RE: Quick and Easy way to automatically update graphs and slides using macros in Excel and Powerpoint and display local weather radars (Digital Signage Making Adverts)

Binary Fortress Software — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 13:36:31 GMT

Thanks for sharing this solution Keegan, very creative!

Quick and Easy way to automatically update graphs and slides using macros in Excel and Powerpoint and display local weather radars (Digital Signage Making Adverts)

Binary Fortress Software — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 11:17:07 GMT

A cleaner version of this is listed below as a PDF.

Setup and Execution of multiple monitor displays
Section 1:ADMIN SETUP INSTRUCTIONS
(End users, see steps in section 3)

•Install Display Fusion on the PC running the multiple monitors. (Input License Key)
• Open Display Fusion’s settings
•Click On Screen Saver tab
•Change Timeout to 1 minute
•Check “Allow Display Fusion to Manage…”
•Click on Monitor 1
•Select “DisplayFusion Photos Screen Saver”
•Click Settings button located to the right

•Update Photos Folder location to appropriate file location
c:\multiple_monitor_data\Shop_Floor\Monitor1
•Adjust settings as highlighted
•Repeat section 1 for remaining monitors (Each PC gets its own folder, Each monitor gets a Subfolder)
•Click OK

Section 2

MACROS

POWERPOINT

•For new files Hit Alt + F11 to bring up the Macro editor
•Copy the text below and manipulate as needed.
•Save File
Sub Save_PowerPoint_Slide_as_Images()
Dim filePath As String
Dim sImagePath As String
Dim sImageName As String
Dim oSlide As Slide '* Slide Object
Dim lScaleWidth As Long '* Scale Width
Dim lScaleHeight As Long '* Scale Height
On Error GoTo Err_ImageSave

‘ alter image path as needed

filePath = "c:\multiple_monitor_data\Shop_Floor\Monitor1\Slides\*.*"
Kill filePath
‘ This is to remove any extra jpgs incase the number of slides decrease

sImagePath = " c:\multiple_monitor_data\Shop_Floor\Monitor1\Slides\"

‘ If you want the same slide(s) to display on multiple monitors, you will need to make a new PPT file for
‘ for each slide (or group of slides) you with to duplicate across the monitors and duplicate the path
‘ ie
‘ sImagePath = " c:\multiple_monitor_data\Shop_Floor\Monitor1\Slides\"
‘ sImagePath = " c:\multiple_monitor_data\Shop_Floor\Monitor2\Slides\"

For Each oSlide In ActivePresentation.Slides
sImageName = oSlide.Name & ".jpg"
oSlide.Export sImagePath & sImageName, "JPG"
Next oSlide
Err_ImageSave:
If Err <> 0 Then
MsgBox Err.Description
End If
End Sub

Section 2 (continued)

EXCEL

•For new files Create a data Tab and add a chart on each tab needed
•Hit Alt + F11 to bring up the Macro editor
•Copy the text below and manipulate as needed.
•Save File
Sub ExportAllAspng()
' Saves the active chart as a png file
' Prompts for a file name and directory
‘ Alter image path as needed

Sheets("Metal").Select
ActiveChart.Activate
ActiveChart.Export "c:\multiple_monitor_data\Shop_Floor\Monitor1\Graphs\Metal.png", "png"

‘ Repeat for each sheet in the excel file and update the file name and path as needed.
‘ If you want the same graph to display on multiple monitors, copy the text above with a new path
‘ ie
‘ ActiveChart.Export "c:\multiple_monitor_data\Shop_Floor\Monitor1\Graphs\Metal.png", "png”
‘ ActiveChart.Export "c:\multiple_monitor_data\Shop_Floor\Monitor2\Graphs\Metal.png", "png"

Sheets("data").Select
End Sub

Section 3:HOW TO UPDATE EXCEL AND POWERPOINTS
(Macro Settings listed in Section 2)

EXCEL

•Navigate to the appropriate folder (ie: c:\multiple_monitor_data\ Source_Files\Shop_Floor)
•Open Folder of PC being updated (ie: Shop_Floor)
•Open Excel File found in Folder
•Select Data tab (if not already selected)
•Manipulate data as required
•Run Macro by click the Export Graph Tab

•Save Excel File and close

POWERPOINT

•Open Power Point File found in appropriate folder (ie: c:\multiple_monitor_data\ Source_Files\Shop_Floor)
•Update existing slides (add or remove as needed)
•Press the Alt button plus the F8 button (Alt + F
•Run the Macro

•Save the PowerPoint file and Exit.

Note, If the number of slides increase/decrease or for any reason the file name changes, Run “double_click_to_update.bat” and the screen saver will restart in 1 minute.

Batch File Code to Restart Screen Saver (local user name below must have admin rights on the PC)

@echo off
taskkill.exe /S xxxxx /U xxxxx/P xxxxx /IM photos.scr
exit

Batch File Code to Download Weather Maps (or other images) from Internet

REM If for some reason a few of these images stop working you will need to find a website that only updates the same image and file name and copy in the method as seen below.
REM Setup a scheduled task to run the batch file below on a regular schedule
REM You will need to copy wget.exe to the c:\windows directory running the task.

wget -r http://media3.wishtv.com/weather/dce/Regional_SAT_RAD.jpg

copy /y
c:\multiple_monitor_data\ media3.wishtv.com\weather\dce\Regional_SAT_RAD.jpg c:\multiple_monitor_data\Main_Hall\Monitor1\Midwest_Radar.jpg

REM Removes Temporary Director
rmdir c:\multiple_monitor_data\ media3.wishtv.com" /S /Q

Notes:

The paths in the codes above can all be redirected to a server path. Ie: replace C:\ with \\servername or map a drive to a server to maintain long lasting compatibility.

Link to WGET.EXEhttp://downloader.brothersoft.com/d.php?soft_id=5755&downloader=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpages.interlog.com%2F%7Etcharron%2Fwgetwin-1_5_3_1-binary.zip
http://pages.interlog.com/~tcharron/wgetwin-1_5_3_1-binary.zip

You can use the Snipping tool found on Windows 7 to copy images from PDF’s, Publisher Files, Etc as a quick and dirty way to add information to a monitor. Save the file in appropriate the PC / Monitor # folder.

See “Change the resolution of a slide that you export as a picture in PowerPoint” to increase the resolution of the export from PowerPoint.

DisplayFusion RSS: Quick and Easy way to automatically update graphs and slides using macros in Excel and Powerpoint and display local weather radars (Digital Signage Making Adverts)

RE: Quick and Easy way to automatically update graphs and slides using macros in Excel and Powerpoint and display local weather radars (Digital Signage Making Adverts)

Quick and Easy way to automatically update graphs and slides using macros in Excel and Powerpoint and display local weather radars (Digital Signage Making Adverts)