2007 - Formatting bullet levels and pick up and apply object styles

[jo]

In PowerPoint 2007 I have a text box (that's not using a master
placeholder) with several levels of bullets. After carefully
formatting the text and bullets of each level, how do I go about
copying and applying the same style to other text boxes?

I searched and finally found the pick up and apply object style tools
(eyedropper) and put them on my QAT. However, they fail to apply
bullet styles. In PPT 2003 I relied heavily on this feature and it no
longer seems to work.

Please tell me there's an alternative way to accomplish this or that
I'm doing something terribly wrong because I cannot believe something
as useful as that would just go away and stop working.

Thank you,
J.

 

[John Wilson]

Jo

Try HIGHLIGHTING the bulletted text > pick up tool
highlight target text > apply tool
--
Amazing PPT Hints, Tips and Tutorials

http://www.PPTAlchemy.co.uk
http://www.technologytrish.co.uk
email john AT technologytrish.co.uk

 

[jo]

I tried that. It doesn't work. Even if it did, it still would create
more work. v2003 would apply the formatting to text blocks, you could
do multiple ones at once, not having to select just the text.

Regardless, it doesn't work. Does it work for you?

Format painter doesn't do anything either.

New development ... I didn't have bullets turned on in the second text
block (shouldn't matter). So I turned them on, then tried it. It tried
to change the bullet, but not to what I wanted. It changed my arrow
bullet to a Wingding circle with the #10 inside. So then I changed it
to the hollow circle and now I'm back to not being able to apply that
bullet at all.

Another new development ... this must be what you're suggesting which
is completely unacceptable and ludicrous ... I can copy the style,
then apply it bullet-by-painstaking-bullet. Not to multiple levels,
not to an entire text block, but only line by line.

This will not do!

Any other ideas?

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Another new development ... this must be what you're suggesting which
is completely unacceptable and ludicrous ... I can copy the style,
then apply it bullet-by-painstaking-bullet. Not to multiple levels,
not to an entire text block, but only line by line.

This will not do!

Please understand that you're not talking to MS employees here. We're all just PowerPoint users like
you. We didn't invent the new interface, had no input into it, and have no control over whether/how it
gets changed.

While I completely understand (and share) your indignation over the changes to the user interface, let me
suggest throttling back the emotional level a bit.

John's trying to help you. Telling him that his suggestions are "unacceptable and ludicrous" isn't the
best way of encouraging him to delve deeper on your behalf. ;-)

Mind, I know and I'm sure he does that you didn't really direct that at him personally.

Anyhow, on with the problem ...

I see the same result as you: in order to do anything useful with text boxes, you have to customize the
QAT to include the format painter and the Promote/Demote buttons from the now-defunct Outlining toolbar.
Having done that, you find that the format painter doesn't paint multiple bullet levels, where it did in
2003.

You might want to give our PPTools ShapeStyles demo a try:
http://www.pptools.com/shapestyles/

It's not perfect in PPT 2007, but does a much better job with bullet formatting than PPT itself seems able
to manage. The free demo allow you to create up to five styles. If that's enough to meet your needs, use
it in good health, not a penny need change hands. ;-)

 

[jo]

I'll give that a try when I get a chance and let you know if it's what
I need.

And no, absolutely nothing was directed at John or anyone (other than
Microsoft developers that seem to have forgotten some important
things). I do know ya'll are not employees and ufortunately have no
control over the situation.

Sorry if I sounded obtuse. Guess I was just venting my frustration.
I'm trying very hard to adapt to the new interface but have noticed a
few things (like in this example) that are going to make it very
difficult to use when I totally migrate (just playing with it at home
for now, will start using it heavily at work in the next few months).

I'm sure you'll hear from me again with more questions and requests
for workarounds!

Thanks for all your help. Please don't blacklist me!
J.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Hi Jo,

And no, absolutely nothing was directed at John or anyone (other than
Microsoft developers that seem to have forgotten some important
things). I do know ya'll are not employees and ufortunately have no
control over the situation.

Sorry if I sounded obtuse. Guess I was just venting my frustration.

No problem ... that's exactly how I read you.

I'm sure you'll hear from me again with more questions and requests
for workarounds!

Thanks for all your help. Please don't blacklist me!

Good heavens no! Wouldn't dream of it.