Working with OLE-Compatible Applications

The ConceptDraw Project Windows version supports the mechanism of embedding and linking objects (it is an OLE-application). Due to this fact you can embed ConceptDraw objects into other programs and work with objects from other programs inside ConceptDraw Project. Objects of the most different type: maps, tables, a sound, video, etc. can be embedded into one document.

OLE-objects in Projects of ConceptDraw Project

You can dispose objects of other programs in a project of ConceptDraw Project without real placing them in a document (to link). Such objects are not stored with the document, they are in a separate file. With all this going on, any changes in a source file are automatically applied to these objects.

For changing the inserted object call the shortcut menu, or use the Edit menu. At the very bottom of the menu a new Object<application name> item will appear. Having pressed it, you will receive the choice from two items: Change and Open. Any of them will start their parent program for editing the selected object.

Note: To call editing an OLE-object you can usually use a double-click.

Embedding

You can embed objects of other programs into your project. Embedded objects are stored together with the project. even if they have been taken from an existing file.

To change of an embedded object , call the shortcut menu or use the Edit menu. At the very bottom of the menu a new Object <application name> item will appear. Having pressed it, you will get a choice from two items: Change and Open. Any of them will start their parent program for editing the selected object.

Note: To call editing a OLE-object you can usually use a double-click.

Inserting a new OLE-object

If other OLE-compatible applications are installed in your computer, you can insert their objects into projects ConceptDraw Project. For this purpose it is necessary to fulfil the following operations:

Select the Insert menu item in Insert/New Object. The Insert an Object dialogue will appear.

For creating a new object select the Create New option. In the Object Type list select the required type of the object.

If the required for to you object is not present in the list, perhaps, the appropriate application is absent in the system.

If you want the object to be inserted only as an icon, select the option As A Sign.

Click OK.

You will get into the editing window of the new object in which you can edit the object, using tools of its original program-creator. To complete editing, you may click by the mouse outside the object (if you are in ConceptDraw Project window), or select the menu File/Exit(if this OLE application has been opened in the new window).

Editing an OLE-object

To change an OLE-object in ConceptDraw Project, you can by calling its shortcut menu or use the Edit menu. A new item (for instance, for Microsoft Word it is called "the Document Object") will appear in it. Having pressed it, you get the choice consisting of two items:

After selecting an item you will get into editing the object. To complete editing, you can click outside the object (if you are in a ConceptDraw Project window), or select the menu File/Exit and return to ConceptDraw Project option (if the OLE-application was opened in a new window).

Note: To call editing an OLE-object you can usually use a double-click of the mouse.

Inserting an Object from a File

You can insert in ConceptDraw Project the objects which are in a file which belongs to an OLE-compatible application. For this purpose:

  1. From the Insert/New object menu, select Object: the Insert Object dialog will appear.
  2. Select the Create From File option.
  3. Click Browse and select the required file to be inserted in your document. If you want to retain the link between embedded objects and the initial file, select the Link option. Then the object will be stored apart from the project file and any changes in the source file will automatically be reflected in the project. If this option is not selected, the object will be embedded into the project and stored together with it.
  4. If you want the object to be displayed as an icon only, select the Display as Icon option.
  5. Click OK.

Note: Dragging a file from Explorer into ConceptDraw Project has the same effect as inserting an OLE object from the file with the Display As Icon option selected.

Inserting an Object from an Open OLE-Compatible Application

To insert an object from an open OLE-compatible application:

  1. In this application copy the object onto the Clipboard.
  2. Activate the ConceptDraw Project document in which the object should be inserted.
  3. Use the Paste Special command from the Edit menu.

At choosing the Paste command ConceptDraw Project will try to identify the format of an OLE-object and create a corresponding ConceptDraw Project object. It concerns, for instance, texts and pictures. When using the Paste Special command an OLE-object will be inserted.

You may also use the Drag & Drop functionality for inserting OLE objects. Select the object in an OLE-compatible application, drag it into the open ConceptDraw Project and drop it there. The result will be the same as if you used the Paste operation.

ConceptDraw Objects in Other OLE-Compatible Applications

Creating a New ConceptDraw Project Object

You can create ConceptDraw Project objects from within another OLE-compatible application and insert it into your document. For this purpose it is necessary to execute the following actions:

  1. Activate the document in an OLE-compatible application in which a ConceptDraw object should be inserted.
  2. Select Paste/Object in the Insert menu. The Insert Object dialog will appear.
  3. Choose the Create New option.
  4. From the list of the object types available, choose ConceptDraw Document.
  5. If you need the object to be displayed as an icon only, check the Display As Icon option.
  6. Click OK.

You will start editing the new object in the ConceptDraw Project environment. To finish editing, use the File menu and click Exit & Return to...

Editing a ConceptDraw Object within Another Application

To modify a ConceptDraw object within another OLE-compatible application, call the object context menu or use the Edit menu. Select the ConceptDraw Project item. After selecting one of two items: Edit or Open you will get into the object editing mode. To finish editing, you should select the File/Exit and return to.... menu

Note: To call editing an OLE-object you may use a double-click.

Inserting an Object from a ConceptDraw File

You can insert objects stored in ConceptDraw Project files into the documents in other OLE-compatible applications. To do this, perform the following steps in an OLE-compatible application:

  1. In the Insert menu, choose Object. The Insert Object dialog will appear.
  2. Choose the Create From File option.
  3. Click Browse, select the required ConceptDraw Project file(with .cdd - extension) from which you want to insert information into your document.
  4. If you want to save the link between inserted objects and source files, select the Link option. The object in the file will be stored apart from your document, and all changes made in a source file will be reflected in your project. Otherwise (if the Link option has not been selected), the object will be embedded and stored with the document.
  5. If you need the object to be displayed as an icon only, select the Display As Icon option.
  6. Click OK.

Inserting an Object from an Open Document of ConceptDraw Project

If you need to insert an object from an open document of ConceptDraw Project into a document of another OLE-compatible application, perform the following steps:

  1. Select this object.
  2. Copy it onto the Clipboard - you can use the Copy command from the Edit or contextual menu, or the Copy tool .
  3. Activate the document in the target OLE-Application, in which the object should be inserted.
  4. Choose Paste or Paste Special from the Edit menu in the OLE-Application.

Note: If you have selected several objects from ConceptDraw Project and copied them onto the Clipboard, they will be pasted into the OLE-application as a single object, though when you double-click you will be able to edit the components separately.