Automated numbering for Figures in Word 2010?

[JJH]

Greetings,

I'm a new user to the group and hoping someone can help me with a specific task I'm trying to accomplish in using Styles in Word 2010.

Part of my job function is to write technical manuals for automated machinery (it's a little more fun than it sounds!) and it is common in this business for things to "develop" over a period of time, which in turn changes how my manual is laid out.



One of the largest issues I have is when I add screenshots to a manual and then a new screenshot gets inserted, I have to manually go through the document and renumber all the list of figures I've previously put in.

What I'm looking to do is create a Style that will automatically number itself if I add or remove a screenshot so that I don't have to manually go through and do it all, which is not only time consuming and tedious, it can lead to erroneous references.

I've attached an example of what I am trying to achieve. In Example 1, you will see a screenshot listed Main Screen with a reference of Figure 6.1. Below that is the Alarm Screen, listed as Figure 6.2.

In Example 2, the Run Screen has been added and it is now Figure 6.2 and the Alarm Screen has been moved up to Figure 6.3. This would not be a big deal if the document contained a dozen screens or less, or was at the end of the document but most of the manuals I write have over 20 screens so having something more automated would be a big help.

I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who has either done this before or has some suggestions of how to tackle it. It would be a bonus if the text in the description above the screens could be automated as well because that just involves the same thing, manual reformatting... not fun.

Thanks for any help you can provide!