From: John Philo <jphilo@mailway.com>
  To  : Rasmb <rasmb@alpha.bbri.org>
  Date: Wed, 4 Oct 2000 15:44:28 -0700

RE: Origin to PowerPoint

Peter,

When you paste a graph as an Origin object it also contains the graph image
as a Windows metafile (scalable vector object). Thus if you displayed that
PowerPoint file on a Mac it would have the correct, full-resolution image
but you would not be able to edit it (same situation for any Windows machine
not having Origin installed).

You can force PowerPoint to paste it as a metafile (picture) rather than a
link by using that choice from the Paste Special menu item, if you want, but
to my knowledge there are no drawbacks to leaving it as a linked Origin
object other than taking up a bit more disk space. You don't want to paste
your graph as a bitmap image because that will have poor resolution when
printed and look terrible even on the screen if re-sized.

It is true that early versions of Mac PowerPoint did not handle Windows
metafiles very well, but I don't think that is much of a problem now.

There are all too often font issues in going back and forth with Mac. These
could arise when you use special characters like Greek symbols in the axis
labels of the graph, but if you stick to the common TrueType fonts (Times,
Arial, and Symbol) that should be okay too. In my experience the font issues
arise more with things like the symbols used for bullets in the text parts
of PP slides, since in many of Microsoft's standard templates these bullets
come from odd fonts.

Thus my advice is basically just paste your graph as the default Origin
linked object, and "don't worry, be happy".

One thing that you want to avoid doing with pasted graphs in many
applications is to double click on the image such that you are editing the
metafile picture (as opposed to opening it in Origin). If the vertical axis
label has a sideways font (as it usually does) then very often this label
gets rotated to the normal text direction when edited by the default picture
editor.

The other issue with pasting from Origin is that usually you'll find a lot
of empty space in the pasted graph in PP around the edges. Thus you usually
have to expand the size in PP so those empty edges actually overlap the text
parts or even go off the edge of the slide. You can minimize that problem by
making the graph nearly fill the window in Origin, but even that doesn't get
rid of it completely in my experience.

'Hope this helps.

John
-----Original Message-----
From: Peter Prevelige [prevelig@uab.edu]">mailto:prevelig@uab.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, October 04, 2000 2:07 PM
To: jphilo@mailway.com
Subject: RE: Origin to PowerPoint


Hi John

my primary concern is that it work :)

 if i copy and paste the origin page into powerpoint, i can click on the
figure and edit in origin. that leads me to believe that the figure is
probably a link rather than an inserted image. since i want to carry the
presentation off on a zip disk this could be disasterous.

a second concern is to maximize cross platform functionality (is that a
silicon valley sounding gobbledy-gook phrase or what?) since we have 1/2
mac and 1/2 pc. in the past i have run into problems moving powerpoint with
imported graphics across platforms

the third concern is that the figures look as good in powerpoint as they do
in origin.

so, i am looking for the most robust way to do and insure the original
quality of the origin plots.

thanks for you help


>Peter,
>
>I do this frequently. What exactly are your concerns/problems?
>
>John Philo
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Peter Prevelige [prevelig@uab.edu]">mailto:prevelig@uab.edu]
>Sent: Wednesday, October 04, 2000 10:59 AM
>To: rasmb@alpha.bbri.org
>Subject: Origin to Powerpoint
>
>
>A bit off topic but - Does anyone have any sage advice about moving Origin
>plots into Powerpoint for presentation?
>
>
>P
>
>Peter E. Prevelige Jr.
>Associate Professor
>Dept. of Microbiology, BBRB 416/6
>Univ. of Alabama @ Birmingham
>845 19th St. South
>Birmingham AL. 35294-2170
>Phone 205 975-5327
>FAX 205 975-5479
>prevelig@uab.edu
>http://www.microbio.uab.edu/faculty/prevelige-p.htm
>
>mailing address:
>UAB Dept. of Microbiology
>BBRB 416/6
>1530 3RD AVENUE SOUTH
>BIRMINGHAM, AL. 35294-2170


Peter E. Prevelige Jr.
Associate Professor
Dept. of Microbiology, BBRB 416/6
Univ. of Alabama @ Birmingham
845 19th St. South
Birmingham AL. 35294-2170
Phone 205 975-5327
FAX 205 975-5479
prevelig@uab.edu
http://www.microbio.uab.edu/faculty/prevelige-p.htm

mailing address:
UAB Dept. of Microbiology
BBRB 416/6
1530 3RD AVENUE SOUTH
BIRMINGHAM, AL. 35294-2170