Can a PPT file be generated by using Access? (1 Viewer)

saby

New member
Local time
Today, 18:49
Joined
Feb 13, 2020
Messages
15
Just a thought: A person clicks a photograph on an android phone and sends it to his peers who in turn prepares a PPT with rectangle lines (selection of a jobwork to be done) on the clicked images (which is possible in PPT). Is there any way where the PPT file can be prepared electronically combining the data from the access tables and images stored in a network computer using Access 2013 or VBA? If so, is there any code available for it?
 

Ranman256

Well-known member
Local time
Today, 09:19
Joined
Apr 9, 2015
Messages
4,339
I'm sure it can. Vba can control all Microsoft products.
So, yes.
 

Micron

AWF VIP
Local time
Today, 09:19
Joined
Oct 20, 2018
Messages
3,476
I agree should be possible. However I interpret your post to mean that you want to start from scratch, not that you want to control an existing one. A compromise might be copying a PPT template and controlling that via automation. If not, you're talking about doing the entire thing via Automation, from opening the app to a new file to creating all the objects in the correct positions and with all the right properties in all the slides. Yikes!
 

The_Doc_Man

Immoderate Moderator
Staff member
Local time
Today, 08:19
Joined
Feb 28, 2001
Messages
26,998
The answer is a qualified yes. But it is my opinion that unless you are planning to create literally dozens or more PPT files, you are better off doing them by hand. If you are doing them in bulk (and I mean a LOT of bulk) then this might be reasonable. But the effort in creating the things you want and adjusting them would be phenomenally difficult since PPT is by its nature very highly visual. For visual objects, automated design doesn't always look as good as manual design.
 

saby

New member
Local time
Today, 18:49
Joined
Feb 13, 2020
Messages
15
Hi all, Your response was overwhelming. I thank you for the same. I am working for a company which is into marketing and branding. Everyday 4 to 5 persons are assigned task of going into the fields, click photographs, take measurement and notes and forward it to the company via Whatsapp. Each person visits atleast 7 sites and takes atleast 5 photographs. The person in the company who receives the information via Whatsapp, starts preparing the PPT. A standard is set to prepare the PPT, Viz, Marking on the photograph, mention sizes and item description. Now if we calculate: 5 persons x 7 sites x 5 photos = 175 slides in PPT files per day (this is the least total - during peak period it goes upto 500 slides per day). Now the person is given deadline, and due to pressure, there is a possibility of him making errors while inputting sizes, item description, marking, etc. Here, I would like to compile a program where the entire process is automated. Can any one help?
 

Minty

AWF VIP
Local time
Today, 13:19
Joined
Jul 26, 2013
Messages
10,354
As I have spent the last couple of weeks doing this (with zero prior PowerPoint knowledge) I can say that yes it is possible, but certainly not a simple undertaking, and definitely not really one for a beginner.
Your description indicates you have two distinct things you are trying to achieve,
  1. Record the data into a database (that sounds like it doesn't exist at the moment) to ensure accuracy and control & validate inputs.
  2. Use that data to create the outputs - PPT slides.
Point 1, from your description, sounds like a fairly straight forward system, that would involve image storage management, linked to item records.
Point 2, this is going to be a steep learning curve, PPT automation, in my opinion, is really flakey. Things run 2,3,4 times on the trot perfectly then crash on you for no obvious reason. The syntax for controlling PPT objects from Access is convoluted especially for charts and chart objects. You might gather I'm not very impressed with it so far.

Good luck!
 

saby

New member
Local time
Today, 18:49
Joined
Feb 13, 2020
Messages
15
As I have spent the last couple of weeks doing this (with zero prior PowerPoint knowledge) I can say that yes it is possible, but certainly not a simple undertaking, and definitely not really one for a beginner.
Your description indicates you have two distinct things you are trying to achieve,
  1. Record the data into a database (that sounds like it doesn't exist at the moment) to ensure accuracy and control & validate inputs.
  2. Use that data to create the outputs - PPT slides.
Point 1, from your description, sounds like a fairly straight forward system, that would involve image storage management, linked to item records.
Point 2, this is going to be a steep learning curve, PPT automation, in my opinion, is really flakey. Things run 2,3,4 times on the trot perfectly then crash on you for no obvious reason. The syntax for controlling PPT objects from Access is convoluted especially for charts and chart objects. You might gather I'm not very impressed with it so far.

Good luck!
As I have spent the last couple of weeks doing this (with zero prior PowerPoint knowledge) I can say that yes it is possible, but certainly not a simple undertaking, and definitely not really one for a beginner.
Your description indicates you have two distinct things you are trying to achieve,
  1. Record the data into a database (that sounds like it doesn't exist at the moment) to ensure accuracy and control & validate inputs.
  2. Use that data to create the outputs - PPT slides.
Point 1, from your description, sounds like a fairly straight forward system, that would involve image storage management, linked to item records.
Point 2, this is going to be a steep learning curve, PPT automation, in my opinion, is really flakey. Things run 2,3,4 times on the trot perfectly then crash on you for no obvious reason. The syntax for controlling PPT objects from Access is convoluted especially for charts and chart objects. You might gather I'm not very impressed with it so far.

Good luck!

Hi Minty,

You have perfectly identified the process. As regards the data, well it is already created in the software for the company (Access 2013). The images are saved in a folder on the network computer. Have to just pull both the data and the images and create the slides, using a standard template (to be prepared). But I am very poor in VB and hence looking for some codes in the WWW.
 

Minty

AWF VIP
Local time
Today, 13:19
Joined
Jul 26, 2013
Messages
10,354
Hi Minty,

You have perfectly identified the process. As regards the data, well it is already created in the software for the company (Access 2013). The images are saved in a folder on the network computer. Have to just pull both the data and the images and create the slides, using a standard template (to be prepared). But I am very poor in VB and hence looking for some codes in the WWW.

I really struggled to find good examples and have pretty much Googled PowerPoint VBA to death. The templates method is definitely the way to go.
The link provided by the DBGuy is as good as any I have found. There are certain things you can't easily automate in PPT.

I'm afraid the code I have written is owned by a client so I can't share, in addition, it doesn't handle any image manipulation mainly chart data.
 

Micron

AWF VIP
Local time
Today, 09:19
Joined
Oct 20, 2018
Messages
3,476
You might want to look at the idea of starting with a ppt template but I have to make some assumptions here. Suppose that it had 5 slides, each with what I assume would be standard set of preformated textboxes that I suppose you're using to label things. Each object would have a unique name. If you create a second copy of the template those object names would be the same (there's a big assumption). Then there would be some standardization where for any of the 5 records for a field visit I suppose you'd be able to reference like so
- slide1, object1 gets visit1 pic1
- slide1, object2 gets visit1 comment1
- slide1, object3 gets visit1 comment2
- etc
I see it as being like filling out Word form fields from Access, so the above indicates that code could be looped and move on from slide to slide, object to object. When you get to the end of the first visit records, save the file, open a new one based on the template, move on to the next set of visit records, rinse and repeat.

I'm not trying to make this sound simple; just adding what I think the logic could be, and that totally depends on object names being the same on the new file every time. If they are not, maybe at least they hold the same spot in the collection of objects on a slide which means referring to them by their ordinal position. What you need here is someone who can code vba for ppt and Access and would be willing to take on the job, because if you can code in neither I don't hold out much chance for your success I'm afraid. Even if you find code that approximates what you want to do, you will have to tweak it for sure, and if you don't understand the ppt object model, you will certainly struggle.

I hope some of that helps.
 

Uncle Gizmo

Nifty Access Guy
Staff member
Local time
Today, 13:19
Joined
Jul 9, 2003
Messages
16,244
Good Link HERE:-
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top Bottom