Objective 3.3 Insert and format SmartArt graphics

  • 3.3.1 Insert and format SmartArt graphics

3.3 Contents

3.3.1a Insert SmartArt graphics

When you want to clearly illustrate a concept such as a process, cycle, hierarchy, or relationship, the powerful SmartArt Graphics tool makes it easy to create dynamic, visually appealing diagrams.

SmartArt text is stored as a bulleted list

The content of the diagram is controlled by a single-level or multiple-level list. The appearance is controlled by the SmartArt template. By using the available templates, you can easily construct any of the following types of diagrams:

  • List These diagrams visually represent lists of related or independent information—for example, a list of items needed to complete a task, including pictures of the items.
  • Process These diagrams visually describe the ordered set of steps required to complete a task—for example, the steps for getting a project approved.
  • Cycle These diagrams represent a circular sequence of steps, tasks, or events, or the relationship of a set of steps, tasks, or events to a central, core element—for example, the looping process for continually improving a product based on customer feedback.
  • Hierarchy These diagrams illustrate the structure of an organization or entity—for example, the top-level management structure of a company.
  • Relationship These diagrams show convergent, divergent, overlapping, merging, or containment elements—for example, how using similar methods to organize your email, calendar, and contacts can improve your productivity.
  • Matrix These diagrams show the relationship of components to a whole—for example, the product teams in a department.
  • Pyramid These diagrams illustrate proportional or interconnected relationships—for example, the amount of time that should ideally be spent on different phases of a project.
  • Picture These diagrams rely on pictures in addition to text to create one of the other types of diagrams—for example, a process picture diagram with photographs showing changes in a natural formation over time. Picture diagrams are a subset of the other categories but are also available from their own category so that you can easily locate diagram layouts that support images.

In PowerPoint (but not in other Office programs), you can easily convert an ordinary bulleted list to a SmartArt graphic that retains the relationship of the bullet levels. Or you can create the diagram and then add text, either directly to its shapes or as a bulleted list in the Text pane, which opens to the left of the diagram. In the Text pane, you can add shapes, delete shapes, and rearrange them by dragging the associated list items.

SmartArt graphic layouts are available from the Choose A SmartArt Graphic dialog box. The categories are not mutually exclusive, meaning that some layouts appear in more than one category.

Choose a category based on the type of information you want to present

After you choose a layout, PowerPoint inserts the basic diagram into the slide and displays the associated list format in the Text pane, into which you can enter information. (If the Text pane doesn’t open automatically, you can display it by clicking the button on the left edge of the diagram.) You can enter more or less information than is depicted by the original diagram; most diagrams support a range of entries (although a few are formatted to support only a specific number of entries). You can insert and modify text either directly in the diagram shapes or in the associated Text pane. The SmartArt layout determines whether the text appears in or adjacent to its shapes.

Tip: You change the size, shape, and location of a SmartArt graphic by using the same techniques you use with other graphic elements.

After you create a diagram and add the text you want to display in it, you might find that the diagram layout you originally selected doesn’t precisely meet your needs. You can easily change to a different diagram layout without losing any of the information you entered in the diagram. If a particular layout doesn’t support the amount or level of information that is associated with the diagram, the extra text will be hidden but not deleted, and will be available when you choose another layout that supports it.

Tip: If a gallery has a sizing handle (three dots) in its lower-right corner, you can resize it. By reducing the height of the gallery, you can display more of the slide and the gallery at the same time.

When you decide on the layout you want to use, you can add and remove shapes and edit the text of the diagram either by making changes in the Text pane or by using the options on the SmartArt tool tabs.

You can make changes such as the following by using the commands on the Design tool tab:

  • Add shading and three-dimensional effects to all the shapes in a diagram.
  • Change the color scheme.
  • Add shapes and change their hierarchy.
  • Reverse the order of shapes.
  • You can customize individual shapes in the following ways:
  • Change an individual shape—for example, change a square into a star.
  • Apply a built-in shape style.
  • Change the color, outline, or effect of a shape.
  • Change the style of the shape’s text.

The Live Preview feature displays the effects of these changes before you apply them. If you apply changes and then decide you preferred the original version, you can easily click the return to the unaltered diagram layout.

The available colors are based on the presentation theme color scheme

To create a SmartArt graphic from a bulleted list

  • Right-click any item in the list, click Convert to SmartArt, and then click the layout you want.
  • Right-click any item in the list, click More SmartArt Graphics, click a layout in the Choose SmartArt Graphic dialog box, and then click OK.

To create an empty SmartArt graphic

  1. On the Insert tab, in the Illustrations group, click the SmartArt button.
  2. In the left pane of the Choose a SmartArt Graphic dialog box, click the type of diagram you want.
  3. In the center pane, click the layout you want, and then click OK.