outside the border to exit edit mode and save the changes.

Using formatting styles

When using styles in an embedded spreadsheet and the spreadsheet is in edit mode, Impress displays the available styles for a spreadsheet in the Styles deck on the Sidebar (Figure 12). Styles used in an embedded spreadsheet are similar to paragraph styles used in LibreOffice Writer.

1)  Select the data in a cell or cells in the embedded spreadsheet.

2)  Click on Styles to open the Styles deck in the Sidebar.

3)  Double-click on a style to apply that style to the cell data.

4)  When finished formatting the embedded spreadsheet, click anywhere outside the border to exit edit mode and save the changes.

Charts

A chart is a graphical interpretation of information that is contained in a spreadsheet. The following information only provides basic information on charts. For more information about creating charts and the use of charts, see the Calc Guide.

Inserting charts

1)  Select a slide to insert a chart.

2)  Use one of the following methods to insert a chart:

Figure 13: Example chart in editing mode

Image13

Figure 14: Formatting toolbar for charts

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3)  If necessary, click outside the chart area to cancel editing mode.

Note

When an embedded chart is in editing mode, the Formatting toolbar (Figure 14) for charts automatically opens replacing the Line and Filling and Standard toolbars.

Selecting chart types

Data can be presented using a variety of different chart types. Impress contains several examples of chart types that will help to convey information to an audience. Select a chart type using the Chart Type dialog or the Chart Type panel in the Properties deck on the Sidebar.

Chart types

The following summary of available chart types to help selection of a chart type suitable for the data being used to create the chart. Column, bar, pie and area charts are available as 2D or 3D types. For more information on charts, see the Calc Guide.

Figure 15: Chart Type dialog

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Chart Type dialog

1)  Make sure the chart is selected and is in editing mode. The chart has a border and selection handles when in editing mode.

2)  Open the Chart Type dialog (Figure 15) using one of the following methods:

3)  Select a chart type from the left-hand preview box and the chart examples on the right change. The available options for chart types also change to match the selected chart type.

4)  Select a chart example from the right-hand preview box.

5)  Select the options required for the chart type selected.

6)  Click OK to close the Chart Type dialog and return to the edit window.

7)  Continue to format the chart, add data to the chart, or click outside the chart to return to normal view.

Sidebar Chart Type

1)  Make sure the chart is selected and is in editing mode. The chart has a border and selection handles when in editing mode.

2)  Click on Properties on the Sidebar to open the Properties deck.

3)  Click on the Chart Type title bar to open the Chart Type panel (Figure 16).

4)  Select the chart type from the Chart Type drop-down list.

5)  Select a chart example from the preview box.

Figure 16: Chart Type panel in Properties deck on Sidebar

Image16

Figure 17: Elements panel in Properties deck on Sidebar

Image17

6)  Select the chart elements required for the chart type from the Elements panel on the Sidebar (Figure 17).

7)  Continue to format the chart, add data to the chart, or click outside the chart to return to normal view.

Formatting charts

Entering chart data

1)  Make sure the chart is selected and is in editing mode. The chart has a border and selection handles when in editing mode.

2)  Open the Data Table dialog (Figure 18) using one of the following methods:

3)  Type or paste information into the cells to enter data into the Data Table dialog.

4)  Use the tools in the top of the Data Table dialog to insert, delete or reposition rows or columns.

5)  Click on Close to save the changes and close the Data Table dialog.

6)  Click outside the chart to return to normal view.

Figure 18: Data Table dialog

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Figure 19: Elements panel in Properties deck on Sidebar

Image19

Note

To insert, delete or reposition a column, use the tools Insert Series, Delete Series, Move Series Left, and Move Series Right in the Data Table dialog.

Adding or removing chart elements

1)  Make sure the chart is selected and is in editing mode. The chart has a border and selection handles when in editing mode.

2)  Add an element to the chart using one of the following methods:

Note

The method selected to add an element changes the type of element that can be added to the chart. Also, when adding some elements to the chart, a dialog may open with more options to select for the element being added.

3)  Remove an element from a chart using one of the following methods:

4)  Click outside the chart to return to normal view.

Chart and chart elements formatting

For more information on formatting a chart, chart elements, and the formatting options available, see the Calc Guide.

1)  Make sure the chart is selected and is in editing mode. The chart has a border and selection handles when in editing mode.

2)  Format an element on the chart using one of the following methods:

3)  Select an element and open a formatting dialog specific for the element selected.

4)  Use the various options in the formatting dialog to format the element.

Resizing and moving charts

A chart and its chart elements can be resized and moved just like other objects on a slide. For more information on resizing and moving a chart, see Chapter 5, Managing Graphic Objects and the Calc Guide.

Figure 20: Example of Insert Audio or Video file browser

Image20

Figure 21: Media Playback toolbar

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Audio and video

Inserting audio or video

Using a file browser

1)  Go to Insert > Audio or Video on the Menu bar and a file browser for Insert Audio or Video opens (Figure 20).

2)  Navigate to the folder where the audio or video file is located. Only the audio and video files that are compatible with Impress will be available in the file browser.

3)  Select a compatible audio or video file and click Open to embed the file in the center of the slide. The Media Playback toolbar (Figure 21) automatically opens.

4)  Reposition and/or resize the audio or video file. See Chapter 5, Managing Graphic Objects for more information.

Using the Gallery

1)  If the Gallery deck is not already open, use one of the following methods to open the Gallery deck:

2)  Browse to a theme containing media files, for example Sounds.

3)  Click on the audio or video option required and drag it onto the slide. The Media Playback toolbar automatically opens.

4)  Reposition and/or resize the audio or video file. See Chapter 5, Managing Graphic Objects for more information.

Media playback

The Media Playback toolbar automatically opens when an audio or video file is selected. The Media Playback toolbar contains the following tools from left to right:

Formulas

Go to Insert > Object > Formula Object on the Menu bar to create a formula in a slide. A formula can also be inserted as an OLE object; see “OLE objects” on page 1 for more information.

When editing a formula, the Math menu becomes available allowing the creation or editing of a formula. For more information on how to create formulas, see the Math Guide or the Getting Started Guide.

When creating formulas, care should be taken with font sizes to make sure formulas are similar in size to the font used in the presentation. To change font attributes of a formula, go to Format > Font Size on the Menu bar. To change font type, go to Format > Fonts on the Menu bar.

Note

Unlike formulas in Writer, a formula in Impress is treated as an object and is not automatically aligned with the rest of the objects on the slide. The formula can be moved around like other objects in Impress, but cannot be resized.

Drawings, text files, HTML files and other objects

Drawings, text files, HTML files and other objects can be inserted into an Impress presentation, but only objects that are compatible with Impress can be inserted. Go to Insert > File on the Menu bar to open a file selection dialog. Only files compatible with Impress are available for selection. Drawings, text files, HTML files and other objects can also be inserted as OLE objects; see “OLE objects” on page 1 for more information.

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