Work with objects |
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There are a variety of object types that you can use to increase and enhance a map’s visual information. You can add shapes and images to a map’s background, text boxes to give extra information, and Smart Shapes, such as swim lanes and funnels, to flowcharts when there are several concurrent processes. You can also add relationships to show how topics or objects are connected and boundaries to group topics and subtopics. You can modify these objects to best suit the look of your map. Depending on the object type, you can adjust transparency, fill, outline, and layering. You can also lock, align, flip and rotate objects, as well as control how they are layered. You can also quickly and accurately align two objects by dragging. To simplify working in complex maps, objects can be grouped and renamed. |
See also: |
Selecting multiple objects allows you to simultaneously apply formatting to them all, lock several objects, align and distribute them, and more.
Do one of the following:
| Hold down Ctrl, and click the objects' edges. When selection handles appear around an object, it is selected. | Or | Hold down your left mouse button and drag over the objects. The object must be completely in the selection area to be selected. | Or | On the Insert tab, in the Objects group, click the Shapes pull down, and click Select All. |
You can modify an object’s outline, fill, and transparency. To format your map quickly, you can select multiple objects when you apply formatting. You can use the Format Painter to transfer formatting between objects.
You can format the color, weight, and pattern of outlines for shapes, Smart Shapes, boundaries, and relationships.
Right-click the object that supports outline formatting, and click Format Object.
For boundaries, click Format
Boundary, and for relationships, click Format
Relationships.
You can modify the outline of multiple objects simultaneously by first
selecting them.
Do any of the following:
● Open the Color drop down menu, and choose a line color.
● Open the Weight drop down menu, and choose a line weight.
● Open the Pattern drop down menu, and choose a line pattern.
Click Apply.
You can format the fill color, weight, and pattern of outlines for circles, rectangles, swim lanes, and boundaries.
Right-click an object that supports fill formatting, and click Format Object.
For boundaries, click Format Boundary.
In the Fill area, open the
Color drop down menu, and
choose a fill color.
Read Note
You can adjust the transparency of shapes, images, swim lanes, funnels, and boundaries.
Do one of the following:
Right-click an object that supports transparency, and click Format Object.
For boundaries, click Format Boundary.
Set a transparency level
in the Transparency box.
Read Hint
Read Note
You can remove the formatting that you have applied to any object and return it to the default formatting (determined by the map's theme).
Select the object.
On the Home tab, click the Delete button, and then select Formats.
You can resize shapes, images, and swim lanes.
Do one of the following:
Right-click the object, click Format Object, type the desired number of pixels in the Height or Width boxes. |
Or | Click the object to display handles, and drag the handles. |
You can layer some types of objects, including shapes, images, swim lanes and text boxes, and control the stacking order of the objects.
You can place one object on top of another and reorder the stacking position.
Right-click an object, and do one of the following:
Click Send Backward to position it the object immediately beneath it.
Click Sent to Bottom to move it beneath all other objects.
Right-click an object, and do one of the following:
Click Bring Forward to position it over the object immediately above it.
Click Bring to Top to move it above all other objects.
You can lock shapes, swim lanes, text boxes, and images in position on a map background, which prevents you from moving them.
Right-click an object and click Lock.
On the Home tab or Insert tab, click the Map Index pull down, and click Elements.
In the Map Index Elements pane, right-click the object, and click Unlock.
You can align two or more shapes, Smart Shapes, text boxes, and images with each other. Objects are aligned to the primary object, which displays selection handles. You can also quickly and accurately align two objects by dragging one until a green alignment helper displays.
You can also distribute three or more shapes, Smart Shapes, text boxes, and images, evenly spacing the center points of the objects along a horizontal or vertical axis.
Select two or more objects.
Do one of the following:
On the Format tab, in the Layout group, click the Align pull down, and select an alignment option. |
Or | Right click, click Align, and select an alignment option. |
Select the object that you want to align with another object.
Drag the object until
a green alignment guide is displayed.
The guide displays when the edges of the objects are aligned.
Release the mouse button.
You can disable the alignment guide by clicking File
tab > Options > Edit, and disabling the Use
Alignment Helper when dragging objects.
Select three or more objects.
Do one of the following:
On the Format tab, in the Layout group, click the Align pull down, and select a distribution option. |
Or | Right click, click Align, and select a distribution option. |
You can group shapes, swim lanes, funnels, tables, text boxes, and images in position on a map background. When you group two or more objects, they are treated as a single unit but retain their individual attributes. Grouping lets you move, resize, rotate, flip, and align all the objects within the group at the same time.
Select two or more objects.
Do one of the following:
On the Format tab, click the Group pull down, and select a grouping option. |
Or | Right click, click Group, and select a grouping option. |
Select one or more objects within an object grouping.
Do one of the following:
On the Format tab, click the Group pull down, and select an ungrouping option. |
Or | Right click, click Group, and select an ungrouping option. |
You can rotate and flip objects or an object group. .
Right-click an object or group of objects, and do one of the following:
Click Flip Vertical. |
Or | Click Flip Horizontal. |
Do one of the following:
● Click an object to display corner rotation handles, and drag the handle.
● Right-click an object, click Format Object, and enter the number of degrees to rotate the object in the Rotate box.
● Right-click an object or group of objects, and click either Rotate 45º counter clockwise or Rotate 45º clockwise.
You can add titles to most shapes and Smart Shapes. You can also format the title text and change its alignment, orientation, and its position relative to the shape or Smart Shape.
Right-click the shape or Smart Shape, and
click Show Titles.
Read Note
By default, the title displays the type of shape or Smart Shape. Smart
Shape segments also display titles.
Double-click the title, and type to add a new title.
Select the title text.
On the Format tab, in the Font group, do any of the following:
Choose a font face from the Font box.
Choose a font size from the Size box.
Choose a font color from the Font color box.
Italicize the text by clicking the Italics button.
Bold the text by clicking the Bold button.
Underline the text by clicking the Underline button.
Strikethrough the text by clicking the Strikethrough button.
You can remove formatting by clicking the Clear button 
.
Read Note
Right-click the shape or Smart Shape, and click Format Object.
In the Title area, do any of the following:
Choose where to position the title relative to the shape or Smart Shape from the Location drop-down menu.
Click the Alignment drop-down menu, and choose how the title text is aligned relative to its shape or Smart Shape.
Click the Orientation drop-down menu, and choose whether to display the title text vertically or horizontally.
You can rename objects.
On the Home tab, click the Map Index pull down, and click Elements.
Double-click Objects to view a list of objects in the current map.
Click the object to rename.
When an object is selected in the Map Index pane, it is highlighted
in the map.
Right-click, and click Rename.
Type a name for the object.
Object names cannot exceed 40 characters.
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When you select a boundary or a relationship, the formatting options on the Format tab are enabled, and you can use these to change the object's appearance. See Boundaries and Relationships for information on further modifying these objects.
Additional options are available when you right-click on the object, and then click Format Boundary or Format Relationship (or double-click, or select and press ALT+ENTER).
Select the formatting options you want to use.
To see how the boundary or relationship will look, click Apply.
Click the Map Theme button if
you wish to save these settings as formatting defaults for this map,
or re-set the object's formatting to the default from the theme.
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