Documentation/How Tos/Getting a Picture into the Gallery

Gallery is a nice feature for easy access to pictures. The locations of all the Gallery pictures and other Gallery info is stored in openoffice\share\gallery, in the .sdv files. Copy those files to other computers if you want them to have the same pictures, when you are done doing the configuration.

To Get a Picture From a Document

How do you get a picture that is just sitting in some OpenOffice.org document, into the Gallery? You could just copy it and paste it from that document to others, but putting it in the Gallery is more convenient.

1. Open the document containing the picture.
2. If the Gallery is not showing, open the Gallery by choosing Tools > Gallery.
3. Do one of the following:
   • Select the theme, the category you want to put the picture in, inside the Gallery.
   • Or, if you want to make a new one, click New Theme, type the new name and click OK. Then select that theme in the Gallery.
4. Select the picture and release the mouse.
5. Click and hold down, and keep holding down on the picture, for at least two seconds. Do not release the mouse, and drag the picture into the Gallery.
   The picture will appear in the Gallery, at whatever location is set up as your Gallery location, in a subdirectory for drag and drop.

You can set or change your Gallery paths in Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org > Paths.

To Get a Picture From a File

Some users find it difficult to navigate a file system, which is what you need to do if you are using Insert > Picture > From File. And, frankly, dragging from a nice pane of pictures, like the Gallery, is easier.

1. Choose Tools > Gallery.
   The gallery will appear.
2. Click New Theme.
3. Click the General tab, and type the name of the theme that you want to be displayed in the Gallery.
4. Click the Files tab and click Find Files.
5. In the window that appears, go to the directory containing the pictures. The directory can contain subdirectories; all pictures in all subdirectories will be brought in for you to choose from. Click OK.
   All the pictures in that directory and any subdirectories will be brought into the Files tab window.
6. Do one of the following:
   • To select specific pictures, use Ctrl select or Shift select. Select the Preview checkbox to see pictures. Then click Add.
   • To add all pictures, just click Add All.
     A window will show the pictures being added.
7. Find more pictures and add them the same way, or just click OK. You will see the pictures in the Gallery.

If you need to change the name or add files later, right-click on the theme and choose Properties. This will take you back to the same window.

This How To comes from Solveig Haugland's Blog

Content on this page is licensed under the Public Documentation License (PDL).