Apply specific layout PPT - vba

Question

I have an existing piece of code (see below) for importing a batch of photos and creating a slide show. At present, the code is creating these slides on a blank background with a title only. How can I modify it so it will choose a specific slide layout from the Master slides? I know it has something to do with this line in the code:
Set oSld = ActivePresentation.Slides.Add(ActivePresentation.Slides.Count + 1, ppLayoutTitleOnly)
I looked here and tried some ideas but I just keep getting bugs: Applying layout to a slide from specific Master
Here's the full program:
Sub ImportStuffFromTextFile()
Dim strTemp As String
Dim strPath As String
Dim strFileSpec As String
Dim oSld As Slide
Dim oPic As Shape
Dim fs As Object
Dim f As Object
Dim PicDesc() As String
Dim strFile As String
Dim fd As FileDialog
Set fd = Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFilePicker)
With fd
.Filters.Add "Text Files", "*.txt"
.AllowMultiSelect = False
.InitialFileName = ActivePresentation.Path
If .Show = -1 Then
strFile = .SelectedItems.Item(1)
End If
If strFile = "" Then Exit Sub
End With
Set fs = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set f = fs.OpenTextFile(strFile, 1, 0)
Do While Not f.AtEndOfStream
PicDesc = Split(f.readline, Chr(9))
Set oSld = ActivePresentation.Slides.Add(ActivePresentation.Slides.Count + 1, ppLayoutTitleOnly)
Set oPic = oSld.Shapes.AddPicture(FileName:=PicDesc(0), _
LinkToFile:=msoFalse, _
SaveWithDocument:=msoTrue, _
Left:=0, _
Top:=0)
If oSld.Shapes.HasTitle Then
oSld.Shapes.Title.TextFrame.TextRange.Text = PicDesc(1)
With oPic
.Height = 469.875
.Width = 626.325
.Left = ActivePresentation.PageSetup.SlideWidth / 2 - .Width / 2
.Top = oSld.Shapes.Title.Top + oSld.Shapes.Title.Height + 7
End With
End If
Set oPic = Nothing
Set oSld = Nothing
Loop
Set f = Nothing
Set fs = Nothing
End Sub

Answer 1

When you say you keep getting bugs, what do you mean?
Are you getting error messages? If so, what are the error numbers/descriptions? Where does the code break?
If not, and you're getting 'bugs', what should the final output look like and how does this differ from that?
I would say that one big unknown here is the text file input. According to your code, it seems as though it needs to have a series of filenames and corresponding picture descriptions on each line of the text file, separated by a tab. Critically, it must be a tab and not 2 spaces or 4 spaces or 10 spaces or a hyphen ... it must be a tab. Is that the structure of the text file you're using as input?

Answer 2

PowerPoint treats built-in layouts differently than custom ones. You can't call a custom layout by name. Instead, you have to loop through each custom layout to find the one that has the right name, then use it:
Sub AddSlideFromCustomLayout()
Dim oLayout As CustomLayout
Dim oSlide As Slide
For Each oLayout In ActivePresentation.SlideMaster.CustomLayouts
If oLayout.Name = "Custom Layout Name" Then
Set oSlide = ActivePresentation.Slides.AddSlide(ActivePresentation.Slides.Count + 1, oLayout)
End If
Next oLayout
End Sub
Here's your listing with the code replacing the Set oSld line:
Sub ImportStuffFromTextFile()
Dim oLayout As CustomLayout
Dim strTemp As String
Dim strPath As String
Dim strFileSpec As String
Dim oSld As Slide
Dim oPic As Shape
Dim fs As Object
Dim f As Object
Dim PicDesc() As String
Dim strFile As String
Dim fd As FileDialog
Set fd = Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFilePicker)
With fd
.Filters.Add "Text Files", "*.txt"
.AllowMultiSelect = False
.InitialFileName = ActivePresentation.Path
If .Show = -1 Then
strFile = .SelectedItems.Item(1)
End If
If strFile = "" Then Exit Sub
End With
Set fs = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set f = fs.OpenTextFile(strFile, 1, 0)
Do While Not f.AtEndOfStream
PicDesc = Split(f.readline, Chr(9))
For Each oLayout In ActivePresentation.SlideMaster.CustomLayouts
If oLayout.Name = "Custom Layout Name" Then
Set oSld = ActivePresentation.Slides.AddSlide(ActivePresentation.Slides.Count + 1, oLayout)
End If
Next oLayout
Set oPic = oSld.Shapes.AddPicture(FileName:=PicDesc(0), LinkToFile:=msoFalse, SaveWithDocument:=msoTrue, Left:=0, Top:=0)
If oSld.Shapes.HasTitle Then
oSld.Shapes.Title.TextFrame.TextRange.Text = PicDesc(1)
With oPic
.Height = 469.875
.Width = 626.325
.Left = ActivePresentation.PageSetup.SlideWidth / 2 - .Width / 2
.Top = oSld.Shapes.Title.Top + oSld.Shapes.Title.Height + 7
End With
End If
Set oPic = Nothing
Set oSld = Nothing
Loop
Set f = Nothing
Set fs = Nothing
End Sub