The images, along with the IPTC embedded caption (also called “Description” in some IPTC references) are stored in a folder, “C:\FPC_Directory”. That folder also has a CSV file listing all of the images, with data fields including “FileName” (e.g. “Anderson Alice P2244124.jpg”) and “Description” (e.g. “Alice & Bill Anderson”).



The CSV file also has a field “SourceFile” which includes the complete file path and the file name (for example, “C:/FPC_Directory/Anderson Alice P2244124.jpg”).

There are 220 images, each 640x480 pixels, using total storage of 23.2 MB. The Word template is a table having 3 columns and 4 rows, i.e. 12 images per page. Hence, the directory has a total of 19 pages.

I use Word 2010, careful to save the template as Word 97-2003. The merged document is saved at .docx in compatibility mode.

My problem is unlinking the source files in order to transfer the 19 page document with actual images.

This code works, creating a document about 24 MB in size:

{ IF {INCLUDEPICTURE { IF TRUE “C:\FPC_Directory\{MERGEFIELD “FileName” }” } }{ INCLUDEPICTURE {IF TRUE “C:\FPC_Directory\{ MERGEFIELD “FileName” }” } } }
{MERGEFIELD “Description” }

This code, using the “\d” qualifier, produces the desired document, but the source files are linked. The document isn’t transferrable to another computer.

{ IF {INCLUDEPICTURE { IF TRUE “C:\FPC_Directory\{MERGEFIELD “FileName” }” } \d }{ INCLUDEPICTURE {IF TRUE “C:\FPC_Directory\{ MERGEFIELD “FileName” }” } } \d }
{MERGEFIELD “Description” }


What am I doing wrong?

Are you actually Finishing the merge? Are you using Ctrl-F9 to create all the field braces?

The field code you're depicting should unlink all the images when the merge is finished.

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

Thanks, Paul, for your help from down under. Perhaps, though, for this INCLUDEPICTURE issue, the Coriolis Effect is favorable in Canberra and unfavorable to those of us on the topside of the planet.

You acknowledged that my field code should unlink all the images when the merge is finished. That’s just not happening.

Today, I used this code in each of the 12 cells of the Word template. I did, however, omit the { NEXT } code from the first cell:

{ NEXT }{ IF { INCLUDEPICTURE { IF TRUE "C:\\FPC_Directory\\{ MERGEFIELD FileName }" } \d }{ INCLUDEPICTURE {IF TRUE “C:\\FPC_Directory\\{ MERGEFIELD FileName }” } \d } }
{ MERGEFIELD Description }

I used Ctrl-F9 to create all of the field braces except for those around “MERGEFIELD FileName”. Those braces came along the “Insert Merge Field” pull-down menu.

I click on “Finish and Merge”, then “Edit Individual Documents”, and then “Merge Records All” to create the 19 page pictorial directory showing all desired images.

I then “Select All” (Ctrl+A) and then pressed F9, hoping to unlink, but still keep the images. I saved the file. The resulting file size is 70 KB.

If I remove the “\d” switch and repeat the merge, the saved file is about 24 MB, the same as the total of all of the image files.

I’ve tried this on Word 2003 under Windows XP, and on two different computers running Word 2010 (64-bit) under Windows 7.

I’ve noted two Microsoft web pages dealing with the “\d” switch:

Word 2007:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/wo...010263483.aspx

Word 2010 and Word 2013:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/wo...102017478.aspx


I’m pleased to be able to create the church pictorial directory using only Picasa and Microsoft Word. There are many online church directory products, but they have unreasonable constraints on the image aspect ratio, the wording of the “caption” and other details important to our diverse congregation.

John

In your original post, you said:
In that case, you should be able to use:
{IF {INCLUDEPICTURE {IF TRUE "{MERGEFIELD SourceFile}"} \d} {INCLUDEPICTURE {IF TRUE "{MERGEFIELD SourceFile}"} \d}}

Otherwise either of the following should work (I've tested & confirmed them):
{IF {INCLUDEPICTURE {IF TRUE "C:\\FPC_Directory\\{MERGEFIELD FileName}"} \d} {INCLUDEPICTURE {IF TRUE "C:\\FPC_Directory\\{MERGEFIELD FileName}"} \d}}
{IF {INCLUDEPICTURE {IF TRUE "C:\FPC_Directory\{MERGEFIELD FileName}"} \d} {INCLUDEPICTURE {IF TRUE "C:\FPC_Directory\{MERGEFIELD FileName}"} \d}}

As before, the field construction in your latest post looks OK, though there should be a space between the }{ pair, as in } {. The field codes I've represented above have all the unnecessary spaces removed.

When the merge using such fields is executed, your output file should have the images and no links. The only way I can generate a file with links with the above field code is by saving the merge preview.

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]