#1
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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? |
#2
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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. |
#3
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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? |
#4
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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 |
#5
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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. |
#6
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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 |
#7
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Have you tried updating the fields via Ctrl-A, F9 or Print Preview?
__________________
Cheers, Paul Edstein [Fmr MS MVP - Word] |
#8
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Success!
That works a treat... Thanks. Much happier now.
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