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Introduction to Shapes and Objects

 

Shapes

 

Introduction

Shapes are geometric and non geometric objects that Microsoft PowerPoint provides to enhance the looks of slides. There are many types of shapes. The most basic shapes you can use are the rectangle, the ellipse, and the line. Besides these, you can find advanced or complicated shapes on the Drawing toolbar.

To add a shape to a slide, click the desired button on the Drawing toolbar and draw in the desired location on the slide.

 

The Rectangle and the Square

A rectangle is a four-sided geometric figure you can use either as an independent aesthetic object in a slide or as a border around text or around another object. The most regularly used rectangle has two combinations of two parallel sides that are equal. A square is a special rectangle in which all four sides are equal.

To draw a rectangle on a slide, on the Drawing toolbar, click the Rectangle button Rectangle and either click the desired area on the slide or draw a rectangle on the slide.

To draw a square, after clicking the Rectangle button Rectangle on the Drawing toolbar, press and hold Shift. Then either click in the slide or click and drag to draw a square the size of your choice.

If you click and start dragging to draw a rectangle, the origin would be where your mouse landed to where you released the mouse. If you want to draw the rectangle or shape using your origin (where you first clicked) as the center of the shape, press and hold both Alt and Ctrl, drag until you get the desired size, then release the mouse and release Alt and Shift.

Practical Learning Practical Learning: Drawing Rectangles

  1. Start Microsoft PowerPoint and open the Human Body Structure3
    In the lower-left side of the screen, click the Normal View button
    If the Drawing toolbar is not visible, on the main menu, click View -> Toolbars -> Drawing
  2. In the left frame, click any text of slide 6
  3. On the Drawing toolbar, click the Rectangle button Rectangle and click the lower section of the slide (to make sure the rectangle doesn't disappear from the white background, while the rectangle is still selected, on the Drawing toolbar, click the Fill Color button Fill Color (don't change its color))
  4. To save the presentation with an incremental name, press F12
  5. Change the name of the presentation to  Structure of the Human Body4
  6. Click Save

The Text Box

A text box is a rectangular shape that contains text. The text can be any length. Like all other shapes we will review, a text box can be positioned anywhere on the slide, giving you ample opportunity to enhance a slide. The text box is the main place holder of text that displays in slides. As such, all main titles and bulleted lists on slides are stored in text boxes. The advantage of the text box is its flexibility with regards to its position and its ability to hold or "carry" text. Text that is stored in a text is moved when the text box is moved.

To add a text box to a slide, on the Drawing toolbar, click the Text Box button Text Box and click anywhere on the slide. Then type the desired text.

Practical Learning Practical Learning: Using the Text Box

  1. Click anywhere on the Nervous System slide 7
  2. To add a new slide, press Ctrl + M
  3. In the Text Layout window, click the Title and 2-Column Text button
  4. Click Click To Add Title and notice the borders of its text box
  5. Type The Reproductive System
     
  6. Click the left Click to Add Text and notice its border
  7. Type Male and press Enter
  8. Press Tab
  9. Type Production of Sperm and press Enter
  10. Type Maturation and Storage and press Enter
  11. Type The Penis
  12. Click the right Click To Add Text
  13. Type Female
  14. Press Enter
  15. Press Tab
  16. Type Ovaries - Uterus and press Enter
  17. Type Reproductive Cycle and press Enter
  18. Type Vagina - External Genitals and click somewhere else in the slide
     
  19. To add your own text box, on the Drawing toolbar, click the Text Box button Text Box
  20. Click an empty area in the lower section of the slide. If (and only if) a bullet appears in the text box, then, on the Formatting toolbar, click the Bullets button Bullets to remove the bullet
  21. Type The Sexual Response and press Enter
  22. Type Contraception and press Enter
  23. Type Sexually Transmitted Diseases
     
    Even if you don't like where the new text that was just added is placed on the slide, don't move it: leave it exactly where it is in your slide
  24. In the Outline view on the left frame, click anywhere on the second slide to display it in the main view
  25. On the Drawing toolbar, click the Text Box button Text Box
  26. On the slide, click in the lower left section
  27. Type Support Site: http://www.functionx.com/powerpoint
    If the text appears with a bullet, on the Formatting toolbar, click the Bullets button to remove it 
  28. Save the presentation

The Ellipse and the Circle

An ellipse is a round geometric figure. A circle is a type of ellipse in which all opposite points use the exact same distance from the center:

  • To draw an ellipse on a slide, on the Drawing toolbar, click the Ellipse button Ellipse and either click the desired area on the slide or draw a rectangle on the slide. Although an ellipse is not a rectangle, it would be represented by a type of rectangle it would have been included in.
  • To draw a circle, after clicking the Ellipse button Ellipse on the Drawing toolbar, press and hold Shift. Then either click in the slide or click and drag to draw a square the size of your choice.

If you click and start dragging to draw an ellipse or a circle, the origin would be where your mouse landed to where you released the mouse. If you want to draw an ellipse or a circle whose center would be the first point you clicked, press and hold both Alt and Ctrl, drag until you get the desired size, then release the mouse and release Alt and Shift.

Practical Learning Practical Learning: Using the Ellipse Shape

  1. In the Outline view of the left frame, click anywhere in slide 7 (The Nervous System) to activate it
  2. On the Drawing toolbar, click the Ellipse button Ellipse and click in the lower-right section of the slide
    To make sure the ellipse doesn't disappear from the white background, while its square is still selected, on the Drawing toolbar, click the Fill Color button Fill Color
  3. Save the presentation

Additional Shapes

Besides the rectangle and the ellipse, there are additional shapes you can use. To access these shapes, on the Drawing toolbar, you can click AutoShapes, position your mouse on a category and click the desired shape:

 

Practical Learning Practical Learning: Using Additional Shapes

  1. Scroll down to slide 8: the Reproductive System and display it in the right frame
  2. On the Drawing toolbar, click AutoShapes -> Basic Shapes -> Cross
  3. On the slide, draw a rectangle that covers the bottom three lines completely
     


    To make sure the rectangle doesn't disappear from the white background, while the rectangle is still selected, on the Drawing toolbar, click the Fill Color button Fill Color
  4. Scroll up to slide 1 and display it in the right frame
  5. Save the presentation

Manipulating Shapes

 

Selecting Shapes

Before performing an operation on a shape, you should first select it. In the same way, if you want to perform a common operation of various shapes, you should first select them.

To select a shape that is positioned on a slide, you can just click it. When a shape is selected, it displays 8 handles around:

To select various shapes on the slide, click one. Press and hold Shift, then click each shape desired. When the selection is complete, release Shift. Each shape selected would have its own 8 handles

Resizing Shapes

Resizing an object consists of changing its size. Before resizing an object, select it first. To resize various objects at the same time, first select them.

Before resizing an object, position the mouse on one of its handles. To resize many selected objects at the same time, position the mouse on the handle of one them. The mouse pointer would change into one of the following cursors which can produce one of the following results:

Pointer Role
Shrinks or heightens the control
Resizes the control in North-East <-> South-West direction
Narrows or widens the control
Resizes the control in North-West <-> South-East direction

   

Practical Learning Practical Learning: Resizing Shapes

  1. With slide 1 still active, in the central view, click anywhere on Helene Mukoko or your name to display the borders of its text box
  2. Position the mouse on the bottom center handle
     
  3. Drag up to resize it to completely reduce the empty area
  4. In the same way, shrink it using the right middle handle
     
  5. Save the presentation
 

Moving Shapes

Moving an object consists of changing its "physical" location on the screen or with regards to other objects. There are mainly two aspects involve with moving an object. Objects on the screen (this includes any application on the computer, not just Microsoft PowerPoint) use a three dimensional axis to position themselves.

The Windows coordinate system deals with how an object relates to the other objects on its left, those on its right, those above it and those under it. Before moving an object, first click it to select it. Before moving a group of objects, first select them. To actually move an object or a group of objects, position the mouse on it. The mouse pointer would change into a cross cursor . You can then click and drag in the direction of your choice. The object or the group of objects would be moved. Once you get to the desired location, release the mouse and press Esc or click somewhere else.

The objects on the screen are also positioned using a third dimensional axis. This is why you are able to have one window on top while the others are in the back. This axis uses the same origin as the origin axes. Based on this, if you have juxtaposed objects, that is, objects on top of each other, on a slide, you can specify what object should be positioned on top of which one. As obvious as it appears, only one object can be on top but if two objects are not juxtaposed, this detail is not important. To arrange the order of juxtaposed objects, right-click one of them, position the mouse on Order and you would receive four options. Imagine you have three objects positioned A on top of B and B on top of C:

  • If you click Bring To Front: If the object you clicked is already the most top, nothing would change. If the object you clicked was under another, the object clicked would become positioned to the top of the others
  • If you click Send To Back: If the object you clicked was already the most back, nothing would change. If the object you right-clicked was on top of another or was on top of a group of others, the object you right-clicked would be sent to the very back of the other(s)
  • If you click Bring Forward: If the object you right-clicked was the most back, nothing would change. If the object you right-clicked was on top of another object, the object you right-clicked would be sent behind the other object. If the object you right-clicked was on top of a group of objects, the object you right-clicked would be sent behind the object just under it. Behind the first two object, the order would not be changed
  • If you click Send Forward: If the object you right-clicked was the most back, nothing would change. If the object you right-clicked was on top of another object, the object you right-clicked would be sent behind the other object. If the object you right-clicked was on top of a group of objects, the object you right-clicked would be sent behind the object just under it. Behind the first two object, the order would not be changed
 

Practical Learning Practical Learning: Moving Shapes

  1. With the text box of the name still selected, click one of its borders and not the handles. Drag right and down to move it to the lower right section of the slide
  2. Click somewhere else on the slide
     
  3. Save the presentation
 

MOUS Topics

 
S22 Create a text box for entering text
S51 Insert hyperlink
 

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