Is it possible to "reference" a graphic in a graphics heavy document?

[Jador]

I have a document which uses a single graphic many times, but overlaid by different numbers. Is there a way to have a single copy of this graphic referenced by each instance in the document so the graphic is only saved in the document once, but displayed wherever I need it?

For example, a picture of a series of circles, set up so each circle contains a different number, each time the picture appears.

I’m not even sure if this can be done, but my current document is starting to bog down with the number of graphics I have in it.

EDIT: I’m trying to use a graphic as a background image, then lay text over it to fill in the circles in the graphic with information. I.E. a series of circles indicating different types of information so I can put numbers into the circles.

[Lupp]

If you worry about the file size: You needn’t. If you copy an image shape and paste it a 100 times elsewhere in the document, the file will only contain the original graphic once.

[ajlittoz]

Please edit your question to describe the “different number”: sequential numbering? Should it appear in the middle (if read literally word “overlaid”) of the picture or aside? (don’t use an answer, add the details at bottom of your question)

The latter is relatively easy with the caption feature, the former is bit more difficult (but not that much) with field insertion (which amounts to the same but less automatic).

[ajlittoz]

Could you provide a screen shot example of the result so that I can evaluate the complexity of task (from Writer point of view)?

[Lupp]

I’m not sure if I undertstand, but…

Graphics are housed by shapes, and a shape of appropriate type can get assigned an XGraphic interface.
Run the macro contained in this attached document to see how it works.

Start with LibreOffice: XGraphic Interface Reference to learn more.

(I don’t know a way to use the UI to the effect of the macro.)

===Edit 2020-05-04 about 29:20 UTC===
What was appended to the question by editing I still don’t understand.
What’s “a graphic as background image”? What are “the circles in the graphic”? What’s the “information”. What is meant by “lay text over it”?

Any drawing shape inserted using one of the elements from the drawing toolbar may have an Area editable via the dialog you get from the context menu. (Even a TextBox has an Area.) This area may be filled in different ways (None, Color, Hatch…), among them by assigning a Bitmap which in fact can be an image of any type I know.

In additition you can directly insert an Image. In Writer this is done using a kind of object rather different from drawing shapes (TextGraphicObject) and not offering an Area dialog.

In both cases (Area Bitmap / Image) the image itself is embedded into the file in the same way using a long cryptic name nowhere shown by the UserInterface. And in any case the same image used the one or the other way is embedded only once. This implies that it needs to be referenced by all the objects using it for their appearance.

Shape areas and directly inserted images handle the references to the original information differently even on the file level: An inserted image has the reference stored to the content.xml while a drawing shape stores it to the styles.xml.

Eventually:
Tell me clearly what you want to achieve, and I may be able to help you with a few lines of user code replacing (functionally) the lacking UI means to reference (e.g.) for one shape the image already used by a different shape (or a TextGraphicObject).

[LKeithJordan]

You COULD link to the graphic(s) instead of embedding it (them).

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