creating (or deleting) the intersection of two autoshapes?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Keith R
  • Start date Start date
K

Keith R

I'd like to be able to overlap two autoshapes and rather than simply
grouping them (which leaves me with both), do either of the following (I
need both, under different circumstances):

1. delete any part of either autoshape that isn't part of the intersection
of the two shapes
2. delete only the intersection area of the two shapes, leaving any parts
that weren't overlapping

Is there any way to do this in powerpoint, or any add-ins? I'd prefer a free
solution, but would like to know about anything that might provide this
functionality, preferably within powerpoint (I know that there are plenty of
straight graphics programs that could do this, but I'd like to avoid buying
and learning a whole new package just to do one simple job).

Using Office 2003 on WinXP

Thanks,
Keith
 
I'd like to be able to overlap two autoshapes and rather than simply
grouping them (which leaves me with both), do either of the following (I
need both, under different circumstances):

1. delete any part of either autoshape that isn't part of the intersection
of the two shapes
2. delete only the intersection area of the two shapes, leaving any parts
that weren't overlapping

Is there any way to do this in powerpoint, or any add-ins? I'd prefer a free
solution, but would like to know about anything that might provide this
functionality, preferably within powerpoint (I know that there are plenty of
straight graphics programs that could do this, but I'd like to avoid buying
and learning a whole new package just to do one simple job).
Click to expand...

I don't know of any good way to do this in PPT (other than drawing the shapes
then tracing over them with the freeform tool and doing lots of edit points
work, and I'd hardly consider that a GOOD way either).

On the other hand, you can probably find an older version of Corel Draw for
very little money; it's been able to do what you're after (Intersections,
Unions) for several versions, maybe since as far back as 7. A good drawing
program is a handy thing to have in your arsenal for many other reasons. And
it includes a pretty nice paint app as well.
 
In this particular case, I am creating some training material. I took a
printscreen and pasted it as the "background", and I want to reverse
highlight sections of the slide, including animation of the new autoshape.

Specifically, I wanted to make a grey (50% transparent) box wider than my
slide, and create a transparent "window" in that box the shape of an
autoshape arrow pointing to the right. Then I want to animate that screen so
that the whole thing shifts from left to right twice. Effect desired:

1. grey screen fades in quickly covering the whole screen
2. transparent arrow shifts in from left side (pointing right) and stops
over a key area of the screen. Text box (white background) appears at the
tip of the arrow, with text that describes what is visible through the
transparent arrow
3. textbox dissapears
4. arrow (entire screen) shifts right until arrow is off the screen
5. Repeat steps 1-4 with 4 other arrows of different sizes and locations

Thanks!
Keith
 
Hi Keith,

If I understand this right, it's simple.

Set it up as you have said and set the background fill of your arrow to
"Background". If your arrow is on top of the gray box, it will drill through
it and make the arrow transparent. That is what the background setting is
for.

--

Regards,

Glen Millar
Microsoft PPT MVP

Tutorials and PowerPoint animations at
www.pptworkbench.com

glen at pptworkbench dot com

Please tell us your PowerPoint / Windows version,
whether you are using vba, or
anything else relevant
 
Specifically, I wanted to make a grey (50% transparent) box wider than my
slide, and create a transparent "window" in that box the shape of an
autoshape arrow pointing to the right. Then I want to animate that screen
so that the whole thing shifts from left to right twice. Effect desired:
Click to expand...


Hi Keith,

you could use an image instead of an autoshape in this case. Draw the large
grey semi-transparent rectangle. Draw an arrow on top of it with a
non-transparent fill in another color. Group both of them. Right-click and
save as image, use PNG-format, as this is the only one which will preserve
the transparency. Delete the autoshapes and insert the image on your slide.
Use the "magic wand" on the drawing toolbar to make the arrow transparent.

Best regards,
Ute
 
Glen-

Thank you for your reply- it sounds like a great solution, if I can get it
to work.

The full (and therefore complicated) solution didn't work as expected, so I
started working backward. The simplest example I could come up with is:
1. paste a screenshot on the master slide, in case that is what it needs to
pick up as "background"
2. paste a different screenshot on the slide itself, in case the image on
the individual slide is what it picks up
3. make an autoshape arrow and set color to 'background'

All I get is a white arrow, not the screenshot on either the slide or
master. Is there an additional setting that I'm missing?
Thanks!!
Keith
Office 2003/ WinXP
 
Hi Keith,

Double click the arrow and get the format autoshape dialogue box. Set its
color fill to "Background". Now, having 2 images the same will not really
help. I'm happy for you to send me an example and I can have a look at it,
if you wish.

--

Regards,

Glen Millar
Microsoft PPT MVP

Tutorials and PowerPoint animations at
www.pptworkbench.com

glen at pptworkbench dot com

Please tell us your PowerPoint / Windows version,
whether you are using vba, or
anything else relevant
 
Glen- thank you again for your offer of assistance- it took more plodding
along, but here's what I ended up with. I'm still hoping there is an easier
way, because doing this for each slide is prohibitive.

1. take my printscreen screenshot
2. open an art program (MS paint, or whatever) and paste in the screenshot.
Save it somewhere I can find it.
3. return to PP and change the background fill effects/picture/select
picture and select the saved image
4. add my opaque screen (rectangular autoshape)
5. add my arrow(s) and change their color to "background"

It is all the back-and-forth getting screenshots into the background that
feels like a hassle. Too bad it isn't possible to just open the background
(similar to slide master) and just paste an image in directly.

Is there perhaps a way to automate this (steps 1-3) in VBA?

Thanks,
Keith
 
Actually, I'm not getting the desired result after all- the top autoshape
(arrow with color set to background) is on a motion path- it comes in from
off-screen, stays in the target location, then follows a second motion path
to get off screen.

Instead of showing the background through both motion paths, the autoshape
shows the background of the part of the screen where it "rests" between
motion paths, and shows that the entire time through the entire process- no
better than if I just used an arrow-shaped copy from the background to begin
with. My real goal is to have the background appear during the entire motion
path as if the arrow is truely transparent through the intermediate opaque
layer.

Do I have any other options within powerpoint?

Thanks!!
Keith
 
Back
Top