Topic 7: Graphics

The Drawing Toolbar provides many commands for creating and editing graphics. The toolbar is located at the bottom of the Power Point screen or it can be activated by selecting View|Toolbars|Drawing from the menu bar.

• Menu -
  
  • Grouping - Images can be grouped together so they become one image and can be moved together or the same formatting changes can be applied to both at once. Select all the images that will be grouped by holding down the SHIFT key and clicking once on each image. Then select Group from the Draw menu. The images can be ungrouped by selecting Ungroup from the same menu. The rectangles in the image to the left are separate images with their own sets of handles and they are grouped together in the image to the right:
    
  • Order - The order of overlapping images can be changed using this feature. In the example of two rectangles below, the green rectangle is selected and the Send Backward command was used to move the image below the blue rectangle. Send Backward and Bring Forward will move elements by one layer. Send to Back and Bring to Front move the elements to the back or top of a series of several overlapping graphics.
    
  • Nudge - Use the nudge actions to move an object slightly in one direction.
  • Align or Distribute - Select a group of objects and choose one of the the commands from the Align or Distribute menu to change the position of the objects in relation to one another.
  • Rotate or Flip - Rotate an object 90 degrees or flip the object over its x- or y-axis.
• Select objects - Deactivate all drawing functions.
• Free rotate - This button will place green handles on certain objects so they can be arbitrarily rotated. Click and drag the handles to rotate the objects.
  
• AutoShapes menu - Click the small down arrow to the right of the "AutoShapes" text to select a shape. [more...]
• Line and Arrow - Click and drag the mouse on the slide to add lines. Hold down the SHIFT key to draw a straight line. Use the end points of the completed line to stretch and reposition the line.
• Rectangle and Oval - Click and drag the mouse on the slide to add rectangles and ovals. Hold down the SHIFT key to add squares and circles.
• Text box - Click to draw a text box on the slide.
• Word art - Click to add WordArt. [More]
• Picture - Click to add a clip art image to the slide.
• Fill color - Choose a fill color for rectangles, ovals, and clip art.
• Line color - Select a border color for shapes and pictures.
• Font color - Highlight text on the slide and click the small down arrow next to the Font color icon to select a color.
• Line style - Highlight a line or arrow that has been drawn and click this button to select a thickness or style for the line.
• Dash style - Highlight a line or arrow and select a dash style.
• Arrow style - Change the arrow head style for an existing arrow or change a line to an arrow.
• Shadow - Select a text box to add shadow to text or choose any other object on the slide to add a drop shadow.
• 3D - Add a three-dimensional effect to text and other objects.

Adding Clip Art

To add a clip art image to a slide, follow these steps:

1. Select Insert|Picture|Clip Art from the menu bar or click the Picture button on the Drawing toolbar..
   
2. To find an image, click in the white box following Search for clips and enter keywords describing the image you want to find.
   - OR -
   Click one of the category icons.
3. Click once on the image to want to add to the slide and a selection bar will appear.
4. Click once on the image you want to add to the slide and the following popup menu will appear:
   
   
   • Insert Clip to add the image to the slide.
     
   • Preview Clip to view the image full-size before adding it to the slide. Drag the bottom, right corner of the preview window to resize the image and click the "x" close button to end the preview.
     
   • Add Clip to Favorites will add the selected image to your favorites directory that can be chosen from the Insert ClipArt dialog box.
   • Find Similar Clips will retrieve images similar to the one you have chosen.
5. Click the Close button in the top, right corner of the Insert Clip window to stop adding clip art to the slide.
   

Add An Image from a File

To add a photo or graphic from a file:

1. Select Insert|Picture|From File from the menu bar.
   
2. Click the down arrow button on the right side of the Look in: window to find the image on your computer.
3. Highlight the file name from the list and click the Insert button.
   

Editing A Graphic

Activate the image you wish to edit by clicking on it once with the mouse. Several handles will appear around the graphic. Click and drag these handles to resize the image. The handles on the corners will resize proportionally while the handles on the straight lines will stretch the image. More picture effects can be changed using the Picture toolbar.

Auto Shapes

The AutoShapes toolbar allows you to draw a number of geometrical shapes, arrows, flow chart elements, stars, and other graphics on a slide. Activate the AutoShapes toolbar by selecting Insert|Picture|AutoShapes or View|Toolbars|AutoShapes from the menu bar. Click the buttons on the toolbar to view the options for drawing each shape.

• Lines - After clicking the Lines button on the AutoShapes toolbar, draw a straight line, arrow, or double-ended arrow from the first row of options by clicking the respective button. Click in the slide where you would like the line to begin and click again where it should end. To draw a curved line or freeform shape, select curved lines from the menu (first and second buttons of second row), click in the slide where the line should appear, and click the mouse every time a curve should begin. End creating the graphic by clicking on the starting end or pressing the ESC key. To scribble, click the last button in the second row, click the mouse in the slide and hold down the left button while you draw the design. Let go of the mouse button to stop drawing.
  
  
• Connectors - Draw these lines to connect flow chart elements.
  

• Basic Shapes - Click the Basic Shapes button on the AutoShapes toolbar to select from many two- and three-dimensional shapes, icons, braces, and brackets. Use the drag-and-drop method to draw the shape in the slide. When the shape has been made, it can be resized using the open box handles and other adjustments specific to each shape can be modified using the yellow diamond handles.
  
  
  
• Block Arrows - Select Block Arrows to choose from many types of two- and three-dimensional arrows. Drag-and-drop the arrow in the slide and use the open box and yellow diamond handles to adjust the arrowheads. Each AutoShape can also be rotated by first clicking the Free Rotate button on the drawing toolbar . Click and drag the green handles around the image to rotate it. The tree image below was created from an arrow rotated 90 degrees.
  
  
  
• Flow Chart - Choose from the flow chart menu to add flow chart elements to the slide and use the line menu to draw connections between the elements.
  
  
• Stars and Banners - Click the button to select stars, bursts, banners, and scrolls.
  
  
• Call Outs - Select from the speech and thought bubbles, and line call outs. Enter the call out text in the text box that is made.
  
  
• More AutoShapes - Click the More button to choose from a list of clip art categories.
  

Each of the submenus on the AutoShapes toolbar can become a separate toolbar. Just click and drag the gray bar across the top of the submenus off of the toolbar and it will become a separate floating toolbar.

WordArt

Add headlines in striking colors and shapes to your presentation using Word Art.

• Select Insert|Picture|WordArt from the menu bar or click the Word Art button on the Drawing toolbar.
• Choose a Word Art style from the listing and click OK.
  
• Enter the text in the Edit WordArt Text box and choose the font, size, and style for the text. Click OK.
  
• Use the white box handles around the word art to resize it on the slide.
• Drag the yellow diamond handle to change the shape of the text. To revert back to no shape, double-click the diamond.