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Available from Version: - |
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Operating System: Windows |
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empower® Add-in: Charts |
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In addition to using integrated data, you can also use external Excel data sources. |
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To do so, you can link Excel ranges to charts, tables, pictures or text. |
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At best, you open the external Excel file before creating the Excel link. The file must be saved already. The file can either be saved locally on your device or on a network drive. If a SharePoint, OneDrive or Teams file has also been synchronized locally, you can also select this file from your file explorer. |
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To create an Excel link, click on the button in the action bar of your chart (Figure 1, “Button ”). A drop-down menu opens. |
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Then choose the option (Figure 2, “Option ”). A dialog box opens. |
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In this dialog box, you can choose an Excel file with content you want to link to your chart (Figure 3, “Dialog Box ”). Open files are always shown on the top of the list. |
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If you want to use an Excel file that is already open, select it from the list To select a file that is not currently opened, click on the button (Figure 4, “Button ”). |
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After you have selected the file, you can define what range you want to link. The Excel window opens on the right-hand side of your screen (Figure 5, “Select Excel Range”). The range to be selected is usually detected automatically. However, you can always make changes. Select the range by dragging your mouse from one edge to the other. Alternatively, enter the range manually. If you have named a range, you can also enter the name of this range. Make sure the worksheet is defined in the input field. Otherwise the input is invalid. Then, click on the button in the Excel dialog box. |
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You cannot only select an entire range, but also connect partial areas with each other (Figure 6, “Select Partial Excel Range”). Doing so, you can exclude certain columns from the source file from charts. To do so, use your mouse cursor to select a range, then press the key and select another range. You confirm your selection by clicking on the button . |
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You can also link Excel files which contain merged cells. If you are creating an Excel link for a data chart, make sure the Excel range to be linked only contains numeric values. If a cell contains text, the cell is ignored and the data is not transferred to the respective data chart. |
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Alternatively, you can link an Excel range to a chart using Copy & Paste. To do so, copy the Excel range using and then select your chart and press . |
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If you use this shortcut on charts created with empower®, the Excel link is created automatically and a notification bar appears. To edit the default settings, click on the button (Figure 7, “Notification Bar for Pasted Excel Link”). The Excel link settings open. |
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After creating the Excel link via the user interface, the Excel link settings open as well. These settings depend on the chart type you are using the Excel link for. Further information regarding the settings can be found in the following chapters. |
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If you have created an Excel link for your chart, you can edit or break it any time. |
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To edit the Excel link, click on the button in the action bar and then choose the option (Figure 8, “Option ”). The Excel link settings open. |
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To break the Excel link, click on the button in the action bar and then choose the option (Figure 9, “Option ”). A dialog box opens. |
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To confirm the process, click on the button (Figure 10, “Dialog Box for Excel Link Removal”). |
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In addition, you can open the linked Excel file using the button (Figure 11, “Option ”). The Excel file opens in a new window. |
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To refresh and reload your chart to display changes that have been made to the Excel range, click on the button in the action bar (Figure 12, “Button ”). |
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If there are updates, a dialog box opens (Figure 13, “Update Notification”). Here, confirm if you want to apply the changes. |
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If the Excel range in the linked Excel file changes in terms of size, the chart shrinks or grows accordingly. |
Important
To find the linked Excel file, empower® refers to the file path. Therefore, you must not delete or move the file. If the linked file cannot be found anymore, a dialog box opens.
Important
If you edit a Gantt chart which is linked to Excel, all changes such as added chart objects, added label texts and text changes are revoked after the next Excel link update. If you only edit the formatting inside a label, these changes are not revoked.
If you want to keep your changes, either make the changes in the linked Excel file or break the Excel link.
Note
If you link an Excel range with hidden rows or columns to a chart, the data is hidden in the chart as well. If you break the Excel link, this data is still available.
Note
Always remember to include column and/or row headers in your selection.
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In PowerPoint, you can also link tables and text to Excel ranges. |
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To create an Excel link for a table, follow the following steps: |
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Alternatively, you can use Copy & Paste to create an Excel link. To do so, refer to the instructions for Excel links for charts above. |
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In addition to those instructions, click on the button after inserting the data (Figure 17, “Button ”). Otherwise the table will not be linked. |
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Note
The PowerPoint table will always be adjusted to match the Excel cells, but there is no automatic adjustment of column widths or cell formats.
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To create an Excel link for text, follow the following steps: |
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Alternatively, you can use Copy & Paste to create an Excel link. To do so, refer to the instructions for Excel links for charts above. |
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In addition to those instructions, click on the button after inserting the data. Otherwise the text will not be linked. |
Note
You can create multiple Excel links for text in one placeholder.
Note
If an Excel link to a PowerPoint table is created, text that is formatted with superscript or subscript is taken over and displayed correctly in the chart. If an Excel link to a PowerPoint text is created, text that is formatted with superscript or subscript is not displayed with superscript or subscript due to a technical limitation in PowerPoint.
Note
For tables and text linked to an Excel range, you can access the options , , and via their own action bar (Figure 19, “Action Bar for Linked Objects”).
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In the Excel link settings for data charts, Gantt charts, tables and text, you can adjust the link source (file and range) and make further changes. |
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To change the linked Excel file or the Excel range, click on the symbols next to the input fields (Figure 20, “ Symbols in Excel Link Settings”). If you click on the symbol to change the file, you can browse your files. If you click on the symbol to change the range, the currently linked Excel file opens and you can select a new range. |
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In addition, decide if you want to use the dynamic range adaption or not. If you choose to resize your Excel range dynamically, empower® always starts in the upper left corner of your range and expands to the right and below until it detects empty cells. To enable the dynamic range adaption, switch the toggle button for to On (Figure 21, “Enable Dynamic Size”). This way, the data range will automatically be extended if you add a column or row to the data source in the Excel file. |
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To refresh your chart each time you open the presentation, switch the toggle button for to On (Figure 22, “Enable Automatic Refresh”). If this setting is enabled, empower® checks the linked Excel file for updates each time you open the presentation. |
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To use a relative path, you need to first save your presentation. Then, switch the toggle button for to On (Figure 23, “Enable Relative Path”). |
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Instead of using an absolute path, this setting will allow you to use a relative path of the respective PowerPoint and Excel file. If you wish to send a PowerPoint or Excel file as an e-mail attachment, their recipient is able to save these files to their local hard drive. Even though the connection to the chart refers to a path that is inaccessible to this recipient, a link to the Excel range can be established via the relative path, provided the files are saved in a similar way. If, for example, the original files have been placed in the same folder, it is necessary that these files are also placed in the same folder when saved locally. |
Note
Dynamic size mode is not supported when partial areas of an Excel file are selected.
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For data charts, there are specific settings. |
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To use the rows in the Excel range as series, choose the option (Figure 24, “Series Options”). To use the columns in the Excel range as series, choose the option (Figure 24, “Series Options”). |
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If you link an invalid Excel range for a data chart, a note is displayed. This note tells you which columns or rows are missing (Figure 25, “Invalid Data Range Note”). You cannot apply the Excel link unless it is valid. |
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For Gantt charts, there are specific settings. |
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To adjust the time period displayed in your Gantt chart automatically to the Excel range you want to link, switch the toggle button for to On (Figure 26, “Enable Automatic Adjustments”). |
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If you link an invalid Excel range for a Gantt chart, you can apply the Excel link nonetheless. A dialog box opens (Figure 27, “Error Message”). After the dialog box closes, a notification bar is displayed, telling you that there are issues in your linked Excel file. |
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Click on the button to examine and adjust the Excel range again (Figure 28, “Notification Bar for Invalid Gantt Excel Range – Button ”). Click on the button to open an error list (Figure 29, “Notification Bar for Invalid Gantt Excel Range – Button ”). |
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In the error list, you can see if there are missing or invalid columns (Figure 30, “Error List”). |
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For tables, there are specific settings. |
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To apply the colors you have used in Excel to the table in PowerPoint, switch the toggle button for to On (Figure 31, “Enable Excel Colors”). Your table will then be colored the same way the Excel range is colored. |
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If you have opened a PowerPoint file and want to know if there are any Excel links on your current slide, click on the button and then choose the option (Figure 32, “Option ”). |
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All objects with Excel links will be marked with an orange frame. |
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To update all Excel links at once instead of refreshing them one by one, click on the button and then choose the option (Figure 33, “Option ”). |
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If there are any updates, a dialog box opens (Figure 34, “Update Notification for Entire Presentation”). Here, confirm if you want to apply the changes. |
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Instead of creating the Excel Link from PowerPoint, you can also create an Excel Link from an Excel file. |
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Here, you have two options: |
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For both actions, the PowerPoint file must already be opened. Otherwise, the buttons will be grayed out. |
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To link an Excel range to an existing PowerPoint object, follow the following steps: |
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Alternatively, you can also replace an existing Excel link. In this case, the button is called instead of (Figure 37, “Button ”). |
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To abort the process, click on the button above an object (Figure 38, “Button ”). |
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To link an Excel range to a new PowerPoint object, follow the following steps: |
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An Excel object that is inserted as an image to PowerPoint can be a range or a table, an Excel chart or a shape. Excel ranges and tables that are linked as pictures to PowerPoint are also compatible with the live update mode. The picture on the slide will be updated according to the linked Excel data. The live update does not work for Excel charts or shapes that are linked as pictures to PowerPoint due to technical limitations of Excel. |
Important
If you link an Excel range as a picture, make sure the content of the Excel range is displayed completely in the Excel file. Otherwise, it will also be cropped in the picture in PowerPoint.
Note
If you link an Excel range as a picture, the picture is automatically locked in aspect ratio and will not be distorted if its size is being adapted manually.
Note
For pictures linked to an Excel range, you can access the options , , and via their own action bar.
Note
For further information regarding the Excel link settings, see General Excel Link Settings.
For further information regarding the live update mode, see Live Update Mode.
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If you have opened an Excel File and you are unsure which ranges in the file have already been linked to PowerPoint, you can highlight linked ranges in Excel. |
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To do so, navigate to the group empower in the tab Insert and click on the button (Figure 41, “Button ”). |
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The ranges which have been linked to PowerPoint will be highlighted. Click on the edge of such a range to display the link information. A dialog box opens. |
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Here, you can see all Excel links that have been created for the selected Excel range (Figure 42, “Excel Link Overview”). In the table, you can view the file path, slide number, Excel range and status of the Excel link. |
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To open the PowerPoint file with the linked chart, select the entry from the list and click on the button (Figure 43, “Button ”). |
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If PowerPoint is already open, click on the button (Figure 44, “Buttons and ” ). In this case, you can also refresh all Excel links at once, using the button (Figure 44, “Buttons and ” ). |
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To remove an entry from the list, click on the symbol (Figure 45, “ Symbols for Single Entries”). This action does not remove the Excel link but only the list entry. |
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You can also remove all entries at once by clicking on the button (Figure 46, “Button ”). |
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To view the link overview of all links in the current Excel file, you expand the drop-down menu for the button and then choose the option (Figure 47, “Option ”). Here, you have the same options as for single ranges. |
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