Bulk update odp slide backgrounds

[stevezemlicka]

I have approximately 400 odp files (were previously pptx but converted to odp) which have a grey gradient background. I want to update the background on all of these files (hopefully without needing to open each one up individually). Ideally, I could change the assigned template so that future changes could be made to the template and get applied automatically to these documents. The only attribute I really need is the background.

I created a template and used the Template Changer extension to try and apply to all but it didn’t apply the background. I may have a gap in my understanding of templates/styles though.

Any suggestions on how to accomplish this would be appreciated.

[fpy]

@stevezemlicka

didn’t apply

maybe try to be more specific, upload an example, with result & expected …

from there, some good souls woud be able guide you to the right action, in addition with simple macro or xml tweaks if needed.

[stevezemlicka]

Default Song Template.odp (40.4 KB)
Default Song Template Updated.odp (75.5 KB)
Here is an example of the source format and the desired outcome. One interesting thing I noticed was when I opened the original default example, it did ask me if I wanted to use the updated “style”. This isn’t the case for all the examples though. So it seems the Template Changer did do something to some of these. However when I said yes, it did not change the background so I’m wondering if, while I updated the template background, maybe this didn’t update the style background?

[fpy]

@stevezemlicka

previously pptx but converted to odp

seems it gets direct formating, and not style
as a result, if you add a new slide, it gets no background, right ?

see e.g. Changing the background of all slides at once in LibreOffice Impress - #2 by Zizi64

[ajlittoz]

Your documents technically are not LO templates. An Impress template has .otp file extension.

Don’t simply change the file extension in the hope to turn them into a template. This won’t work because XML encoding, mainly metadata, is different between ordinary and template documents.

To create a template from your “sample” documents, use File>Templates>Save as Template.

I used word sample here to avoid the ambiguity between layman and technical usages of word template.

@stevezemlicka

One interesting thing I noticed was when I opened the original default example, it did ask me if I wanted to use the updated “style”.

Default Song Template.odp is based on a template named Worship Songs while Default Song Template Updated.odp is not templated at all.

So, the simplest things would be to modify the original template (or create one with the same name).

[stevezemlicka]

You are correct. These are the files I wish to change. They are only named template because of my old process which was to, instead of loading an actual template, I loaded a presentation document and saved as a new name. The newly created template is attached below:
Worship Songs1.otp (75.5 KB)
I would like to apply the background from this template to all 400 or so odp files.
Here is an original source odp file:
What Child Is This.odp (49.9 KB)
And here is one after using the bulk template tool to try and update the background:
What Child Is This.odp (50.7 KB)

I suspect it did something because I am prompted to update the style when I open it. But even if I do update the style, the background isn’t updated. So either I’m missing something in my understanding of what attributes are applied from the template or I’m doing something wrong…maybe both.