Video: Add and format shapes

Try it!

Add shapes to your diagrams to communicate information, and include color and special effects for a professional look.

Add shapes

Select the stencil that contains the shape you want to add.
Select a shape, and drag it onto the drawing page.
Point to the shape, and point to the arrow that indicates the direction of the next shape you want to add.

Note: If you don’t see the AutoConnect arrows, select View and make sure AutoConnect is selected.
Select the shape you want to add.

Select shapes

Task	Action
Select a single shape	Select Home > Pointer Tool, point to a shape until you see a four-headed arrow, and select the shape.
Select multiple shapes in a rectangular area	Select Home > Select > Area Select and drag a rectangle around the shapes.
Select multiple shapes in a freeform area	Select Home > Select > Lasso Select and drag a freeform lasso around the shapes.
Select multiple shapes separated by other shapes	Press Ctrl+Shift while selecting shapes.
Select a particular kind of object	Select Home > Select > Select by Type, select the type of object, and select OK.
Remove a shape from a multiple selection	Press Shift, and select the shape.
Cancel a selection	Select a blank area on the diagram, or press Esc.

Change a shape into another shape

Select the shape you want to change.
Select Home > Change Shape.
Browse the shapes and stencils until you find a shape you want.
Select a shape. All text and formatting applied to the original shape are applied to the new shape.

Rotate or flip shapes

Task	Action
Rotate a shape	Select a shape, and drag the rotation handle.
Rotate a shape 90 degrees	Select a shape, select Home > Position > Rotate Shapes, and select either Rotate Left 90° or Rotate Right 90°.
Flip a shape vertically	Select a shape, and select Home > Position > Rotate Shapes > Flip Vertical.
Flip a shape horizontally	Select a shape, and select Home > Position > Rotate Shapes > Flip Horizontal.
Rotate a shape precisely	Select a shape, select View > Task Panes > Size & Position, and type in new values for Angle.

Resize shapes

Task	Action
Resize a shape	Select a shape, and drag a selection handle or endpoint until the shape is the size you want.
Resize a shape proportionally	Select a shape, and drag a corner handle.
Resize a shape precisely	Select a shape, select View > Task Panes > Size & Position, and type in new values for Width, Height, or Length.

Move shapes

Task	Action
Move a shape	Select a shape and drag it to a new position.
Nudge a shape	Select a shape, and select an arrow key.
Move a shape one pixel at a time	Select a shape and press Shift while pressing an arrow key.
Move a shape precisely	Select a shape, select View > Task Panes > Size & Position, and type in new values for X, Y, Begin X, Begin Y, End X, or End Y.

Change the look of shapes

Select a shape.
On the Home tab, select style options:
- Quick Styles - Select a line and fill combination.
- Fill - Select a color, gradient, or pattern to fill the shape.
- Line - Select the line color, line thickness, or type of line.
- Effects - Select a shadow, reflection, glow, or 3-D effect.