To Create a New Word Document

New Documents are Word templates for documents which automatically include the client and animal details. These can be created within VisionVPM.
The documents are merged to Word from either the Client Details or Animal Details windows and are then saved in the client or animal's document folder. Ideally these documents should be stored on the server so that only a single template requires updating with any clinic changes.

Procedure

1. Check your Docs folder.
2. Insert the path to Docs.
3. Check path to MS Word.
4. Create your document.
5. Merge your document
6. Locate documents previously created for clients or animals

Check your Docs Folder

On your server, right-click the Window Start button and select Explore.

1. Locate and open your Omnis7 or VisionVPM.

If there is no Docs folder, click the File menu, point to New and select Folder. Name the folder Docs.

Insert the Path to Docs

1. Go to Main > Maintenance > Maintenance > System defaults.
2. From the System Defaults window, in the Documents on server box, type the path to docs.

   Example below:

   

3. Click Save.

Check Path to MS Word

You need to check every computer that is going to merge to MS Word from VisionVPM to ensure the correct path to MS Word is set.

1. Go to Main > Maintenance > Maintenance > Computer defaults.

   The Computer Defaults window will be similar to the following:

   

2. If the Path to MS Word box is empty, click the Browse button to locate the WINWORD.EXE file in Program Files > Microsoft Office > Office.

   As the Office folder name depends on the version of MS Office installed, at the time of writing, the Office folder will have one of the following names:

   • Office
   • Office10
   • Office11
   • Office12
   • Office14

   Where MS Word is not available, Wordpad can be used. MS Word gives more formatting and document options, so where available, MS Word should be the application of choice. Insert the path to either MS Word or Wordpad, but not both. If using Wordpad select the check box:

   

3. Click Save.

Create your Document using Word

If you want to create a letter which includes the animal's details you must go to an Animal Details window to click the New Document button.

When only the client's details are to be used you can use the New Document button on the Client Details window.

1. From either the Client Details window or Animal Details window, click the New Document button.

   

2. Select the new.doc document in the Letter Templates column, and then in the Name box, type the name of the document you wish to create.
3. Check Create a client letter template and click OK.

For example, if you wanted to create a vaccination letter you would go to the Animal Details window, click New Document, select new.doc, type Vaccination letter, select the check box and click OK.

• Microsoft Word will be displayed.

1. Type your letter, including any merge fields that you require by clicking Insert Merge Fields.
   • Below is the Mail Merge toolbar showing the Inert Merge Fields button for Word 2003.

   

2. When you have completed the letter, click Save and then exit MS Word.

Available Merge Fields

These are the available Merge Fields when merging to MS Word using New Document.

Merging Photos

Animal photos can be merged into MS Word documents through VisionVPM from the Reminder Schedule or Marketing Schedule.

To merge animal photos to MS Word:

1. Attach the required photos to the animal in the Photo tab of the Animal Details window.
2. Setup the merge template to include animal photos.
3. Merge the template to Word.

To setup the merge template to include animal photos

1. From the Word Merge Documents window in Reminder Schedule or Marketing Schedule, double-click the document that you wish to merge, and click OK. Ensure Automatically Merge Document is unselected.
2. Select the position in the document where you want the photo to be displayed and press CTRL+F9.
3. Type INCLUDEPICTURE followed by a space, and press CTRL+F9.
4. Type AnimalPhoto, and click Save.

To merge the template to Word

1. From the Word Merge Documents window, select Automatically Merge Document.
2. Double-click the document that you created to merge and click OK.
3. Press CTRL+A and then press F9.

The animal photo will now be displayed in the document.

You will need to resize the photos to the correct size to be displayed in the document.

Note: Microsoft Word will display the following message if there is no photo attached to the animal, "Error! Filename not specified." This message is not required in the document and should be deleted.