Convert embedded to referenced image

[alexanderp3125138]

Hello everyone,

as the title says, I'm looking for a way to convert 500+ embedded images in a document (Word import) to referenced graphics instead. I haven't found any viable solution searching the web so far, apart from "create a PDF, then extract images with Acrobat Pro" and similar suggestions.

A complete file dump would only solve half of the issue at best, because the task of manually re-importing the graphics would still remain. Is there anything I can do to automate this process? Thanks in advance... 🙏

-Alex

[Jeff_Coatsworth · Accepted solution]

If you've got the Word docx file(s) you can extract the images out of them by changing the extension to .zip and unpacking it - all the images will be in their own folder. But you'll still need a scripting solution (I think) to match up the embedded images with the referenced file image.

[alexanderp3125138]

Thanks for your quick reply!

Yep, that's one part of the solution (the easy one - I realize my initial post was a bit confusing in that regard 😇).

What's bothering me is the manual re-importing of the images. I've been searching for ages to find some kind of scripting solution that will save embedded images, then automatically replace them with a reference.

Asking here is kind of a last ditch effort, so if noone here has an idea, I'll have to bite the bullet, and do it manually (or hre a student 😉).

[Hezy A]

No magic.

If there is, I would like to hear too.

This is the most tiresome part of importing a large book from Word to Frame.

But once it is done, it is done.

If they change all the screens next month, then it is easy to update  (happened to me, after the import and setting up the book in Frame, the look and feel of the UI was changed)

[alexanderp3125138]

That's my exact use case. Most of the screenshots will need to be exchanged sometime this year, doing this by reference will make things a lot easier. Plus, transferring a 5 GB file between several authors really is a pain in the backside. Guess I'll hunker down for a week of repetitive boredom then. 😁

[Winfried Reng]

Hi Alex,

There are some script developers out there. You might ask for an offer.

I think of:

http://www.frameexpert.com/ 

https://4xscripts.com/ (when you would be in Germany)

Best regards

Winfried

[frameexpert]

Thank you for the recommendation Winfried. I have done several of these kinds of scripts over the years. The challenge is always figuring out which image goes where in the document. When you import an image by copy, none of the original file name information is stored with the image inside of FrameMaker. If you can figure out a way to determine which images go where, it is easier to script. If you want to explore this further, please contact me off list. Thank you.

[Robert_^_W]

It will also show who knows how to trim a screenshot, and who doesn't lol. I had many double monitor screenshots to crop during conversion.