🚀 go-pugleaf

On Thursday, January 17, 2013 2:25:44 PM UTC-6, Helpful Harry wrote:
> In article <27499df1-fa8a-4d5f-99c8-104a4cc4938a@googlegroups.com>,
> 
> bluesbrothers16@gmail.com wrote:
> 
> > On Wednesday, January 16, 2013 6:25:51 PM UTC-6, Helpful Harry wrote:
> 
> > > In article <e74d74a2-dfe2-4884-b5c3-b749d2f68a62@googlegroups.com>,
> 
> > > bluesbrothers16@gmail.com wrote:
> 
> > >
> 
> > > > Anyone have any more suggestions on this?  I'm trying to automate 50-100
> 
> > > > charts but all i see is pp/excel ---> pdf ----> Illustrator ----> ID
> 
> > > >
> 
> > > > I don't care what format but is there a way to automate charts in ID?
> 
> > > > I can create csv or tab deliminated as inputs if necessary.
> 
> > > 
> 
> > > I don't know an easy way to import Excel charts, but why are you going 
> 
> > > via Illustrator? InDesign can import PDFs directly.
> 
> > > 
> 
> > > You could try these links from Google:
> 
> > > 
> 
> > >    Getting a chart from Excel to InDesign - YouTube
> 
> > >    <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DtyBNpBbMcI0>
> 
> > > 
> 
> > >    Import Excel data, charts, graphs | InDesign 2.x, CS, CS2
> 
> > >    <http://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/kb/import-excel-data-charts-graphs.ht=
> 
> > ml>=20
> 
> > > 
> 
> > >    Charts & Graphics from MS Office to InDesign =BB Creative Progression
> 
> > > <http://www.creativeprogression.com/charts-graphics-from-ms-office-to-ind=
> 
> > esign/>
> 
> > 
> 
> > Thank you Harry for the information.  The pdf is for Vectors which allow 
> 
> > for very high resolution.  
> 
> 
> 
> Creating a PDF may not mean you get vector graphics - it depends on the
> 
> application being used and the software used to create the PDF. For
> 
> example, on my old computer here, using Mac OS X's built-in "print to PDF"
> 
> converts anything more difficult than standard text into bitmap imagery. 
> 
> :o(
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> > I'm not sure why illustrator before ID.  It's just what i've seen people 
> 
> > do, such as the youtube link.  I'm going to try that and see if it's still
> 
> > vector.
> 
> 
> 
> Just opening the PDF into Ilustrator and re-saving it won't do anything to
> 
> change bitmap images to vector images, nor the other way around. In fact
> 
> it won't do anything useful (other than perhaps remove some excess
> 
> Microsoft created garbage in the document), which is why it's just a
> 
> wasted step as far as I can see.
> 
> 
> 
> The exception could be if you're using Illustrator to convert the Excel
> 
> PDFs into CMYK colours for proper printing, but even then InDesign has the
> 
> oiption of converting images when creating the final PDF (although I
> 
> haven't checked to see if that includes imported PDFs).
> 
> 
> 
> The only other reason I can think of for opening the PDFs in Illustrator
> 
> is if you need to make some editing tweaks (e.g. adjusting the colours
> 
> from Excel into corporate specific colours).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> > I'm not tied to excel so the chart we used up to this point were created in
> 
> > illustrator.  I need to mimick them as much as possible.  I'll try the pdf
> 
> > to ID option as well if I can get the Excel graph to look right.
> 
> 
> 
> Creating the charts in Illustrator is probably a better idea. For simple
> 
> bar / column charts I just create them directly in InDesign itself. Once
> 
> I've created one I can group all the elements, and then copy / paste it
> 
> where ever I need another bar / column chart and simply alter the length
> 
> of the bars / columns or height of the columns. Of course, this isn't
> 
> "live" data which automatically updates, but then neither are charts from
> 
> Excel or illustrator.
> 
> 
> 
> Using Excel (or Apple's Numbers on a Mac) does make making charts easier
> 
> ... although the newer versions of Excel actually make it more difficult
> 
> than it used to be. :o(
> 
> 
> 
> There is evidently a plug-in for InDesign to create charts, but it's aimed
> 
> at professional print / design companies and costs a whopping US$3,000!!
> 
> 
> 
> If you're only needing fairly simple pie charts, then there is this free
> 
> plug-in for InDesign CS4 or CS5.
> 
> <http://www.indiscripts.com/post/2010/06/claquos2-pie-chart-builder-for-indesign>
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Helpful Harry   :o)



Thanks again.  I understand where you're coming from with the skipping of illustrator.  Even with the colors, I can make swatched in ID.  We've never used excel or powerpoint to feed our ID project charts before so i'm not sure if I can recreate the charts I need to.  I think I can and then use the swatches to get teh color right.  Can you specify the $3k tool? or send me the information for it?  If it populates precreated charts, then it would be worth it for us to purchase.