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.

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.

Smart Art re-sizing issue

Anonymous

No change. This is a "FAD", Failing as Designed, not a bug (as far as MS is concerned). MS figures SmartArt as a feature is "complete", other than adding a new graphic every now and then. The problem is, the smarts built into SmartArt are very simple, you want to do "more advanced" formatting it simply does not understand or allow.

Complaining here doesn't work any more. MS is not "listening" here.

If you don't like the way it works, post a suggesting/request/complaint on UserVoice and copy the link back here (see my previous post, above). That way the other 140 people who feel the same will hopefully also vote (and comment) on your suggestion. If everyone votes for your suggestion, then MS will get a clear idea that maybe it is time to take another look at the feature with the idea of bringing it into the 21st century (making it even smarter).

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Anonymous

It's 2016 and I'm having this issue. Wasting SO many hours on Org charts when it should be a simple function of adding context to boxes and being able to manipulate them how YOU choose!! Please tell me SmartArt has gotten "smart" over these years.....

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Anonymous

I would naturally expect MS functions to work as they should. There seems to be no solution being offered by MS. Disappointed.

Who says how functions should work in MS programs. Actually, it is MS (oopsie!), not the users ...

Rather than being disappointed, maybe it is time to manage your expectations ...

Smartart itself, is just a small afterthought feature added to Word/Excel/PowerPoint. ( Consider it a "keeping up with the Jone'es" addition. Some other company added something like SmartArt, so MS did too ... ) Creating Hierarchy charts is just a trivial part of those programs. So it is not surprising that the function is implemented in just the simplest form.

If you want more features, more control over the chart you will have to use a program specifically designed for that sort of work. Google is your friend, there lots of programs out there, some free, some paid.

Or, use a different part of Office to create your chart. For example use shapes specifically with connector type lines. It will require you invest more manual effort to setup and maintain the chart, but you will have "total" control over every box ... There is often more than one way "to skin a cat" in Office programs.

If you would like to suggest MS makes a change to how a feature works, MS has setup pages on the "UserVoice" forum to accept change requests, and bug reports.

"UserVoice.com" - MS Suggestion box sites

You can use the Office or Windows 10 "feedback" (**)applets but then your suggestions just fall into a black hole. You get no feedback from MS about your feedback.

A better place to submit this type of feedback the "UserVoice" forum. You can submit suggestions like this to the forum either by "voting" and commenting on a similar existing suggestion or by creating a new suggestion for others to vote and comment on.

It is also a good idea to provide cross posted links. Put a link back to this answers.com posting on UserVoice, and add a reply here with a link to your specific posting on UserVoice.

This next link has a longer collection of MS UserVoice.com sites:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/wind ows/wiki/windows_10-desktop/ms-suggestion-box-sites-at-uservoicecom/7397119c-6d48-49e6-8d94-7bd0a50d214f

Go to UserVoice, either through specific links I’ve provided below or create your own suggestions there. That is where MS is looking specifically for this type of user feedback to bring them back to reality from what-ever lala-land they are working in when they make these "improvements". Comments (and votes) like these in UserVoice helped to convince MS to roll back the "phat QAT" buttons in 2016 and to at least partially undo the 2016 changes to the way the Pen input works.

Please do copy the comments you've made here and paste them into comments in UserVoice. Also include a link to this question. If you do make a suggestion, copy the link to the UserVoice suggestion and post it back on this question so other people with the same problem can vote for it and comment on it. (You’ll get faster action that way.) Please get all of your friends and co-workers who use Office to vote for your issue!

This blog has a picture to show MS really is looking at UserVoice sites:

http://blog.indezine.com/2016/02/powerpoint-feedback-and-uservoice-does.html

https://www.change.org/p/satya-nadella-microsoft-what-computer-users-want-changed-in-windows-10

Public petition site

Here are links to some of my personal “favorite” specific suggestions:

Office 2016 does not properly use Windows 10 Appication title bar color selection https://office.uservoice.com/forums/285186-general/suggestions/15476307-office-2016-does-not-properly-use-windows-10-appic

Reinstatement of the option to Pin Folders at:https://word.uservoice.com/forums/304924-word-for-windows-desktop-application/suggestions/12582018-restore-pinned-folders-in-save-options-in-all-offi

Recently Used List Sort order: Date vs Alpha as of Feb 22, 2016

10 votes https://word.uservoice.com/forums/304924-word-for-windows-desktop-application/suggestions/10137741-recently-used-list-sort-order-date-vs-alpha

144 vote https://excel.uservoice.com/forums/304921-excel-for-windows-desktop-application/suggestions/10261443-recent-files-pane-in-excel-2013-was-pretty-good-b

Excel Suggestion “Under review” Nov 25, 2015 (wow, fast action)

QAT buttons not showing custom imageshttps://office.uservoice.com/forums/285186-general/suggestions/12512571-qat-buttons-not-showing-custom-images

Bring back Picture Manger to the Office 2016 Bundlehttps://office.uservoice.com/forums/285186-general/suggestions/12498702-bring-picture-manager-back-to-office-bundle

Onedrive - put somewhere to see how much space I've used and how much I have****https://onedrive.uservoice.com/forums/262982-onedrive/suggestions/7760340-put-somewhere-to-see-how-much-space-i-ve-used-and ****As of July 14, 2016, on only just the first 3 search result pages on “much”

75 Votes total

30 votes put somewhere to see how much space I've used and how much I have

4 vote Show how much storage left and used

9 votes Show how much storage is left on the OneDrive app

1 votes to tell me how much space is left

1 votes Ensure how much space available is clearly shown in realtime

6 votes it will be good to show how much space has been used and how much space is still available

2 votes t should be available in the app how much free memory has been used, and how much still available.

1 votes add a space bar! Not a space bar like the keyboard, but one that says how much space you've used and how much you have left!

5 votes would be nice to see how much space I have available on my onedrive.

1 votes show how much available space you have left and percentage left available

2 votes Add a feature to tell the user how much space is left on OneDrive

2 votes Add remaining space in hamburger menu, it's much easier to see it there.

1 votes SHOW ME HOW MUCH SPACE I HAVE LEFT ON MY APP

1 votes can you make it easier to see how much storage space remains?

1 votes Have a pie chart telling you how much storage you have used

1 votes I think a feature should be added to onedrive that tells you how much space you've used out of how much u have. EX 50.47mb/100.00gb

1 votes Have an easy to find icon that shows the size capacity of the account and how much has been used

1 votes I hope you will create an option to see how much space you have available from the phone.

1 votes very simple just show how much storage is left as new files are uploaded to the cloud

2 votes data useage, ie how much data have we used of cloud allowance and a start page to show that with quick links

1 votes I think there needs to be a storage meter or something to tell people how much of their storage limit the have used

1 votes The app needs a place that informs the user how much total storage space is being used (a feature of Dropbox).

Petition to MS President to allow Windows Home users control Windows Updateshttps://www.change.org/p/satya-nadella-microsoft-what-computer-users-want-changed-in-windows-10 (The matching UserVoice site has been discontinued by MS)

Don’t want Office 2016 tied to Userid -https://office.uservoice.com/forums/285186-general/suggestions/10517283-allow-activation-without-the-need-of-a-ms-mail-acc

Actually there are multiple threads with same point. As of Feb 1 2016 there are 785 votes on this question in multiple suggestions

ALLOW Activation without the need of a MS mail account. 386 votes

Office 2016 OEM without LiveID account 138 votes

Office 2016 Activation and installation without an email account 172 votes

return to the same process for activating Office 2016 that was used for all previous versions of Office. No "Live" accounts! 26 Votes

The Office 2016 Activation process is impossible for business's that purchase Microsoft licensing OEM. 70 votes

Activation without a live account. 7 votes

Need Office 2016 activation WITHOUT a Microsoft account! 6 votes

Allow Business Admin Portal to manage Office 1-time payment licenses toohttps://office.uservoice.com/forums/285186-general/suggestions/11448504-allow-business-admin-portal-to-manage-office-2016

Improve Highlightinghttps://word.uservoice.com/forums/304924-word-for-windows-desktop-application/suggestions/9389778-improve-highlighting

Make the full spectrum of colors that are available in Shading also available in Highlighting. I often use Highlighting to mark important or unusual text streams and I would like to search for particular colors of Highlighting .

Visio 365 monthly specifically for Consumer licenses -https://office.uservoice.com/forums/285186-general/suggestions/10936428-visio365-monthly-for-consumer-365-users-and-oth

Recreate the single text margin around page like 2010 and earlier -http://word.uservoice.com/forums/304924-word-for-windows-desktop-application/suggestions/9253599-bring-back-classic-text-boundaries- Marked as “under Review”, so there is some hope … <grin>

Restore Radial Menu to OneNote439 votes total Feb 20 2016 ****148 votes Include radial menu in desktop onenote

20 votes Radial Menu -

183 votes Bring back the radial fly out menu in the W10 Store version of OneNote -

42 votes Bring back Radial Menu and Camera insert in Windows 10

16 votes- Bring back Radial Menu for Windows 10 App

25 votes- Keep the OneNote Windows 8 UI over the Windows 10 Beta UI

plus a bunch more pen requests

Add mind mapping to OneNote -https://onenote.uservoice.com/forums/327186-onenote-for-windows-windows-phone/suggestions/6160979-mindmap-functionality?page=4&per_page=20

Custom installation from Office 365 (2016) / Return MSI installer option - ****https://office365.uservoice.com/forums/264636-general/suggestions/9939513-custom-installation-from-office-365-2016

Word 2016 Style Pane bug -mouse pointer wrong https://word.uservoice.com/forums/304924-word-for-windows-desktop-application/suggestions/11196345-word-2016-style-pane-corrupt-or-buggy-after-update

Add PowerPivot back to Access (and to Excel in all bundles)https://access.uservoice.com/forums/319956-access-desktop/suggestions/10284183-add-pivot-charts-back-to-access

Add BI/PowerPivot back to Excel in all bundles -https://excel.uservoice.com/forums/304921-excel-for-windows-desktop-application/suggestions/9018823-make-the-power-bi-family-powerpivot-powerquery

'Worksheet' Tabs to Wordhttps://word.uservoice.com/forums/304924-word-for-windows-desktop-application/suggestions/10024812--worksheet-tabs-to-word

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Anonymous

Thank goodness for the "WayBackMachine". When you encounter a broken link, go to the WayBackMachine site (web.archive.org), paste the link into the search window and with a little luck they have a copy of the article. This is not always true (especially with MS), but this time it worked.

https://web.archive.org/web/20130825041159/http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/help/resize-a-smartart-graphic-shape-or-an-entire-smartart-graphic-HA001205872.aspx

<Obvious> HINT

Make browser Bookmark / Favorite or even Desktop shortcut to web.archive.org

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Smart Art re-sizing issue

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