Move a shape
- Click the shape that you want to move.
To move multiple shapes, click the first shape, and then press and hold CTRL while you click the additional shapes.
- Do one of the following:
- Drag the shape to its new location.
- Press the UP ARROW, DOWN ARROW, RIGHT ARROW, or LEFT ARROW keys to move the shape in the direction that you want.
- To move or "nudge" the shape in very small increments, hold down CTRL while you press the UP ARROW, DOWN ARROW, RIGHT ARROW, or LEFT ARROW keys.
When you nudge a shape, it moves one space over on the grid . A grid is not visible in your presentation and the lines do not print. If the
Snap objects to grid
option is turned off, a nudge moves the shape one pixel . TheSnap objects to grid
option aligns objects to the nearest intersection of the grid, and is turned on by default and works even when the grid is not visible. To turn theSnap objects to grid
option off or to change the grid spacing, underSmartArt Tools
, on theFormat
tab, clickArrange
, and then clickAlign
. ClickGrid settings
, and then clear theSnap objects to grid
check box or change the number in theSpacing
box underGrid settings
.
Fig. 1 SmartArt graphic Basic Block List layout with grid showing
Notes:
- Depending on the layout for the SmartArt graphic that you are using, if you move a shape that has a corresponding shape, such as an arrow or line, the corresponding shape will also move.
- If you make your SmartArt graphic three-dimensional by applying a 3-D Quick Style with a perspective view, you must first switch to a 2-D scene to move shapes. Under
SmartArt Tools
, on theFormat
tab, in theShapes
group, clickEdit in 2-D
. Move the shape, and then clickEdit in 2-D
again. To switch between 2-D and 3-D, clickEdit in 2-D
in theShapes
group on theFormat
tab. Think ofEdit in 2-D
as the key that temporarily unlocks your SmartArt graphic for editing so that you can move and resize shapes - but the 3-D style is still applied to your SmartArt graphic and reappears when you clickEdit in 2-D
again. - Although you can select or clear the
Snap object to other objects
check box, it does not work for shapes in a SmartArt graphic. TheSnap object to other objects
option lets you automatically align the shapes you are moving to the edges of shapes nearby. - You can also rotate a shape, or move the entire SmartArt graphic .
See also:
- Make a shape invisible in a SmartArt graphic
- Move a SmartArt graphic
- Resize a shape or an entire SmartArt graphic
- Restore the default layout and color