Getting runes into Google Sheets

[PhilHibbs]

*UPDATE* I've fixed the process and edited this post to reflect the current working method.

I've figured out an easy way to get Gloranthan runes into a Google spreadsheet. Well, easier than my existing method anyway.

1. Create a Powerpoint or Impress document
2. Drop the SVG files into a slide
3. Upload the .ppt or .odp file into Google Drive
4. Open the file in Google Slides
5. Select and copy an image
6. Switch to the Google Sheets document, select Insert -> Drawing from the menu, and paste
7. Voila! Now that it's into Sheets, you can copy and paste within the same document.

Previously I was downloading the sheet as a local LibreOffice file, adding the runes, re-uploading it, and then fixing the myriad things that broke in the two conversions. This new method avoids all the fixing up, which was a huge pain.

I will do steps 1, 2, and 3 for all the runes, and share the sheet for anyone else to use, then you just need to do steps 4 and 5.

And here it is: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vzbvKEPz0Gh4Tv1WLfzvmmHUgtySLzsJXkKDOtlm4MY/edit?usp=sharing

Also as an SVG file: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-YNeX71L0A-uGpWL_dj_RWQCtaW9ct1R

If anyone else fancies drawing any more runes, or doing more detailed versions (these ones are ok when small but a bit simple when made large) then let me know and I will incorporate them.

If the runes appear to move around, just reload the web page, it's a Google Sheets rendering bug.

Edited February 9 by PhilHibbs
Fixed

[Dragonsnail]

Great! All done with free or donate software  too.

[PhilHibbs]

Google Sheets is a bit glitchy when it comes to image positioning. The arrows on my CharGen sheet occasionally move, as do the runes on the CharSheet. The Runes sheet is particularly prone to this when I copy it into another workbook. If that happens, just reload the web page.

Edited August 4, 2018 by PhilHibbs

[soltakss]

On 7/27/2018 at 8:37 PM, PhilHibbs said:

I've figured out an easy way to get Gloranthan runes into a Google spreadsheet. Well, easier than my existing method anyway.

Thanks for sharing this.

Now, all we need to do is to wait for Google to allow other Fints into their Sheets and then to allow different fonts in a single cell and we can use Gloranthan runes natively. I worked out how to do this in Excel years ago and it makes character sheets so much better.

[PhilHibbs]

I've made some improvements to my Runes sheet, fixed the problems with clipping and added some fjords to the Shargash rune.

[PhilHibbs]

Just updated this sheet to include the sorcery technique runes, so those can now easily be used in Google Docs.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vzbvKEPz0Gh4Tv1WLfzvmmHUgtySLzsJXkKDOtlm4MY/edit?usp=sharing

[soltakss]

12 hours ago, PhilHibbs said:

Just updated this sheet to include the sorcery technique runes, so those can now easily be used in Google Docs.

Thanks Phil

[PhilHibbs]

Hm. The sorcery techniques appear to be bitmaps and not vectors. And when I repeat this process, they are bitmaps again as soon as I open the ODS file in Google. Experimentation is needed.

[PhilHibbs]

I think I've found out part of what is happening:

https://support.google.com/docs/thread/103766233?hl=en

Looks like Google found a security vulnerability with SVG images and so have removed the ability to add them to Google Sheets. Existing sheets with vector graphics in them still work, so the existing Runes sheet is still usable but I cannot add any more vector images to it.

[hkokko]

And SVG's are easy to convert to for example PNGs with a small Python program. Did just that for my Obsidian database. 

[PhilHibbs]

I've figured out how to get vector images into a Google Sheet again!

• Create a Powerpoint or Impress document
• Drop the SVG files into a slide
• Upload the .ppt or .odp file into Google Drive
• Open the file in Google Slides
• Select and copy an image
• Switch to the Google Sheets document, select Insert -> Drawing from the menu, and paste
• Voila! Now that it's into Sheets, you can copy and paste within the same document.

I have updated my Runes spreadsheet, linked in the top post, to contain vector versions of the sorcery runes.

For a moment I thought I could bypass the upload-and-open-in-Slides step, but copying and pasting directly from Inkscape or Impress just pastes it in as a bitmap.

Edited February 9 by PhilHibbs