Libraries

Macabacus libraries are repositories for frequently reused content and templates, aiding in the standardization and preparation of materials produced by you or your organization.

Macabacus libraries are repositories for content and templates intended for frequent reuse, facilitating the standardization and preparation of materials by you or your organization. There are two types of libraries:

1. Personal Library: For use by a single Macabacus user.
2. Shared Libraries: Shared by multiple users within a group or organization.

Macabacus libraries are similar to PowerPoint's native Slide Library but offer key advantages:

• No need for the Professional Plus version of Office or SharePoint.
• Ability to add more than just slides to the library.

A Macabacus library may contain several types of content:

• Slides — Slides commonly used in presentations, such as team pages, executive bios, and tombstone ("creds") pages
• Meta Slides — Similar to regular slides, but published with metadata used for filtering in the Library pane
• Shapes — Office shapes commonly used in presentations, workbooks, and documents, such as Harvey Balls, icons, clip art, etc.
• Meta Shapes — Similar to regular shapes, but published with metadata used for filtering in the Library pane. Meta Shapes were formerly known as "tombstones", but were rebranded in Macabacus v9 to highlight their support for a broader range of shape content
• Images — Images commonly used in presentations, workbooks, and documents, such as company logos and headshots
• Charts — Pre-formatted charts that are pre-populated with dummy data and commonly used in workbooks, presentations, or documents, such as waterfall charts, Marimekko charts, etc.
• Tables — Pre-formatted tables (cell ranges) that help standardize the formatting, structure, and even content of new analyses in Excel
• Text — Text snippets like legal notices or executive biography (CV) text
• Archived Decks — Completed presentations archived in libraries and published with metadata used for filtering in the Library pane

A Macabacus library may contain three types of templates:

• Presentation Templates — Template (.potx) files used to define layouts, formatting, etc., for your PowerPoint presentations
• Model Templates — Financial or other models intended for use as starting points when building new models in Excel
• Document Templates — Word document templates such as fax cover pages

The term "template" is used here loosely, as "template" normally refers to .xltx/.xltm and .dotx/.dotm files in the context of Excel and Word, respectively.

• Opening the Library Pane: Click the Library button in PowerPoint, Excel, or Word to open the Library pane and display content from your libraries. The available content types vary by application (e.g., slides in PowerPoint).
• Toggling Content Visibility: Use the toggle buttons at the top of the pane and in the expandable Filters section to show or hide different libraries and content types.
• Searching and Viewing Content: The search bar quickly finds pre-indexed slides and other text. Library images are shown on a checkered background to indicate transparency for formats like .svg, .png, and .emf. Click the star icon to mark useful content as a favorite for easy access.
• Inserting Content: Select the desired content and click the Insert button to add it to your presentation, workbook, or document. In PowerPoint, Macabacus places shapes, images, and charts into placeholders if applicable. In Excel, inserted charts and their dummy data are added to a new worksheet.

In PowerPoint, when you click native buttons for inserting pictures and charts, either on the ribbon or in some content placeholders, Macabacus can override the native behavior and open the Library pane, displaying relevant images or charts. If the Library pane is already open, clicking these buttons will result in the native behavior (clicking twice ensures native behavior).

These settings are disabled by default and can be modified in the PowerPoint > Native Override Behavior section of the Settings dialog.

If multiple cells in a single column or row are selected when inserting images from libraries in Excel, the image will be sized to match the height or width, respectively, of the selection. Otherwise, images are inserted at their original size.

By default, Macabacus connects Office content (such as slides, shapes, images, and charts) inserted into documents, presentations, and workbooks to the library from which it was sourced. Read more library versioning.

Presentation templates in your libraries are used by several of Macabacus for PowerPoint's presentation automation tools and require specific configuration to work with these tools.

Spreadsheets and document "templates" are collections of useful workbooks and documents intended as starting points or building blocks for creating financial models or new documents like fax cover pages. You can access and use these model and document templates from the Macabacus > New menus in Excel and Word.

You can work with your remote library content and templates even when disconnected from the Internet or the network where remote libraries are stored. If Macabacus cannot connect to a remote library, it will automatically switch to the locally cached version of the library (if caching is enabled in the Library Manager dialogue).

• Notification Icon: An icon in the Library pane notifies you when cached content is displayed.

Macabacus automatically caches remote libraries at the frequency you specify in the Library Manager dialog. The default setting is every three days. This setting can be shared as part of Shared Settings to ensure consistency for all Macabacus users.

• Background Caching: Automatic caching occurs in the background when starting Excel, PowerPoint, or Word.
• Incremental Updates: Macabacus performs incremental caching, updating only the changed files and folders to reduce network load and improve speed.

• Cache Location: Cached libraries are saved in the following local folder:

  C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Macabacus\Cached Libraries

Macabacus defaults to using cached libraries full-time to maximize Library pane performance. This means that the Library pane contents may be outdated until the next scheduled cache update, determined by your customizable cache frequency setting.

• Updating Content: To keep the Library pane updated, adjust the cache frequency as needed.
• Displaying Remote Content: If you prefer to display remote content instead of cached content, disable the Use Cached Libraries option in the Library Manager dialog.

All library management is performed in a single dialog called the Library Manager, accessed from the Macabacus > Settings menu. Use the Library Manager to configure add, remove, and otherwise configure libraries; add, delete, and republish library content and templates; configure user group access; configure custom fields for content that supports metadata; and more.

Making changes to shared libraries requires that either (a) the user be a Macabacus account administrator, or (b) the host Office application be run as a Windows administrator.

A library contains several predefined content categories, such as Slides, Shapes, Charts, and Tables. These categories cannot be modified. Each category can have one or more content groups that can be modified as needed.

In the Library Manager:

• Expanding a library node reveals the content categories.
• Expanding a category node reveals the content groups within that category.

When setting up shared libraries, plan their structure carefully. Consider the following questions:

• How many shared libraries will I need?
• What will they be named?
• Who will have read and write access to each shared library?
• What user groups should be configured?
• How will content be divided among libraries and content groups?
• What will my content groups be named?

Cloud Storage Setup

If using cloud storage like OneDrive or Dropbox, ensure the shared folder is properly configured in the General > Cloud Storage section of Macabacus' Settings dialog. Incorrect configuration may require deleting and redefining shared libraries, but previously published content may not need to be deleted.

User Groups and Access Management

If using user groups to manage read/write access:

• Define user groups in your Admin Console before setting up shared libraries.
• Planning user groups in advance can save you the hassle of moving or republishing library content later.

Before you can publish content to your shared libraries, you must define one or more shared libraries as follows:

1. In Library Manager, click New Library to create a new shared library.
   • If you use shared network folders, then the library path should point to a shared network folder accessible to others.
   • If you use a cloud storage service like OneDrive or Dropbox, the folder path to the library must begin with the cloud storage path described above. For example, if your cloud storage path is C:\Users\bob\OneDrive - Company , then your shared library path should point to a downstream folder such as C:\Users\bob\OneDrive - Company\My Library .
   • Macabacus requires exclusive use of the folder you specify for the library path; do not save other files or folders here.
   • Macabacus does not support SharePoint URLs, but traditional folder paths can be used if you sync the folder from SharePoint like OneDrive.
2. Optionally, at this stage, publish content/templates to shared libraries. Start with minimal content and you can add more over time.
3. Once you have defined your shared libraries as desired in Library Manager, open the Share Settings dialog, ensure theShared Libraries box is checked, and publish your settings. This makes others' Macabacus installations aware of your organization's shared library locations.
4. If you use cloud storage services like OneDrive or Dropbox, have other users with whom you share libraries verify their cloud storage folders and cloud storage settings, as described above, if needed. Ensure other users have access to the cloud storage file path (e.g.,C:\Users\bill\OneDrive - Company\My Library ) and have configured their Macabacus cloud storage settings as described here.

After initial setup, if you add a add, remove, or modify a library definition, you must republish shared settings as described above for other users to see these changes. This applies only to library definitions, not changes to library contents.

You can set up User Groups in the Admin Console and then configure read and/or write access to the Libraries based on groups. This gives more flexibility to designating who has access to content and the ability to manage a Shared Library. To configure this for Libraries, open the Library Manager and select the Shared Library you want to assign to a User Group. On the Read Access section click Edit and you will be able to select the User Groups that can access that particular Library. You can also allow User Groups that have Read Access to have Write Access, if desired. If no User Groups are selected to have Read Access, then all users will be able to view the Libraries content.

Set up User Groups in the Admin Console to manage read and write access to Libraries. This provides flexibility in controlling who can access and manage Shared Libraries.

To configure this, open the Library Manager and select the Shared Library you want to assign to a User Group. In theRead Access section, clickEdit to select the User Groups that can access the Library. You can also grant Write Access to User Groups with Read Access. If no User Groups are selected for Read Access, all users will be able to view the Library's content.

Content and templates are added to a library by "publishing" them as follows:

1. In Library Manager, expand the desired library node.
2. Select and expand the relevant category node (e.g., Charts).
3. Click+ New Group to add a new content group, or select an existing group.
4. ClickPublish to Group and follow the instructions.

Follow the steps above to publish library content and templates, except check the box to replace existing content when prompted. When you republish content, Macabacus will utilize Library Versioning to notify your users of changes.

Tags can be used in the Macabacus Libraries to better help organize content and give your team an easy way to locate the content they need in the library pane. To create or manage tags, open up the Library Manager and click on the tag icon at the bottom of the dialogue.

Create and edit tags here. When creating a tag, you must provide a name. Optionally, you can add a description, colors, and nest it under an existing tag to create sub-tags. Set the content type (e.g., slides, shapes, images) or choose “Any” to use the tag across various content types. Specify if the tag is available to everyone or only to Macabacus administrators.

Apply tags either in bulk to all assets within a library group or individually.

To apply a tag to all content in a group:

1. Select the group in the Library Manager (Library Assets section).
2. Click “Apply tags” at the bottom left.
3. Search for and select the tag.
4. Click “OK” to apply the tag to all group content.

To apply a tag to a single content piece:

1. Select the edit icon next to the content.
2. Search for and apply the tag as described above.

Tags make it easier for users to search for and find content efficiently. To use tags in the Library Pane search, type # followed by the tag name. Select a tag by clicking on it or using [Enter], [Tab], or [,]. Combine tags with text search and metadata filters to pinpoint content quickly.

Observe the following guidelines and recommendations for publishing certain content types to libraries:

Slides published to libraries should have descriptive titles for easy identification and searchability. Macabacus reads all text on published slides and stores it for quick reference during text searches in the Library pane. Note that Macabacus cannot read text in images and embedded objects.

Create a presentation with only the shapes you want to add to the library (placeholder shapes will be ignored). Assign each shape a descriptive name in the PowerPoint Selection Pane for identification and searchability.

Library images include company logos, headshot photos, stock photography, and other reusable imagery. Ensure each image's file name describes the image for identification and searchability (e.g., a company logo should include the company's name).

To publish multiple images at once, create a folder containing only the images you want to add and publish the entire folder. You can use multiple folders to group similar images, such as separate folders for logos and headshots. For example, organize 100 company logos and 15 headshots into separate folders, or break hundreds of logos into folders named A-G Logos, H-M Logos, etc.

Publishing charts involves publishing a workbook. Ensure that your workbook observes the following guidelines:

• The workbook should contain only the charts you want to add to the library.
• Each worksheet should contain a single chart, its data, and any user instructions.
• Clearly indicate "dummy" data in the chart data by changing the cells' font or fill colors.
• Use Excel's Selection Pane to name each chart descriptively, indicating its type, layout, or use.
• Ensure no extraneous information is in the workbook, such as unused range names, styles, or links to other workbooks. Consider using Macabacus' optimization or Prepare to Share tools.
• The workbook should not contain chart sheets.
• Refer to the sample charts that install with Macabacus (activate these by navigating the Library Manager, Personal Library, and clicking "Demo Mode") for examples.

Publishing tables involves publishing a workbook. Ensure that your workbook observes the following guidelines:

• The workbook should contain only the tables you want to add to the library.
• Each worksheet must contain a single table, formatted and populated as desired.
• Tables are identified by their worksheet names, so name worksheets appropriately.
• Select only the table (i.e., cell range) to be published on each worksheet.
• Ensure no extraneous information is in the workbook, such as unused range names, styles, or links to other workbooks. Consider using Macabacus' optimization or Prepare to Share tools.

Macabacus will publish the selected text or text within any selected object (e.g., shape, cell) in Excel, PowerPoint, or Word. Only text is published; text formatting is not preserved.

Meta Shapes (Tombstones)

Instructions for configuring and publishing Meta Shapes are detailed in the Meta Shapes of this documentation.

Sample content and templates are provided for demonstration purposes, only, and are not considered part of Macabacus software. They may be removed, replaced, or modified as desired.

You can activate the sample content that installs with Macabacus by navigating to the Library Manager, Personal Library, and clicking "Demo Mode".

_{This documentation refers to the latest Macabacus version. Some features and descriptions of these features may not apply to older versions of Macabacus. Update your Macabacus software to take advantage of the latest features.}