Being somewhat nerdy (aka anal) I keep a spreadsheet of all my locos, coaches, wagons etc with filters to help searches.
I'm 97% complete in taking pics of my locos as I thought it would be a good idea to have all the info in one place but, and this is the ball ache of doing so, the real PITA is resizing the pics with all the adjustments necessary so I can get things down to a size like this..........
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/132/264-090623160122-1329732019.png)
Apologies for the 'nappy brown' background but I'm also ana nerdy enough to use colours from my Ian Allan Locospotter days. (Western Region was brown)
If anyone has any helpful suggestions other than 'don't do it' I'd be pleased to hear them
All image editing software (or at least all that I've come across) can resize images so, surely, all you need to do is decide what size you want/need and after doing any other adjustments, cropping, etc., resize each image to that size and save it.
BTW, if you increase your worksheet row height you won't need to stagger the images to get them to fit in.
How at present are you inserting images and how are you resizing?
Don't do it. :no:
Jump instead. ;D
Quote from: Lurch on June 09, 2023, 04:22:46 PM
Add a column for images, add images to cells, resize images to cell size.
I haven't used Office for over 20 years, the above works in Libre Office Calc, assume there is a similar option in Excel?
That will work in Excel, but it'd be better to resize the images first - otherwise the workbook will rapidly get extremely large, because it will contain all the full-sized images even though it's only displaying them at a smaller size.
I like the suggestion by @Lurch (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=profile;u=3234) but the following is how I've achieved the objective by adding the photo as a Comment. Thus the information for a single loco is contained on a single row and yet the use of Comments allows rows to be re-ordered if necessary whilst keeping cells and photos along a row together.
This is how I add a photo to a cell as a Comment. Click on the Cell where you want the photo and then:
<Review>
right mouse click <New Note> (and remove any unwanted text such as the user name)
right mouse click <Format Comment> <Colors and Lines> <Fill Effects> <Picture> <Select Picture> then select the image and press <OK> and use the handles to resize the picture as desired.
I suggest keeping the size of each image to below 200kB to avoid excessively large Excel files being generated.
I used to keep my stock database in Excel years ago, I plonk the model on a scanner, reduce the scanned image by 50% then crop/copy and paste into the Excel cell.
I found it a bit messy in Excel though, so I changed to using an Access database instead. I'm still pasting in small images of each item.
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/132/5885-090623175226.jpeg) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=132975)
Thanks for the replies so far. I'll have a play with one or two methods suggested
@chrism (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=profile;u=7182) I'd not even thought about increasing cell height :doh:
Quote from: Nbodger on June 09, 2023, 04:19:53 PM
How at present are you inserting images and how are you resizing?
From 'Home' I click on 'Insert' then 'Picture' and use the framing aids on the pic to resize.
Hi Mick
As others have said you will be better reducing photos before adding to excel else file size will become very large and slower to load / navigate.
As Chrism said resize the cells both row and column to your intended picture size and insert as you have been doing.
Remember if you do any sorts you need to select the appropriate cells else photos will stay in their original positions as they are not allocated to the cell but purely a picture overlaying the cell
Quote from: Lurch on June 09, 2023, 08:37:21 PM
Quote from: Nbodger on June 09, 2023, 08:31:05 PM
Remember if you do any sorts the photos will stay in their original positions as they are not allocated to the cell but purely a picture overlaying the cell
If you just paste it on the worksheet this is perhaps true but if you insert it into a cell or right click and anchor > to cell it stays with the cell on a sort.
Thanks. I have been inserting into a cell giving the description but think I may now create a new column for the pics.
One for the morning, maybe
I was just jiving, earlier, by the way. You know the face I'm putting on. :thumbsup:
The forum is great for rescuing the likes of me (us?) :thumbsup:
Do the photos have to be permanently displayed within the spreadsheet?
If not, you could save the photos in a suitable folder and insert hyperlinks to the photos in the spreadsheet.
Quote from: PLD on June 09, 2023, 11:49:50 PM
Do the photos have to be permanently displayed within the spreadsheet?
If not, you could save the photos in a suitable folder and insert hyperlinks to the photos in the spreadsheet.
No, you can save the xl file with links to the photos. The photos need to be in a common folder.
If you are making the file available via a link, the photos need to be included as a link to a web location.
I've tried different ways, but not been able to make it work with eithEr my msn file location or my Google Photos location.
I have managed to save and make accessible an xl document with the photos included as a zip file.
Thanks
Phil H
Quote from: PLD on June 09, 2023, 11:49:50 PM
Do the photos have to be permanently displayed within the spreadsheet?
If not, you could save the photos in a suitable folder and insert hyperlinks to the photos in the spreadsheet.
To the first question - no.
All my model pics are in a folder on my laptop (C drive) as is the spreadsheet, so I could use the method suggested i.e. hyperlinks
However, all my documents and pics are backed up to a flash drive (e.g. D drive) which means, I believe, I'd have to do the job twice??
Quote from: Newportnobby on June 10, 2023, 08:58:26 AM
However, all my documents and pics are backed up to a flash drive (e.g. D drive) which means, I believe, I'd have to do the job twice??
Only if you might want to open the spreadsheet from the flash drive.
If it's solely for backup and you would always restore to the original folder before opening the spreadsheet then you shouldn't have to do it twice.
Of course, if you did make the links on the backup spreadsheet refer to the image files on the backup drive, they'd instantly get broken again when you next ran your backup :D
Lots to think about and experiment with. Thanks All.
My skills are at a low level as I've forgotten far more than I remembered since I retired 9½ years ago :-[
Latest attempt and it's getting easier :D
Only done steam for SR and ER so lots to go at but I'll save that for a rainy day task
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/132/264-100623124649-1329821976.jpeg)
With 134 items of motive power, 179 coaches, 266 wagons and 29 road vehicles I'm wondering whether my allotted time on this earth is long enough! :worried:
I think it worth doing, even for insurance purposes maybe :hmmm:
Quote from: Lurch on June 10, 2023, 04:13:48 PM
Certainly much quicker, much more detailed and gives more options than using a spreadsheet.
And well outside my comfort zone. Still, it seems to have given you the idea ;)
Luckily I have most of the photos as whenever I buy something I tend to photograph it to post on the forum anyway, so I'm just catching up on the odd missing ones