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Format Shape Dialog
The Format Shape dialog lets you format any shape that is visible on the screen. So if you have one shape selected, all you need to do is to click another shape on the screen and the dialog will adjust to show the options available for that shape.
This is very different behavior than you will be used to seeing with earlier Office versions which required you to exit the dialog before formatting another shape.
Down the left of the Format Shape dialog are categories such as Fill, Line Color, Line Style, Shadow, 3-D Format, 3-D Rotation, Picture and Text Box. These allow you to configure various options for your shape. For example, you can remove the fill from a shape by clicking Fill > No Fill so the shape is made transparent.
While you could choose to add a picture from your disk to your shape from the Shape Fill list, from the Fill category in the Format Shape dialog you can choose Picture or Texture Fill and then add an image from disk, from your ClipArt collection, or from the Clipboard. The later two options are new to Office 2007.
To add a gradient, choose the Fill > Gradient Fill option and then choose a Preset gradient from the Preset dropdown list. Configure the gradient's Type to be Rectangular, Radial, Linear or a Path gradient and choose a Direction or Angle.
Creating your own gradient is a little fiddly the first time. Start by clicking the Remove button repeatedly until the Gradient Stops box shows Stop 1 and your shape is a solid color. Drag the Start Position slider to zero and select the first color for your gradient from the Color palette.
Click Add and you'll see the settings for Stop 2. Choose a second Color, position the Stop Position where the new color should appear at, and if the Stop Position is not yet at 100%, you can continue to add more Stops and colors.
You can also adjust the transparency of the color at any stop position by selecting the Stop position and then dragging the Transparency slider to the right. This tool, while not as intuitive or as easy to use as the Gradient tool in earlier Office versions does let you do something you haven't been able to do in the past, which is creating custom gradients using more than two colors.
Use the Line Color options to configure the shape outline. You can set this to No Line, a Solid line, or a Gradient line, and you can set the line color Transparency too.
The Line Style options let you configure the width and style of line surrounding the shape. You can also control how two lines look where they join and choose shapes to use at either end of a single line and size them to suit your needs. Use this, for example, to create a line with large circles at either end.
The Shadow options let you create shadows for your shapes, and you can choose from a number of Preset styles which include shadows cast by the shape as well as shadows which appear more like a glow around it. You can configure the shadow color and its Transparency, its Size, and the amount of Blur which you can increase to soften the shadow.
Use the 3-D Format options to create a beveled shape and then choose options such as the Surface Material and the Lighting to apply to the shape. By carefully combining the fill, bevels, and lighting you can create objects that look metallic and some that look like they are made from epoxy. The 3-D Rotation tools let you create your item in perspective and then rotate it around the varying axes.
If your shape is filled with a picture, use the Picture options to recolor the picture or to adjust its brightness and contrast. These options let you recolor an image to match the theme colors and to lighten it so, for example you can place text over the top of it.
Use the Text Box options to adjust how text appears inside the shape. For some shapes, it may not be apparent that you can store text in them but most shapes including those you actually create yourself can contain text and in multiple columns if you configure this.
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Get a Head Start
On the Drawing Tools > Format > Shape Effects list are shape options some of which are not accessible elsewhere. While the Shadow, Bevel and 3-D Rotation options are available in the Format Shape dialog, the Presets, Reflection, Glow, and Soft Edges options can only be found here.
Use the Preset options to apply a preset format to your shape — when you view these you will see that many look similar to the built-in styles that are available with the Office 2007 Themes. So you can, for example, apply your own gradient fill to a shape, and then apply a 3-D effect using a Preset.
These Presets are useful if you want to learn how effects can be created. Apply a preset to a shape and then view the 3-D Format options in the Format Shape dialog to study how the look is created using Bevels, Materials and Lighting effects.
