Microsoft Office Forums

Go Back   Microsoft Office Forums > >

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 08-15-2011, 09:46 AM
gib65 gib65 is offline Can Word automatically update figure numbers? Windows XP Can Word automatically update figure numbers? Office 2007
Advanced Beginner
Can Word automatically update figure numbers?
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 72
gib65 is on a distinguished road
Default Can Word automatically update figure numbers?

Is there a way to get Word to recognize figure captions? For example, if I have an image and underneath it is a caption that says "Figure 3: blah, blah, blah", can I highlight this and do something to it so that Word knows this is figure 3?



The advantage to this would be that if I had to insert another figure somewhere mid-document (say between figures 3 and 4), Word would automatically update all figures after it (so figure 4 would become figure 5, figure 5 would become figure 6, and so on to the end of the document).

It might also update inline references to the figure. For example, if below figure 4 in the paragraph it says "Figure 4 shows..." then adding a new figure between 3 and 4 would update this to "Figure 5 shows...".

Can Word do this?
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 08-15-2011, 11:01 AM
Kimberly Kimberly is offline Can Word automatically update figure numbers? Windows 7 64bit Can Word automatically update figure numbers? Office 2010 64bit
Expert
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 517
Kimberly is on a distinguished road
Default

That is how captions work... Select the object and on the References tab, click Insert Caption. Fill in the dialog box as desired. The numbers automatically update if new captions are inserted amongst existing ones.

To get the "Figure 4 shows..." to change to "Figure 5..."... Place the insertion point where you want this to be displayed and click References > Cross-reference. Fill in the dialog box... Reference type: Figure. Insert reference to: Only label and number.

You can even do something like this:
(Insert a cross-reference to Only label and number)
type <space>on page<space> (Insert a cross-reference to page number)
<space>shows yada yada.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 08-15-2011, 01:49 PM
gib65 gib65 is offline Can Word automatically update figure numbers? Windows XP Can Word automatically update figure numbers? Office 2003
Advanced Beginner
Can Word automatically update figure numbers?
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 72
gib65 is on a distinguished road
Default

Thanks again Kimberly. This works...

But there's 3 figures I'd like to caption as follows:

Figure 3a... Figure 3b... Figure 3c

Word doesn't seem to have that kind of numbering format. Any way around this?
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 08-15-2011, 02:26 PM
Kimberly Kimberly is offline Can Word automatically update figure numbers? Windows 7 64bit Can Word automatically update figure numbers? Office 2010 64bit
Expert
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 517
Kimberly is on a distinguished road
Default

You can click the Numbering button in the Insert Caption dialog box and include chapter number, if you are using Word's chapter numbering using numbered Heading paragraphs, which is what I would do.

But as a workaround, you can instead click New Label in the Insert Caption dialog box and create a new label that looks like... Figure 3.

Of course, you will have to create a Figure 4 label, etc if you want those too. Without signifying a change in chapter (again, this is usually done with numbered headings), Word can't automatically create the number format you desire, but I think the workaround would work fine.

Last edited by Kimberly; 08-15-2011 at 02:26 PM. Reason: typo
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 08-15-2011, 03:51 PM
gib65 gib65 is offline Can Word automatically update figure numbers? Windows XP Can Word automatically update figure numbers? Office 2003
Advanced Beginner
Can Word automatically update figure numbers?
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 72
gib65 is on a distinguished road
Default

Thanks for the suggestion. I figured out another work around:

I made only one caption: Figure 3. Then the 'a' became part of the blurb.

Then for figures 3b and 3c, I made them pure references to "Figure 3" with 'b' and 'c' tacked on just to the right of the reference.

This makes sense because if ever "Figure 3" has to change, figures 3b and 3c will change accordingly. Likewise, any inline references to figure 3 (with 'a', 'b', or 'c' tacked on just outside the reference) will also change accordingly.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 02-21-2013, 06:46 AM
smmudge smmudge is offline Can Word automatically update figure numbers? Windows 7 64bit Can Word automatically update figure numbers? Office 2010 32bit
Novice
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 2
smmudge is on a distinguished road
Default

I have been merrily using the "Add Cation" and "Cross-reference" functions for a Word document and have now decided to move a figure from the end to near the beginning. I have cut and pasted it in along with it caption. However, it has retained it number from when it was at the end and the cross-reference also continues to use that number too. So my sequence now goes 7, 8, 52, 9, 10. I cannot see how to convince Word to make 52 = 9 and then update the rest. Am I missing something?

UPDATE:

After a frustrating hunt for information, I deleted the caption of the first of the moved figures and put it in again and all the others cascaded underneath to the right value - there does not appear to be an "update" function associated with this and it requires a kick to get it started. {is this a bug or request for a new feature?}

HOWEVER, the field codes for all the references have not automatically updated and I now need to find a way of getting them all to do that in one go rather than one at a time - any suggestions?

Steve
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 02-22-2013, 03:27 AM
macropod's Avatar
macropod macropod is offline Can Word automatically update figure numbers? Windows 7 64bit Can Word automatically update figure numbers? Office 2010 32bit
Administrator
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Canberra, Australia
Posts: 21,956
macropod has a reputation beyond reputemacropod has a reputation beyond reputemacropod has a reputation beyond reputemacropod has a reputation beyond reputemacropod has a reputation beyond reputemacropod has a reputation beyond reputemacropod has a reputation beyond reputemacropod has a reputation beyond reputemacropod has a reputation beyond reputemacropod has a reputation beyond reputemacropod has a reputation beyond repute
Default

Have you tried updating the fields via Ctrl-A, F9 or Print Preview?
__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 02-22-2013, 05:52 AM
smmudge smmudge is offline Can Word automatically update figure numbers? Windows 7 64bit Can Word automatically update figure numbers? Office 2010 32bit
Novice
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 2
smmudge is on a distinguished road
Default Success!

That works a treat... Thanks. Much happier now.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Does Word have an option to update fields AUTOMATICALLY at open??? Jamal NUMAN Word 17 01-27-2012 12:57 AM
Automatically update web images on Powerpoint thetodd14 PowerPoint 0 05-04-2011 10:37 AM
Can Word automatically update figure numbers? How to set links that automatically update tkelly5446 Project 1 11-17-2010 04:26 AM
Automatically update text changes in word – Word 2007 webarnes Word 1 05-29-2009 02:48 PM
Automatically update text changes in Word - how do I do it? jonrm Word 2 05-21-2009 08:49 AM

Other Forums: Access Forums

All times are GMT -7. The time now is 08:20 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Search Engine Optimisation provided by DragonByte SEO (Lite) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
MSOfficeForums.com is not affiliated with Microsoft