Using Impress-ive Charts In OpenOffice.org
Production Tips For The Pro Presenter
Rob Reilly
Monday, July 19, 2004 11:06:47 AM
Working in Calc
Keep the chart size small. Whenever you move or make an adjustment to a chart, Calc will repaint the screen. For best response (and minimum frustration) use the smallest chart size that will get the job done. When you get the chart over to your slide show, you can always make it bigger
If you need several similar charts, only with different data values (such as sales figures for two or three years with the same sales staff) try this trick:
- Highlight, copy and paste the original data and it's chart to a new location in the spreadsheet.
- Edit the values to reflect the current data, copy/paste the original chart to a new spot, such as below the original data.
- Edit the copied data to reflect the new values.
- The chart will show the new values. And, you won't have to go through all the chart generation screens a second or third time. Your chart look will stay consistent, too.
Working In Impress
The same trick can be used on a slide that was used to duplicate a chart in Calc. Once you have a style of chart that you like on your slide, you can duplicate that slide and keep your chart style consistent. Why go through copying and pasting from Calc or creating a new chart on the slide, when it's easy to just dupe a slide and edit the data.
- Double left click the chart and then right click to get the chart editing menu.
- Select the Chart Data item and up will pop the little spreadsheet window. After you edit the values, exit the spreadsheet window and your chart will reflect the new values. Be aware that you have not changed the data in the original Calc chart file.
As you can see, working with charts in Impress is pretty straightforward. The time to learn about working with charts in Impress, is before you really need to produce a chart for a presentation. Take a weekend and work with it. When crunch time comes, you'll be ready.
Rob Reilly is a professional technology writer and consultant whose articles appear in various Linux media outlets. He offers professional writing and seminar services on Linux desktop applications, portable computing and public speaking techniques/technology. He's always interested in covering cool Linux stories. Send him a note or visit his web site at http://home.earthlink.net/~robreilly.
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