Wanted: an unencumbered way to insert graphics

[cheros]

I must be doing something wrong, or have settings that are incorrect: inserting any sort of graphics is a royal pain in OO writer.

Platform is OSX 10.8, but I recall this from my Windows days as well.

If I drag an image into OO Writer, I end up with Draw. I don't want Draw as I have no desire to change the image other than in size, nor is there a particularly clear inserting path from Draw into the document other than copy & paste.

If I select "insert image", I end up with the image, but in a frame and a more or less bulletproof tag "illustration 1". I don't want the frame, nor the virtually indestructible "illustration 1" tag. Right clicking does not offer a solution, and the frame seems to have a life of its own as soon as you delete the image - the only way to reliably nuke the frame seems to be undoing the insertion all the way back..

The only way I have found to insert an image so far that corresponds with the simplicity that Microsoft Word or Apple's iWorks offers is to open up the image in Preview and copy it, then paste it in OOo. Surely I must have missed something - what do I need to set for OOo to just take an image and NOT surround it with complications?

[acknak]

Are you sure you're using OOo and not LibreOffice?

I can drag images into a Writer document, no problem--no frame and no caption, using OOo 3.4.1 on Fedora. It does have to be a document: dragging an image onto the OOo menu screen starts a new Draw document with the image.

Insert > Picture > From File should not lead to any sort of separate frame or caption either. Not sure where that's coming from.

[Hagar Delest]

Make also sure that in Tools>Preferences>OOo Writer>AutoCaption, the Picture entry is not checked.
NB: better avoid drag and drop from an external application to AOO. First save it with a picture manager and then insert it with the Insert menu.

Please add '[Solved]' at the beginning of your first post title (edit button) if your issue has been fixed.

[acknak]

... >OOo Writer>AutoCaption, the Picture entry is not checked.

Forgot about that one--that's surely where the "Illustration" frame is coming from.

NB: better avoid drag and drop from an external application to AOO. ...

Drag/drop may insert the image as a link in your document and Writer has to re-load the image, which it does often, with a delay each time. If the link goes out to the Internet, it can be a long delay; in any case, it can lead to problems if you aren't careful.

Drag/drop from a local application, with the file stored on your system is not so bad, and the image should be embedded in the document; check to be sure:

[cheros]

I think I best list the issues (there are that many for an operation that is totally trivial in Apple's Pages, and in Mcrosoft's Word):

1 - on drag & drop, I end up in Draw. I didn't ask for that, nor do I know how to get out of it other than by aborting Draw and aborting the operation altogether. If I wanted to manipulate the image I have other tools at my disposal that I'm familiar with. I am actually curious as to the motivation behind this idea - I'm sure someone has a reason. If not, well, that's an answer in itself..

2 - on "insert image", I end up with the image, PLUS a frame, PLUS a caption. I have had a look at the "Graphics" style - there seems to be no way of making it behave as logic and industry custom would dictate. I am happy to believe there is a magic setting somewhere, but that means it's not set to a sensible default (I do not mess around with options other than immediately nuking any auto format and auto correct features).

Consequently, I'm finding myself in the bizarre situation that I have to use Word to get over an OO (and LO) workflow or even functional deficiency. Given that OO is otherwise IMHO more usable than Word (especially post ribbon) I find that disappointing. Do you guys think I ought to file this as a bug?

[Hagar Delest]

Make also sure that in Tools>Preferences>OOo Writer>AutoCaption, the Picture entry is not checked.

Have you checked that? The frame comes with the caption BTW.

NB: I've removed the Issue tag you've put in your title. This is only for reported bugs.

[RoryOF]

Using AOO 3.4.1 I can drag and drop an image or /Insert /Picture /From file into a Writer document with no frame or caption. If I drag and drop an image onto the OpenOffice splash screen (note: blank section of Splash screen, not Application icons), it opens in Draw, which is what I would expect.

[cheros]

Yup, I found the AutoCaption tag (which thus validates my intense dislike for all things labelled "Auto xxx"), which has reduced the issue to an as yet unexplained involvement of Draw in the import process.

The issue is present in LO 3.5.6.2 as well as OO 3.4.1. Interestingly enough, it only exists on drag & drop. Using Insert/picture/From file all works well and as expected, but Drag & Drop somehow seems to magically involve Draw. Maybe it feels left alone as I *never* use it..

[acknak]

... but Drag & Drop somehow seems to magically involve Draw. ...

Wait, so you're saying that drag & drop into an open Writer document opens a new Draw window?

[sportember]

Wait, so you're saying that drag & drop into an open Writer document opens a new Draw window?

Exactly that's what happening in Apache OpenOffice 4.1.0 under OS-X 10.9.2. Therefore it's useless to drag & drop from Finder.

[acknak]

There were some changes made in AOO 4.1 concerning how OO deals with drag/drop images. The changes could be causing the problem.

It sounds like OO is actually opening the image file rather than inserting it into the Writer document.

Here's a description of the image insertion changes in 4.1 (Release Notes):
https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/dis ... raphicData

[sportember]

It was exactly the same with 4.0.1.
Theoretically there could be a setting somewhere that changes what should happen with an image on drag-n-drop, but I did not find it yet. The default, ie. opening a new Draw document is rather counter-intuitive, and as I recall OO.o does the good (expected) behaviour on other platforms. So probably I should file a bug report about this...

[acknak]

Yes, drag/drop into a Writer document just inserts the image for me.

What image format are you working with? It's possible that the format is not supported for Writer so OO falls back to opening in Draw.

Does Insert > Picture > From File work for you?

[sportember]

Drag-and-drop opens a new Draw document on a simple JPG file.
Insert > Picture > From File works fine with the same JPG.

[acknak]

I don't see any issue reported for this so far.

Before reporting a problem, I usually try to make sure it's not something specific to my configuration: try on a different computer, or at least a different login on the same system.

Maybe someone here using MacOS can check/confirm the problem?

You're welcome to report it yourself in any case: [Tutorial] Reporting bugs or suggestions

[pyrotom]

I can confirm that this problem exists on OO 4.0.1 under OS X 10.9.3. It is MOST annoying. Drag and drop of an image always opens draw and puts the image there. Using the Insert menu works as expected, as does cut and paste of the image.

[acknak]

If you see the same problem with AOO 4.1, then it should be reported--nothing's going to happen unless someone files a bug report for it.

[Tutorial] Reporting bugs or suggestions

[zabdoul]

I have the same problem with Ooo 4.1.1 and Mac OS X.9.
Do you fin a solution to solve that?
Best regards