Smart Art re-sizing issue

Anonymous
2010-02-16T20:44:14+00:00

I often need to use hierarchies in presentations and documents (word or powerpoint). The smart art function seems like a dream for this sort of thing, however, it never works. Anything more than the simplest graphic is hopelessly mis-sized.  The problem is, as you add more layers, the boxes and the size shrink. When you attempt to change the size on one box (eg make it bigger), the other boxes change (become even smaller) relative to the first box. It is like some sort of cruel joke: the more you try to fix one box, the more jumbled the other boxes become. A hierarchy would be far more useful if you could adjust the sizes of individual boxes to show their relative importance or to emphasize a particular part.

There must be some way to lock the the size/position of part of the graphic or to adjust only specific parts without effecting the others. If not, then this "tool" strikes me as completely useless and I wonder if anyone anywhere in the world ever uses it? I have not been able to find any help any place else, so this is my last hope.

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Anonymous
2010-02-18T00:29:09+00:00

Yeah, I read that help article before I posted here. It does not answer the question.

Let me restate the problem. When you change the size of one box, the others change as well. I suppose that it is intended to be relative size change (as discussed in the help article), but it does not work with hierarchies of more than three levels or when resizing several boxes. I guess the algorithms which are meant to auto adjust the relative size where not constructed to handle anything more than the most simple graphic.

So, again, the question is: **is there a way to disable the auto re-sizing of shapes.**In other words, to prevent powerpoint (or word) from auto re-sizing boxes and only change the size of a single box.

This problem seems to be worse in powerpoint, but is easily demonstrated in word as well.

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  1. Anonymous
    2012-11-05T09:17:12+00:00

    I had the same problem. I solved it by going to the Format tab above after selecting the object. Then go to Group and make it Ungrouped. This way you can resize it.

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-09-14T14:16:05+00:00

    dcharbs did you find the solution yet. I think this is the most frustrating to work with smart art graphics when re-sizing one changes the others. I have lost few hours without any end result. and before I break the computer I just took a coffee break. now back to the old style in making individual layouts. I hope these guys will make some substance instead of adding just beauty without any value.

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-10-05T20:30:43+00:00

    This is ridiculous.  I have wasted so many hours trying to create an org chart.  I guess I need to go back to creating individual text boxes and doing the lines manually.  What a waste of time.  You would think disabling the re-sizing feature would be standard.  Common sense is not so common.

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  4. Anonymous
    2012-03-09T03:26:51+00:00

    The issues it not that we want to resize.  The issue is that we don't want PowerPoint to automatically resize the objects.  This experience using Smart Art org chart is terrible.  Is unusable because once you get past like 6 shapes, it is impossible to organize and keep your diagram in order.  PPT wants to resize and move the objects every time you touch the thing. Frustrating!!!!

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