Trying to make an emulation tool that opens screenshots located from a public drive within the same window when a link is clicked.

[Docos]

I need to create a tool in LibreOffice for my work that will be accessible through the public drive (not the internet) that will emulate a tool’s menus to display what they look like and how to navigate through them without actually doing anything for training, among other potential purposes. I may not be describing this well enough, so let me explain what I’ve done so far. I’m pretty sure I more or less know what to do, just not how to do it. So far I’ve taken jpeg screen shots of all of the tools top menus and all the sub menus I wish to include, I’ve sorted them into folders in the public drive and labeled them. I’m pretty sure next I need to somehow put all these screenshots together, though I don’t know how, in LO, with transparent buttons on the appropriate menu or submenu “button” (where you would click if it was the real tool) that contain (preferably hidden) links that point to the appropriate screenshot in the appropriate folder in the public drive, that causes that screenshot to switch to the next screenshot, which would be the next menu or submenu you would’ve ended up in had you clicked on that in the live tool. Whew, that was a mouthful. I hope I’m not butchering this description. Anyway, any help would be massively appreciated.

I need the buttons to be invisible, the links to be invisible, and the next screenshot to sort of appear over the previous one, or replace it entirely, but not open up in a new window. This should all be able to operate in a web browser preferably but not absolutely necessary. And remember, this is not going to be fetching from any websites, just pictures in folders on a public drive in a private business.

Thanks!

[Hrbrgr]

Pretty confusing your description. First of all, LibreOffice is not a graphics program.

In my opinion, the easiest way to show pictures in a row is to use a presentation in Impress. You can insert the images via OLE object, collect them in a folder before.

I hope it helps you.

If my answer did solve your problem, please click the big checkmark inside the circle to the left of this answer.

EDIT_1_20181201-13.45h

Here is a little presentation. Open it with Impress and start the slide show with “Start with first slide.” Each time you click it, it switches to the next frame.

[Docos]

I know it’s not a graphics program, I’m not sure why you think I would need a graphics program to do what I’m trying to do. All I’m trying to do is make links on screenshots that grab a different screenshot from a folder, and replace the original with the new one. No graphic involved. I’m not drawing anything or editing anything. If you think I could do such a thing with impress, could you give me a quick explanation as to how?

[Hrbrgr]

See my edited answer.

[Docos]

No, I’m not at all looking for a presentation, thank you though. I know perfectly well how to do that. I’m looking for an emulation tool. This requires no graphics tools, so I’m really not sure where the description hung you up. If you could show me where maybe I could clear it up?

[Hrbrgr]

Each screenshot is ultimately a graphic (an image). I have no other idea how it could be implemented. I hope someone else will present a solution.

[Docos]

Yes, but LibreOffice is quite capable of handling images and you can link to documents or folders… so really the only thing that I’m a little unsure of how to do is make one image replace the other rather than open up in a new tab or window. So why would the concept of images make you assume I need a graphics tool?

[Jedimaster]

Libreoffice is not designed to be an emulation tool. It is designed as an Office Suite.

[Docos]

Yes I know, but you can export html files and create links in it. I want to know if what I’m asking is possible. This would suffice as my emulation tool if it is possible to do this. Forget that what I’m trying to create is an emulation tool.

[Ratslinger]

Hello @Docos,

I can see what you are attempting. However, after some thought I can only picture this done with some macro coding and maybe some meticulous placement of these buttons.

Don’t know that any particular module would be preferable to this.

With a macro you can load or remove a picture. I would probably place it in a frame.

Next you are looking for ‘invisible’ buttons. This is available as a control on a form. The control is a Image Button but without an image placed on it and all framing removed (just property settings). Here is a group of these on a Base form. Here the frame was left as visible so you can actually see something:

Depending upon the button pressed, it would execute macro code to load the appropriate image to replace the existing one and also activate/deactivate the appropriate buttons for this image.

Now this is just a general overview and requires further analysis like the sequencing of events. It would be meticulous placing and coding these buttons depending upon the tool being built.

Going against your original request, I would prefer building fake forms, maybe with screen images within, and creating custom menus to actually jump from one form to another. The forms themselves wouldn’t do anything but the menus would be real.