Automating Figure Numbering?

[AnthonyMasinton]

I'm setting up a complex desktop publishing document (a doctoral dissertation).

I have a lot of references to illustrations throughout the various chapters and these references frequently change as the document is edited. They must be numbered consecutively from the first chapter straight through all chapters. Is there some way in NeoOffice to automate and dynamically track the numbering of these references?

Essentially, I want to be able to type (Fig. ???) and have NeoOffice replace the ??? with the correct number based on the previous figure number. So, if my first figure reference was (Fig. 1) the next, wheneve it appeared, would be (Fig. 2) and so on. For example, if I had 3 figures and decided to remove Fig. 2, I would like to let the program deal with renumbering all of the figures - so (Fig. 1) (Fig. 2) (Fig. 3) would then change to (Fig. 1) (Fig.2).

NeoOffice handles automatic numbering of footnotes dynamically. I'd essentially like to adapt this to numbering my illustration references?

I'm trying to make a macro that will do this, but an rubbish with programming - any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
-- Anthony

[Orgleser]

Anthony, I don't know the solution and as nobody here answered, it seems as if nobody here knew it. Perhaps you can search at www.openoffice.org for the thing you wanted (probably via a user-mailinglist. NeoOffice 1.2 uses the code of OpenOffice 1.1.5, when you know how it is done in Openoffice 1.1.5 you know how its done in Neo1.2. Oh, and perhaps you can bring the answer back here when you have got it?
T.

[OPENSTEP]

If you go to Tools > Insert > Other (I may have the menu wrong, don't have OOo/Neo to refer to right now) you can see a variety of tabs including Variables and Numbering. This allows for the insertion of dynamic numbering tags that will increment through the document. There are a number of predefined numbering lists, including one for drawings/figures. I use this in my longer documents. The numbering will auto-update as you insert/remove elements of that numbering list in sequence.

I don't know of a way to do it via keyboard and have always used the Insert menu.

ed

[Orgleser]

Can it be Insert->Field?(well german would be "feldbefehl")->Other (by default key is cmmdF2)? And how exactly (step by step) would one put it in? I didn't find a predefined figures-numbering list in my german version.
T.

[Glenner]

You have to work with Captions. Once you have inserted graphics etc go Insert > Captions. Let me know if you get on alright or come back here.

[OPENSTEP]

OK, I'd probably say try the Captions thing first as it's probably easier than the junk I do

1) Create a two row 1 column borderless hearderless table that doesn't allow splitting.
2) Center align both table cells
3) Insert graphic into top cell
4) Go into bottom cell and insert title. Instead of manually typing a number, Use Insert > Fields > Other, "Variables" tab, "Number Range" type, then the "Drawing" selection.

ed

[AnthonyMasinton]

Thanks to everyone's help I got the figure numbering to work!

I used the procedure OPENSTEP suggested - inserting a field under Insert --> Fields --> Other --> Variables tab and then 'drawing' (for my figures), 'illustration' (for my plates) and 'table' (for my movies). This keeps track of the separate numbering for each of these three types of visual material to which I refer the readers in the text of my document and, when used in a master document, keeps track of numbering across multiple files!

When it came to actually inserting the different visuals themselves (in a text insertion in the master document), I simply did the 2 row 1 column table suggested by OPENSTEP and as a caption I used references which use the various field numbers in the individual documents within the master as the targets.

It's a little complicated, but works great!

Thanks for all of your replies and help, everyone!

-- Anthony[/quote]