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Canvas and boards/05

PowerPoint and document imports

Free

Bring deck and document assets into the board.

Document imports keep review files, decks, production references, and slide exports on the same board as images and videos. FenSight imports supported document extensions as DocumentItem objects, uses specialized preview paths for thumbnails, and gives PowerPoint files an extra workflow: split a presentation into per-slide image items, then rebuild the slide set back into a single document item when the board no longer needs every slide exposed.

Screenshot coming soon

FenSight board showing a PowerPoint document item, split slide images, and document thumbnails

Screenshot placeholder. Expected production asset: /docs/screenshots/powerpoint-and-document-imports.png.

Document access paths

Menu

File -> Import Folder...

Imports supported document files through the main ingest pipeline and creates DocumentItem objects.

Drag/drop

Explorer -> drag documents or folders onto the canvas

Mixed drops can include PowerPoint, Word, Excel, RTF, EPS, InDesign, IDML, PDF, Cinema 4D, and other supported/proxy formats.

Context menu

Document item -> Open

Opens the source document in the default Windows application.

Context menu

Document item -> Open in Explorer

Selects the source document in Explorer.

Context menu

Document item -> Show in Properties Dock

Shows document type and preview-size details for the selected document item.

Context menu

PowerPoint document item -> Split slides to images

Exports .ppt/.pptx slides to cached PNG files and adds each slide as an ImageItem with parent-document metadata.

Context menu

PowerPoint slide image -> Rebuild PowerPoint Document

Replaces related slide-image items with a DocumentItem pointing back to the original presentation. It does not rewrite the presentation file.

Context menu

Viewport -> Expand all items

Expands all expandable image sequences and PowerPoint documents found on the board.

Menu

File -> Rebuild Thumbnails

Regenerates missing previews for documents after video thumbnail repair runs.

Menu

Settings -> Cache -> Also cache video/document thumbnails

Allows generated document thumbnails to be stored on disk for faster reopen paths.

Supported document and proxy formats

The active ingest pipeline imports known document extensions directly. Some document-like formats are technically in the image-supported set because they use specialized preview handlers rather than normal document routing.

Format groupExact extensionsImport behavior
PipelineSupportedDocumentsFree
.ppt, .pptx, .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .rtf, .eps, .indd, .idmlCreates DocumentItem objects. The item preview is loaded from pre-rendered cache first, then LoadSpecializedPreviewThumbnail tries Shell content thumbnails, Magick.NET for supported proxy formats, and Windows Preview Pane handlers.
PDF and Cinema 4D proxiesFree
.pdf, .c4dThese are accepted through PipelineSupportedImages, but they use Shell/IPreviewHandler-style preview handling instead of normal bitmap dimensions. PDF depends on the installed PDF handler; C4D depends on the registered Maxon preview handler.
Adobe image/project proxiesFree
.ai, .psd, .psbThese are accepted through the image pipeline and use specialized preview loading. Magick.NET is tried for .ai, .psd, and .psb when Shell content thumbnails are not usable.
SpecializedPreviewExtensionsFree
.ai, .psd, .psb, .pdf, .eps, .indd, .idml, .c4d, .ppt, .pptx, .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .rtfThis set controls the preview path that rejects tiny square app icons and falls through to content thumbnail, Magick.NET, or IPreviewHandler capture.
Generic fallbackFree
Any non-hidden file when Accept all file types is enabledGeneric imports create DocumentItem objects from Windows Shell thumbnails or icons. Existing known image/video/document/asset-reference formats still use their normal paths first.

Document item behavior

BehaviorUser-facing resultTechnical behavior
DocumentItemFree
Represents a source document, deck, or preview-handler-backed file as a movable board item.CreateItemForPathAsync creates a DocumentItem with SourcePath, Position, IsLocked=false, optional Thumbnail, and preview-derived Width/Height when a thumbnail is available.
Document thumbnail sizingFree
Sizes the board item from the real preview when possible.If a specialized preview loads during ingest, DocumentItem.Width and Height are set to the preview bitmap dimensions. Otherwise the item can remain placeholder-sized until backfill/rebuild work fills a thumbnail.
Properties Dock detailsFree
Shows the document type and preview size.AppendDocumentDetails adds a Document section with Type: EXT and Preview size: W x H px when those values exist.
Open / Open in ExplorerFree
Keeps the board as a visual index while the real file opens in the normal Windows workflow.Document context-menu commands reuse the same default-open and Explorer selection handlers used by other file-backed items.
Tags and organizationFree
Lets documents participate in selection, tags, organization, watched-folder refresh, missing-file location, and path actions.DocumentItem objects are file-backed board items and are included in saved board state as kind=document with tags, dimensions, group IDs, and source paths.
Skipped hidden/system filesFree
Avoids importing temporary Office files and OS metadata as documents.IsHiddenOrSystemFile skips names such as ~$ Office temp files, ._ resource-fork files, Thumbs.db, desktop.ini, .DS_Store, and paths with hidden/system file attributes.

Preview generation paths

Document thumbnails are machine-dependent because FenSight can use Windows preview infrastructure when direct decoding is not enough.

PathUsed forTechnical behavior
Pre-rendered preview cacheFree
Reuses generated previews when available.Document ingest asks TryLoadPreRenderedPreview before specialized preview generation, using the large or small preview variant depending on decode limits.
Shell content thumbnailFree
Uses Windows thumbnail providers without accepting generic file icons.LoadSpecializedPreviewThumbnail tries ThumbnailProvider.GetThumbnailContentOnly with a short timeout and accepts only usable content previews.
Magick.NET previewFree
Handles supported Adobe/PDF/EPS proxy formats when Shell thumbnails are not useful.MagickPreviewExtensions covers .ai, .psd, .psb, .pdf, and .eps. FenSight runs bounded Magick decode and then applies the same usable-preview checks.
Windows Preview Pane handlerFree
Captures previews from installed application handlers such as Office, Adobe, PDF readers, InDesign, or Cinema 4D.ThumbnailProvider hosts the registered IPreviewHandler in a hidden window, captures the rendered output, and rejects mostly blank or icon-like captures.
Icon rejectionFree
Avoids saving small square app/file icons as document previews.IsUsableSpecializedPreview rejects specialized-preview results that are 1 px, blank, or square icons up to 256 px.
Deferred document detailsFree
Keeps board load and network-path reopen responsive.Board-load restore can create placeholder DocumentItem objects or load from cache first, especially for low-resolution preview mode and network paths.

PowerPoint slide workflow

Command or stateUser-facing behaviorTechnical behavior
Split slides to imagesFree
Creates one image item per slide from a .ppt or .pptx document item.SplitPowerPointToImagesAsync calls PowerPointSlideExtractor.ExtractSlides(SourcePath, scale: 2), loads each exported PNG, creates ImageItem objects, and stores ParentDocumentPath plus ParentDocumentSlideIndex.
Expand all itemsFree
Expands every PowerPoint document item on the board, alongside any image sequences.ExpandAllGroupableItemsAsync finds DocumentItem objects with .ppt/.pptx extensions, exports slides, expands the PNG paths at the document position, removes the original document item, selects the new slide items, and starts thumbnail/high-res backfill as needed.
PowerPointSlideExtractor cacheFree
Reuses slide PNGs when the source presentation has not changed.The cache folder is under the system temp path at FenSight/PptSlides/<md5>. The hash includes source path and LastWriteTimeUtc; existing slide-*.png files are returned without reopening PowerPoint.
PowerPoint COM exportFree
Uses installed Microsoft PowerPoint to render real slide images.The extractor creates PowerPoint.Application on an STA thread, disables prompts/macros where possible, copies the deck to a temp source file to avoid Protected View, opens read-only, exports each slide as PNG, and falls back to SaveAs PNG if direct slide export returns nothing.
FENSIGHT_POWERPOINT_EXEFree
Helps slide export find PowerPoint on machines where COM launch does not work automatically.If PowerPoint.Application cannot be created, FenSight tries to start POWERPNT.EXE. The error dialog tells the user they can set FENSIGHT_POWERPOINT_EXE to the executable path.
Rebuild PowerPoint DocumentFree
Collapses related slide image items back to one presentation item on the board.The command appears on ImageItem objects with ParentDocumentPath. It finds sibling slides for the same source, deletes those board items through the existing delete path, then reuses or creates a DocumentItem at the slide set's top-left position.

Fallback Ingest Documents dialog

This dialog still exists in the retained fallback import path. The current primary pipeline imports PipelineSupportedDocuments directly, so the dialog should be understood as a fallback surface rather than the normal document-import flow. Checkboxes are disabled when that family has no detected files, and prior OK choices can pre-check enabled boxes.

Exact checkboxSelected extensionsPersistence / caveat
PowerPoint (.ppt, .pptx)Free
Allows .ppt and .pptx files if the fallback dialog is shown.Persists IngestDocsPpt. PowerPoint items can later be split into slide images.
Word (.doc, .docx)Free
Allows Word files if the fallback dialog is shown.Persists IngestDocsDoc and imports selected files as DocumentItem objects.
Excel (.xls, .xlsx)Free
Allows Excel files if the fallback dialog is shown.Persists IngestDocsXls and imports selected files as DocumentItem objects.
InDesign (.indd)Free
Allows .indd files if the fallback dialog is shown.Persists IngestDocsIndd. .idml is supported by PipelineSupportedDocuments but is not named in this dialog checkbox.
EPS (.eps)Free
Allows EPS files if the fallback dialog is shown.Persists IngestDocsEps and may preview through Magick.NET or Shell/preview handlers.
SVG (.svg)Free
The checkbox exists, but .svg is not in PipelineSupportedDocuments.Persists IngestDocsSvg if selectable. In current standard import, SVG is handled only through older/fallback or generic any-file behavior, not the primary document pipeline.

Related selection and repair commands

Exact labelUser-facing behaviorTechnical behavior
Select PDFsFree
Selects PDF-backed items on the board.The selection shortcut matches the .pdf extension, even though PDF is routed through the image/proxy preview group rather than PipelineSupportedDocuments.
Select PowerPointFree
Selects .ppt and .pptx items on the board.The selection shortcut matches the PowerPoint extensions and honors additive selection when modifier state requests it.
Regen ThumbnailFree
Regenerates thumbnails for selected image/sequence items, including PowerPoint slide PNGs.Appears on image context menus. Slide image items are normal ImageItem objects with parent-document metadata.
Also cache video/document thumbnailsFree
Caches document previews alongside video previews.Persists CacheVideoAndDocumentThumbnails and allows MediaCache document entries to speed up future opens.

PowerPoint requirements and limits

PowerPoint slide splitting is an export workflow, not a native PPT renderer. It depends on Microsoft PowerPoint being installed and launchable on the local Windows machine.

  • Slide PNGs are generated from the original presentation and cached by source path plus modified time.
  • The extractor waits on a background STA export thread and reports a friendly PowerPoint message when no slides can be exported.
  • Split slide images point at cached PNG files, while ParentDocumentPath preserves the original .ppt/.pptx path.
  • Rebuild PowerPoint Document changes the board representation only; it does not write changes back into the presentation.
  • If the original presentation is missing, rebuild shows an Original presentation not found warning.

When document previews are missing

Missing document thumbnails usually mean the file imported before a content preview could be produced, or Windows does not have a preview provider for that format.

  • Install or repair the application/handler that provides Windows Preview Pane support for the document type.
  • Use File -> Rebuild Thumbnails after adding preview handlers or changing cache settings.
  • For PDF, Office, InDesign, IDML, and C4D, preview quality depends on installed shell or preview handlers.
  • For .ai, .psd, .psb, .pdf, and .eps, Magick.NET can provide a fallback preview when the format content is readable.
  • Generic any-file imports may show icons by design because FenSight cannot guarantee a content thumbnail for arbitrary extensions.

Document imports, specialized document previews, PDF/C4D proxy previews, PowerPoint slide splitting, and rebuild-to-document board actions are Free.

PowerPoint slide splitting requires Microsoft PowerPoint locally. If export fails, check that PowerPoint can launch and set FENSIGHT_POWERPOINT_EXE when the executable is in a nonstandard location.

Connected guides

Follow these related pages when the workflow crosses into setup, search, organization, export, security, or another board-level system.

Importing media and foldersBring files, folders, and large libraries onto the canvas.Supported formats and thumbnailsImages, videos, RAW files, documents, and shell thumbnails.Board filesSave and reopen full visual workspaces.Selection and navigationWork quickly on dense boards.Index rootsControl what FenSight scans and enriches.Shell thumbnail extensionImprove Windows-side previews where available.

Linked from

Importing media and foldersSupported formats and thumbnails