Google Slides API, positioning of image on the slide

Question

I am inserting an Image to a Google Slide using Google Slides API , My code is

    $emu4M = array('magnitude' => 5500000, 'unit' => 'EMU');
    $requests = array();
    $requests[] = new Google_Service_Slides_Request(array(
      'createImage' => array (
        'objectId' => '303030',
        'url' => $imageUrl,
        'elementProperties' => array(
          'pageObjectId' => $pageId,
          'size' => array(
            'height' => $emu4M,
            'width' => $emu4M
          ),
          'transform' => array(
            'scaleX' => 1,
            'scaleY' => 1,
            'translateX' => 5000,
            'translateY' => 5000,
            'unit' => 'EMU'
          )
        )
      )
    ));

It works fine but the image inserted is like this

I want the image to appear in center and reduce padding from top. Any help?

Based from this [documentation](https://developers.google.com/slides/how-tos/add-image), you specify the visual size and position of the image using the size and transform properties of the [PageElement](https://developers.google.com/slides/reference/rest/v1/presentations.pages#Page.PageElement). Check this sample [code](https://developers.google.com/slides/how-tos/transform#translation). — abielita, Dec 06 '17 at 15:42

score 3 · Accepted Answer · edited Apr 15 '21 at 12:14

Google Slides API may change your transform request result to something you have not asked:

When you create a page element, you can specify a size and transform that provide a certain visual result. However, the API may replace your provided values with other ones that yield the same visual appearance. In general, if you write a size using the API, you are not guaranteed to be returned the same size.

Source: https://developers.google.com/slides/how-tos/transform#the_slides_api_might_refactor_your_values

Relatively safe way of inserting image to center of Google Slide is inserting via ReplaceAllShapesWithImageRequest.

First you need to create placeholder shape and place it in the center of the slide:

Then replace the shape with your image (example in Google Apps Script language):

function insertImageCentered()
{
  var presentation = SlidesApp.getActivePresentation();
  
  var requests = [{
    "replaceAllShapesWithImage": {
      "imageUrl": "https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/e/2PACX-1vR5mi6ujksb_2WtTFmk39IPYBIBlJ6WkzM1nsys9cT4Wquik627DDIRXzoYTgHPKX3fcvJzG9inDmJt/pub?w=960&amp;h=720",
        "imageReplaceMethod": "CENTER_INSIDE",
        "pageObjectIds": [presentation.getSlides()[0].getObjectId()],
        "containsText": {
          "text": "{{CENTERED_SHAPE}}",
          "matchCase": false
        }
     }
   }];
  
   Slides.Presentations.batchUpdate({'requests': requests}, presentation.getId());
}

Resulted image in center of the slide:

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 06 '17 at 15:41

Slides image positioning works by creating a rectangle based on your given size, aspect fitting the actual image in that rectangle, then applying your transform. As a result, you'll often get extra padding if the size you provide doesn't match the aspect ratio of the image.

Make sure the size you're providing matches the size of the image, and then do some math with the pageSize and image size to figure out the right values of translateX/translateY to use.

Would you mind giving an example, based on the code above? – Mudassar Khani Dec 07 '17 at 17:37 — Mudassar Khani, Dec 07 '17 at 17:37

Google Slides API, positioning of image on the slide

2 Answers2