Ideally, I would like them to be actually linked (not copied) to the
document - so that if I go into the Origin project and edit them
the changes are reflected in the Word document. However, I may
be willing to (grudgingly) go along with copying.

I have tried many ways, most of which crash Origin.

The only way that works half way decently, to save each graph
from the project as a separate file, and then to embed these in
the Word document, is unsatsfactory because it creates a copy,
not a link reference.

Q: are there any better ways to accomplish this?

(And, moreover, the crashes - ANY CRASH - should be considered
bugs.)

Detail

In Word, I see "Insert/Object/Origin Graph".
However, when I hit this I get a pre-made blank graph, "UNTITLED".
Attempts to edit this graph, or link it to one of the graphs I have
already made, fail. Let me describe some of the things I have tried.

Word: Insert/Object/Origin Graph => gives me an UNTITLED Origin Project,
"Graph in Document.doc". Now, in Origin, attempting to "Open"
my existing project gives me "Save Changes to Project UNTITLED".
If I hit "No", Origin crashes, with the dialog error box "DDE Server Window:
ORIGIN50,EXE - Application Error // The instruction at "0x1001dab6" referenced
memory at "0x000002d4"...

Now doing the same thing, except hitting "Yes" ... also crashes.

Now, instead of trying to Open my existing project, I try to clear out the
garbage graph that Origin has opened by default, so that I can do something
like paste my own graph in (ugly, loses link):
Word: Insert/Object/Origin Graph => gives me an UNTITLED Origin Project,
"Graph in Document.doc". Now, in Origin, selecting graph by clicking on Y
axis,
hitting DELete key, gives me a dialog box "Are you sure that you want to
delete
the selected layer?" If I hit yes, Origin dumps me back into Word, with the
original graph unchanged.

Now, if I try to first paste the graph I want from the clipboard into the
opened
window, it works, but I cannot get rid of the original garbage graph:
Word: Insert/Object/Origin Graph => gives me an UNTITLED Origin Project,
"Graph in Document.doc". Now, in Origin, insert desired graph (which
I got from my original Origin project by Copy Page).
Unfortunately, the copied page does not appear to be an editable
object - it can be resized, but not edited as a graph
Try to delete garbage graph by selecting by clicking on Y axis,
hitting DELete key, gives me a dialog box "Are you sure that you want to
delete
the selected layer?" If I hit yes, Origin dumps me back into Word, with the
original graph unchanged, but garbage hanging around.

Trying to do the same thing by adding another layer => no good.

Ok, now I try to append the original worksheet... Eventually I manage to
delete all of the graphs except the garbage one and the one that I want,
and then I merge them. Ughh..... And, of course, it's link-likeness has
disappeared.

The only way that I have yet succeeded in getting a previously existing
Origin graph to embed in a Word document has been
a) In Origin, save the graph as a file all on its lonesome
b) In Word, Insert/Object/Create from File/that file.

This is unsatisfactory, in that it creates a copy of the data that can fall
out of date. Word, of course, can insert the graph as a "Link to File",
so that Word will update it whenever necessary. It would be nice if
Origin could create the file in a similar linked to manner - so that I can
always
edit the project, and have the graph files automatically updated.

Andy Glew,

In the Origin 5.0 User's Manual from page 383 to page 388 there is a discussion on the different ways you can share an Origin graph with another application (eg Word). Pay particular attention to the section titled "Linking a Graph from a Saved Project File (*.OPJ) to Another Application" (p387). This section should apply to your needs. It discusses the use of Edit:Copy Page in Origin and Edit:Paste Special in the receiving application. This is the only way that I am aware of that allows for a link to be made from an Origin project to a graph embedded in an application such as Word.

As far as the crashes that you have received:

Insert/Object/Origin Graph does indeed bring up a blank Origin graph. If you double-click on that graph an OLE instance of Origin is launched (not a full instance). Importing data into that empty graph window or appending projects to that graph window would be acceptable things to do since they afford changes/additions to the empty graph located in Word. However, we in no way support opening new projects in an OLE instance of Origin which would explain why you receive a crash regardless of whether you hit "No" or "Yes" when asked if you want to save the project. This therefore can not be considered a bug since we do not support it.

For now start with the information I have provided. If you are unsatisfied with my response please contact us at technical services with any further questions. You can either email us, phone us, or fax us, but please be sure to stick to only one mode of communication as the use of many differents modes of communication can cause undue duplication of our work efforts.

Sincerely,

Ryan Toomey

Technical Services engineer