Shape Object

See Also         Properties         Methods

Represents an object in the drawing layer, such as an AutoShape, freeform, OLE object, or picture. The Shape object is a member of the Shapes collection. The Shapes collection contains all the shapes on a slide.

Note   There are three objects that represent shapes: the Shapes collection, which represents all the shapes on a document; the ShapeRange collection, which represents a specified subset of the shapes on a document (for example, a ShapeRange object could represent shapes one and four on the document, or it could represent all the selected shapes on the document); the Shape object, which represents a single shape on a document. If you want to work with several shape at the same time or with shapes within the selection, use a ShapeRange collection. For an overview of how to work with either a single shape or with more than one shape at a time, see Working with Shapes (Drawing Objects).

Using the Shape Object

This section describes how to:

• Return an existing shape on a slide, indexed by name or number.
  
  
• Return a newly created shape on a slide.
  
  
• Return a shape within the selection.
  
  
• Return the slide title and other placeholders on a slide.
  
  
• Return the shapes attached to the ends of a connector.
  
  
• Return the default shape for a presentation.
  
  
• Return a newly created freeform.
  
  
• Return a single shape from within a group.
  
  
• Return a newly formed group of shapes.

Returning an Existing Shape on a Slide

Use Shapes(index), where index is the shape name or the index number, to return a Shape object that represents a shape on a slide. The following example horizontally flips shape one and the shape named "Rectangle 1" on myDocument.

Set myDocument = ActivePresentation.Slides(1)
myDocument.Shapes(1).Flip msoFlipHorizontal
myDocument.Shapes("Rectangle 1").Flip msoFlipHorizontal

Each shape is assigned a default name when you add it to the Shapes collection. To give the shape a more meaningful name, use the Name property. The following example adds a rectangle to myDocument, gives it the name "Red Square," and then sets its foreground color and line style.

Set myDocument = ActivePresentation.Slides(1)
With myDocument.Shapes _
        .AddShape(msoShapeRectangle, 144, 144, 72, 72)
    .Name = "Red Square"
    .Fill.ForeColor.RGB = RGB(255, 0, 0)
    .Line.DashStyle = msoLineDashDot
End With

Returning a Newly Created Shape on a Slide

To add a shape to a slide and return a Shape object that represents the newly created shape, use one of the following methods of the Shapes collection: AddCallout, AddComment, AddConnector, AddCurve, AddLabel, AddLine, AddMediaObject, AddOLEObject, AddPicture, AddPlaceholder, AddPolyline, AddShape, AddTable, AddTextbox, AddTextEffect, AddTitle.

Returning a Shape Within the Selection

Use Selection.ShapeRange(index), where index is the shape name or the index number, to return a Shape object that represents a shape within the selection. The following example sets the fill for the first shape in the selection in the active window, assuming that there's at least one shape in the selection.

ActiveWindow.Selection.ShapeRange(1).Fill _
    .ForeColor.RGB = RGB(255, 0, 0)

Returning the Slide Title and Other Placeholders on a Slide

Use Shapes.Title to return a Shape object that represents an existing slide title. Use Shapes.AddTitle to add a title to a slide that doesn't already have one and return a Shape object that represents the newly created title. Use Shapes.Placeholders(index), where index is the placeholder's index number, to return a Shape object that represents a placeholder. If you have not changed the layering order of the shapes on a slide, the following three statements are equivalent, assuming that slide one has a title.

ActivePresentation.Slides(1).Shapes.Title _
    .TextFrame.TextRange.Font.Italic = True
ActivePresentation.Slides(1).Shapes.Placeholders(1) _
    .TextFrame.TextRange.Font.Italic = True
ActivePresentation.Slides(1).Shapes(1).TextFrame _
    .TextRange.Font.Italic = True

Returning the Shapes Attached to the Ends of a Connector

To return a Shape object that represents one of the shapes attached by a connector, use the BeginConnectedShape or EndConnectedShape property.

Returning the Default Shape for a Presentation

To return a Shape object that represents the default shape for a presentation, use the DefaultShape property.

Returning a newly created freeform

Use the BuildFreeform and AddNodes methods to define the geometry of a new freeform, and use the ConvertToShape method to create the freeform and return the Shape object that represents it.

Returning a Single Shape from Within a Group

Use GroupItems(index), where index is the shape name or the index number within the group, to return a Shape object that represents a single shape in a grouped shape.

Returning a Newly Formed Group of Shapes

Use the Group or Regroup method to group a range of shapes and return a single Shape object that represents the newly formed group. After a group has been formed, you can work with the group the same way you work with any other shape.