Cutting an AutoShape

[Guest]

I now have a complex AutoShape that looks quite like the outline of
Washington State, USA (thank you, John Wilson!). I need to use a section of
it separately. Looking for a way to cut a piece out of the perimeter, I've
explored "delete segment" and "open path" in the Edit Points function, but
both grey out after one operation. There is no obvious way to cut out a
section of an existing AutoShape. So:

Is there a way to cut a piece off an existing AutoShape object?
Alternately, is there a way to divide an AutoShape object into two or more
parts, so each could be treated separately? A typical example might be a
property boundary, with a dividing line showing two phases of acquisition.
Would want to fill each phase with a different color, for instance.

For the first question, I know I could use Edit Points to delete points not
needed until the shape was reduced to the chunk I want, but that would be
extremely tedious for this application.

Thank you,

 

[Guest]

" I know I could use Edit Points to delete points not needed until the shape
was reduced to the chunk I want, but that would be extremely tedious for this
application"

Did you know that you can ctrl click points to delete them? Not quite as
tedious!
--

_____________________________
John Wilson
Microsoft Certified Office Specialist
http://www.technologytrish.co.uk/ppttipshome.html

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

I now have a complex AutoShape that looks quite like the outline of
Washington State, USA (thank you, John Wilson!). I need to use a section of
it separately. Looking for a way to cut a piece out of the perimeter, I've
explored "delete segment" and "open path" in the Edit Points function, but
both grey out after one operation. There is no obvious way to cut out a
section of an existing AutoShape. So:

Is there a way to cut a piece off an existing AutoShape object?
Alternately, is there a way to divide an AutoShape object into two or more
parts, so each could be treated separately? A typical example might be a
property boundary, with a dividing line showing two phases of acquisition.
Would want to fill each phase with a different color, for instance.

For the first question, I know I could use Edit Points to delete points not
needed until the shape was reduced to the chunk I want, but that would be
extremely tedious for this application.

To divide a shape, you can double your tedium -- copy the shape, delete the
unneeded points from the first copy, delete the other points from the second.

If you have CorelDraw, it'd be much simpler; Corel's equivalent of the Edit
Points tool lets you click/drag to select multiple points, which you can the
delete at once. Much faster.

 

[Guest]

Thanks, John and Steve. Yes, I had discovered the control-click point
deletion tool. I have hundreds of points to deal with. And unfortunately, I
don't have access to Corel or another good draw program. I figured my tasks
would be so simple that once I got the basic shapes I needed in PowerPoint,
I'd be set. Sounds like the short answer is no, there is no easy way to cut
or divide a PowerPoint shape object. Duplication and attrition are the basic
tools. Too bad, with all the stuff the program will do, it would surely be
nice to be able to cut or divide a shape without a lot of extra work. Does
this sound like a topic to suggest to M-soft, or are they well aware of it
and not doing it for good reason?

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Does

this sound like a topic to suggest to M-soft, or are they well aware of it
and not doing it for good reason?

It certainly can't hurt to suggest it. I suspect it's one of those features
that'd get done if enough people request it.