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criFlag for Switzerland

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Editor for creating Autoshapes ?

Starting low on points. Will increase total up to 100, depending if question is harder and/or to honor good contributions.

Q: Is there an editor for CREATING new MS-Office Autoshapes ?
If not: Are libraries of technical symbols to be found ?
If not: Is there a simple way to modify a shape more than only the its format/aspect ratio ?

My first search in the internet resulted in the following article from Microsoft:
 
http://www.microsoft.com/officedev/ARTICLES/OPG/010/010.HTM

If my first reading is correct, then I can not actually edit the geometry, only the appearance. And it takes more VBA code than I am willing and therefore am able to.
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cri
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Adjusted points to 75
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Edited text of question.
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Adjusted points to 100
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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ture

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ture,

Thanks for tackling my question. Office 2000 is out of question as it will take at least 1-2 years until our company will (have) to switch. I did not yet download the 18 additional shapes which I surely will.

The reason I do not grade right away is the "editing" of the shape. After clicking ungroup my dear friend Mr Clippit comes and informs me that "this is a imported picture, not a group. Transform it in a Microsoft drawing object ? Yes/No".

Regardless what I click then, I can not actually _edit_ the shape more than the line thickness, background color etc. What I need is to change the geometry. Examples:  Making a pump symbol, a valve symbol etc. If you could show me how to make, say, a funnel I would be very happy, because the rest should be possible the same way.  If it is not possible, well I will pay nonetheless, I am not one of those who only pay if Microsoft allows a sucessfull answer.

However if this is not even possible in Office 2000, then consider making an editor tool, especially IF Visio or Flowchart do not have an editing geometry feature, something I have _not_ checked, as an additional program is is not an option for _me_, I need to act with VBA on these shapes.

Many people make a decent living by providing the missing features of what is firmly entrenched as office software....(and I get a little more time to score some points....)

\cri  
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ture

Cri,

Funnel-making instructions:

(If funnel is what you use not to spill when you pour milk into a bottle)

1. Draw a trapezoid autoshape. (AutoShapes - Basic Shapes - 3rd on first line)
2. Copy - Paste special into another cell - Picture (EMF) -OK
3. Right-click - Grouping - Ungroup - Yes, why do you have to ask about this?
4. Right-click - Edit points
   Now make a funnel!
   Add or delete points by Ctrl+clicking
   Drag a point to re-shape.
   Right-click on a point or a segment to set options for it.

Doneish.

Ture Magnusson
Karlstad, Sweden
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ture,

I have a good and a bad message for you:
- The good first: You won 125*(A=4)=500 points
- The bad: No "Ture's Get n'Shape" necessary.
Thanks. This helps a lot.

Best Regards
cri
Hey, thanks Cri!

Did you increase the points once again? What a pleasant surprise! I thought this was a 100-point question. And I couldn't even provide a way to add custom shapes to the autoshape menus... that would have been really nice!

Ture Magnusson
Karlstad, Sweden
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ture,
Pure vanity. If I do not figure it out by myself it must be above moderate.... I would have increased even more, after all, you HAD to spell it out and spoon feed me, but I do not think E-E allows overdrafting the account. And as far as actually buying points I did not want to go....
Thanks again
\cri