Jim Katen Posted July 20, 2009 Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 John, buy the Picture Drop for Word software from DevWave, it'll do exactly what you want. I drop photos into Word docs all the time. It takes about 30 seconds. Thread drift. . . I've tried Picture Drop, but it takes way longer than 30 seconds. Something must be wrong with my machine? Mike Brown? ??? I'm using Word 2003 with Picture Drop. I just timed myself. Once I set up the file destination, it takes me a little under 6 seconds per picture to place them where I want them in the report. It happens as fast as I can click. - Jim Katen, Oregon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bain Posted July 20, 2009 Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 Somebody, and I won't mention who, uses a program other than Word that creates equally sized text boxes right beside the photos and it looks pretty groov-o. I might be able to do the same thing with Excel, but haven't taken the time to try yet. Ooooooops, Kurt here............ I thought I was responding to your post, and instead goofed it up and now I don't know how to change it back! Moderator Kurt screwed up........ That was trippy . . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Fabry Posted July 20, 2009 Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 Any of you guys think that this ( voice recognition software) may help this particular report writer? I have voice recognition software and it works but it doesn't correct grammar. It's prone to inserting homophones; for there, their, they're it's a crap shoot/ chute. As I read the report writer's comments my mind kicks into cajun country accents and rhythms. When inflected with that lilt and cadence the words sound appropriate. Unfortunately, read without my interjection of accent, the words have no beauty and feel awkward. The writer is obviously an excellent technician but I see only three choices for his/ her career: Take remedial writing courses to overcome the grammar issues dictate the reports to someone who can write well Change to a checklist report Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Simon Posted July 20, 2009 Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 ??? I'm using Word 2003 with Picture Drop. I just timed myself. Once I set up the file destination, it takes me a little under 6 seconds per picture to place them where I want them in the report. It happens as fast as I can click. - Jim Katen, Oregon Yeah, but if you put a pict next to one of Cramer's (Intelligent Reporter) formatted comments, it moves the text around...the text next to the pict, the text below, etc. I played with PictureDrop and it's much more work than using Mark's picture-insert feature (and I bought PictureDrop 'cause I was spending too much time the other way). I think maybe I need to play with it more? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bernhardt Posted July 20, 2009 Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 The reason is that there is inspectors out there that finished there report on site I am loosing inspections because I donââ¬â¢t. The realtors have their clients believing that the report should be finished there on site. I am looking at this report to try to print on site I am not good at typing and English along with spelling where my worse grades in school. For the typical inspection that I am involved in, if I tried to complete the report on site, every inspection would be 5 - 6 hours long, and that would kill my biz. There is at least one inspection a week, sometimes a week full of inspections like that, that would have me taking 6- 8 hours an inspection and report. The best that I can offer at this time onsite if they really really really have to have something is a photo report. Just photos captioned up representing the issues that will be expounding upon in the final report. How long is it taking these guys who are doing their reports onsite? I bet you they are doing them still in a 2 - 3 hour time frame. There is no way I can do an inspection and a report on site in that time frame, no way no how. Years ago I was running into that request from realtors to provide the report onsite. While I tried to accomodate, I just couldn't put in the quality that I was after, and I gave up. Instead I focused on quality and developed my own report format that is now sought after. I deliver the reports via email the next day sometimes two, depending how busy I am. The way to beat the onsite guys is by building in more quality into your inspection and report. With all due respect to the onsite brethren, if you're not spending 5-6 hours an inspection to deliver an onsite report in my neck of the woods, you're missing a lot stuff. Chris, Oregon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resqman Posted July 20, 2009 Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 I am a little confused by all the discussion about using 3rd party photo manipulators. I take the memory card out of my camera, jam it in the laptop and Windows uploads to the Picture gallery automagically. I double click on the first picture and it displays a slide show pageing through all the pictures. If any pic needs modifing, click on FIX. Adjust exposure, crop, rotate, etc. all from Windows. I use Word as my report writer. Write text in document. Click INSERT, PICTURES, select picture folder, scroll to pic and double click. Pic pops into document. Click INSERT SHAPES, click on Arrow or Box and highlight problem area in pic. Move on to next issue. What am I missing by not using the photo software? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted July 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 ??? I'm using Word 2003 with Picture Drop. I just timed myself. Once I set up the file destination, it takes me a little under 6 seconds per picture to place them where I want them in the report. It happens as fast as I can click. - Jim Katen, Oregon Yeah, but if you put a pict next to one of Cramer's (Intelligent Reporter) formatted comments, it moves the text around...the text next to the pict, the text below, etc. I played with PictureDrop and it's much more work than using Mark's picture-insert feature (and I bought PictureDrop 'cause I was spending too much time the other way). I think maybe I need to play with it more? I'm surprised. When I use it with IR, the picture just drops in and the text moves out of the way automatically and wraps around the picture. I can insert pics as fast as I can click. I place the curser in the paragraph that I want associated with the picture, click on the "insert image" button on the PictureDrop toolbar, choose "word wrap file image", double click on the file I want, and it's done. I have the program set to align the image with the right margin of the document. If I then want to move the picture around I just click on it and drag it wherever I want it to go but that's rarely necessary. - Jim Katen, Oregon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Raymond Posted July 20, 2009 Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 Just say NO to on site delivery. Quality takes time, way too much time to deliver on site with the RE and the client looking over your shoulder. Any one willing to pay for quality should be willing to wait a day or to to get it. Bruce, what version of Windows are you using? There are numerous differences in how those features work between versions and even between the same versions from different sources. There are significant functional variations between say the preloaded stuff, a discount student version, and the full package software purchased without a machine. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted July 20, 2009 Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 I agree with Chris and Tom.......just say no to on site delivery. I started fighting this fight in about 1993, about the time I discovered Adobe Acrobat, .pdf's, laptop computers, and the internet. It was a struggle, and it hurt me for a while. Then, as more and more folks figured it out, it became a sales feature, not a detriment. I also agree with Chris about the photo report. A list of photos, accompanied with a brief description of the problem and what it means, is a very good way to deliver a comprehensible report in a short time frame. When I print, I create a .pdf. All red arrows and circles showing defects are added in Acrobat in a couple minutes as I proof the final document. All the SOP stuff and equipment inventories can be satisfactorily reported and delivered with any checklist or simple list. It's unlikely anyone is going to change a lifetime of habits in a short time frame, especially poor writing. So, shift gears into another mode. I'm developing a class/seminar on photo reporting styles, procedures, and output possibilities; maybe ASHI will pick me up, or some other Chapter or organization. It's an area that really, really needs to be prosletyzed, as it's an excellent way to quickly, accurately, and succinctly deliver comprehensible reports in a short time frame. We simply have to get over this idea that a home inspection reports are good because some fart at ASHI does it that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bain Posted July 20, 2009 Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 ??? I'm using Word 2003 with Picture Drop. I just timed myself. Once I set up the file destination, it takes me a little under 6 seconds per picture to place them where I want them in the report. It happens as fast as I can click. - Jim Katen, Oregon Yeah, but if you put a pict next to one of Cramer's (Intelligent Reporter) formatted comments, it moves the text around...the text next to the pict, the text below, etc. I played with PictureDrop and it's much more work than using Mark's picture-insert feature (and I bought PictureDrop 'cause I was spending too much time the other way). I think maybe I need to play with it more? I'm surprised. When I use it with IR, the picture just drops in and the text moves out of the way automatically and wraps around the picture. I can insert pics as fast as I can click. I place the curser in the paragraph that I want associated with the picture, click on the "insert image" button on the PictureDrop toolbar, choose "word wrap file image", double click on the file I want, and it's done. I have the program set to align the image with the right margin of the document. If I then want to move the picture around I just click on it and drag it wherever I want it to go but that's rarely necessary. - Jim Katen, Oregon The program has some sort of inherent problem with Word 2007 and/or Vista. Michael and I traded a couple of e-mails about it a few months ago. On my desktop--which is running Word '03 and XP, the photos snap right into place, but on my newer laptop, the photos jump all over the page and I have to manually drag them back where I want them. My other problem is I like using large photos so a customer can get a good look at whatever I'm trying to show her. I realize one can enlarge the .pdf, but not everybody gets that. I'm shooting for two or three photos a page, with an item number and brief description above each one, but it's been tough to pull off without gobs of resizing, repositioning, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Simon Posted July 20, 2009 Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 ??? I'm using Word 2003 with Picture Drop. I just timed myself. Once I set up the file destination, it takes me a little under 6 seconds per picture to place them where I want them in the report. It happens as fast as I can click. - Jim Katen, Oregon Yeah, but if you put a pict next to one of Cramer's (Intelligent Reporter) formatted comments, it moves the text around...the text next to the pict, the text below, etc. I played with PictureDrop and it's much more work than using Mark's picture-insert feature (and I bought PictureDrop 'cause I was spending too much time the other way). I think maybe I need to play with it more? I'm surprised. When I use it with IR, the picture just drops in and the text moves out of the way automatically and wraps around the picture. I can insert pics as fast as I can click. I place the curser in the paragraph that I want associated with the picture, click on the "insert image" button on the PictureDrop toolbar, choose "word wrap file image", double click on the file I want, and it's done. I have the program set to align the image with the right margin of the document. If I then want to move the picture around I just click on it and drag it wherever I want it to go but that's rarely necessary. - Jim Katen, Oregon I may have to insert the picture as soon as I finish the paragraph. If I type another paragraph below, then insert the pict, the paragraph below moves. I'm used to IR software where I have to insert pictures after I do the summary, otherwise the summary screws up by pulling partial pictures with it. I'll give it a whirl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Brown Posted July 22, 2009 Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 Bain, Randy and Jerry I thought I would have a quick look at the software before answering. When I did, I noticed a bug of sorts. When you use the insert Inline image off of the menu it puts a cover image in instead of an inline one. It works fine off the photodrop manager, just not the menu. I will fix this right away. This maybe one of the reasons you are having trouble with it? We also created the software to drop two columns of pictures down the page. I can also easily create a quick function to stack the images down the page in a single column... that would be very easy item to add. I will try and do an update asap. What am I missing by not using the photo software? DevWave Picture Drop is an easy to use toolbar add-in for Microsoft Word* that helps you to insert and format images in your documents without the extra steps to format, position and resize! Save default border styles, image size and format settings for word-wrapped, in-line or cover page images... Set default sizes and colors for arrow and shapes so you don't have to change your preferences each time you use Word... Someone else already high jacked this thread. [:-taped] Michael Brown DevWave Software Inc. www.devwave.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Raymond Posted July 22, 2009 Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 "Someone else already high jacked this thread." No, more like it's undergone a few Elective Modifications[:-angel] Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bain Posted July 22, 2009 Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 Michael, you're terrific. Is it possible to allow text insertion into the blank column beside the second column containing the photo? And would the second column enlarge proportionally depending upon how much text was entered? That would be reeaally useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Brown Posted July 22, 2009 Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 Michael, you're terrific. Is it possible to allow text insertion into the blank column beside the second column containing the photo? And would the second column enlarge proportionally depending upon how much text was entered? That would be reeaally useful. Isn't that what the Word Wrapped image does or am I missing something? Michael Brown DevWave Software Inc. www.devwave.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bain Posted July 22, 2009 Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 Michael, you're terrific. Is it possible to allow text insertion into the blank column beside the second column containing the photo? And would the second column enlarge proportionally depending upon how much text was entered? That would be reeaally useful. Isn't that what the Word Wrapped image does or am I missing something? Michael Brown DevWave Software Inc. www.devwave.com Yes, but with Word '07, at least, once one starts adding a bunch of photos, their top edges eventually become out of alignment with the first sentence in the text, and the photos begin to overlap each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Jones Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 I am glad to hear I am not the only one having an issue with this and Word 2007. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Simon Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 When I insert a text box into a pict, and then format the box so it doesn't have a border (I don't like the look), then my arrows disappear, like I'm telling them as well not to have a border (but they just disappear). Can I format the text box separately from the arrows so the arrows aren't formatted as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Brown Posted July 25, 2009 Report Share Posted July 25, 2009 Yes, but with Word '07, at least, once one starts adding a bunch of photos, their top edges eventually become out of alignment with the first sentence in the text, and the photos begin to overlap each other. I messed with 2007 for quite a while trying to get it to do something abnormal, but it seems the same to me? You do realize when you use wordwrap the image is aligned to the paragraph not to the page. That means if you want to move the image up or down you need to move the text by adding carriage returns if you don't have enough text to flow to the bottom of the picture. If you move the pic it will mess things up but you can always just use the format image button again to bring it back. Maybe give me the steps you used to get there and I will try and reproduce it. Michael Brown DevWave Software Inc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Brown Posted July 25, 2009 Report Share Posted July 25, 2009 When I insert a text box into a pict, and then format the box so it doesn't have a border (I don't like the look), then my arrows disappear, like I'm telling them as well not to have a border (but they just disappear). Can I format the text box separately from the arrows so the arrows aren't formatted as well? Not sure how this is happening either? When I do format the textbox the arrows are still on my picture? I tried with wordwrapped and inline. I don't think there is anyway to format the textbox and the arrows at the same time as far as I can tell. Michael Brown DevWave Software Inc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Simon Posted July 25, 2009 Report Share Posted July 25, 2009 When I insert a text box into a pict, and then format the box so it doesn't have a border (I don't like the look), then my arrows disappear, like I'm telling them as well not to have a border (but they just disappear). Can I format the text box separately from the arrows so the arrows aren't formatted as well? Not sure how this is happening either? When I do format the textbox the arrows are still on my picture? I tried with wordwrapped and inline. I don't think there is anyway to format the textbox and the arrows at the same time as far as I can tell. Michael Brown DevWave Software Inc. Afterwards, any *new* arrows won't show up. I should have been more clear. Again, if I format the text box to not show a border, then add an arrow, the new arrow seems to also have been told not to show up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Brown Posted July 25, 2009 Report Share Posted July 25, 2009 When I insert a text box into a pict, and then format the box so it doesn't have a border (I don't like the look), then my arrows disappear, like I'm telling them as well not to have a border (but they just disappear). Can I format the text box separately from the arrows so the arrows aren't formatted as well? Not sure how this is happening either? When I do format the textbox the arrows are still on my picture? I tried with wordwrapped and inline. I don't think there is anyway to format the textbox and the arrows at the same time as far as I can tell. Michael Brown DevWave Software Inc. Afterwards, any *new* arrows won't show up. I should have been more clear. Again, if I format the text box to not show a border, then add an arrow, the new arrow seems to also have been told not to show up. After you format the textbox make sure you then select the picture again before trying to add an arrow. You can't add arrows to textboxes so it ignores the command. Michael Brown DevWave Software Inc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Brown Posted September 14, 2009 Report Share Posted September 14, 2009 Afterwards, any *new* arrows won't show up. I should have been more clear. Again, if I format the text box to not show a border, then add an arrow, the new arrow seems to also have been told not to show up. Hi Jerry, I figured your disappearing arrows out. If the TextBox border is still selected you get a message telling you to unselect before adding an arrow... which is correct. But if your cursor is inside the TextBox ready to write a comment you get no message and the arrows don't show up... nothing happens. Unfortunately when your cursor is in the TextBox I get the same selection type as if it was on the document with nothing selected. I just can't trap the selection so you will have to remember. I did however add the ability to change the color of the borders on the TextBox for you... just change it to white in the settings and no more border. I also added a couple of new menu items and fixed the inline insert off the menu. I tested dropping the pics in tables also and it's fine as well with the new menu items. For Bain... you can now add stacked images down the page. I pounded away with it with Word 2007 and couldn't find any issues with it, if you give me a couple of steps to reproduce I will try again. There is an update on the website version 1.0.4. Thanks for the feedback. Michael Brown DevWave Software Inc. http://www.devwave.com/picturedrop/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bain Posted September 14, 2009 Report Share Posted September 14, 2009 Afterwards, any *new* arrows won't show up. I should have been more clear. Again, if I format the text box to not show a border, then add an arrow, the new arrow seems to also have been told not to show up. Hi Jerry, I figured your disappearing arrows out. If the TextBox border is still selected you get a message telling you to unselect before adding an arrow... which is correct. But if your cursor is inside the TextBox ready to write a comment you get no message and the arrows don't show up... nothing happens. Unfortunately when your cursor is in the TextBox I get the same selection type as if it was on the document with nothing selected. I just can't trap the selection so you will have to remember. I did however add the ability to change the color of the borders on the TextBox for you... just change it to white in the settings and no more border. I also added a couple of new menu items and fixed the inline insert off the menu. I tested dropping the pics in tables also and it's fine as well with the new menu items. For Bain... you can now add stacked images down the page. I pounded away with it with Word 2007 and couldn't find any issues with it, if you give me a couple of steps to reproduce I will try again. There is an update on the website version 1.0.4. Thanks for the feedback. Michael Brown DevWave Software Inc. http://www.devwave.com/picturedrop/ Thanks for the diligence, Michael. I'll try it out when I have time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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