Apply 3-D Rotation Effects to Shapes in PowerPoint 2011 for Mac
Author: Geetesh Bajaj
Product/Version: Microsoft PowerPoint 2011
OS: Mac OS X
Date Created: August 30th 2011
Last Updated: September 1st 2011
Excerpt/Capsule: Learn how to apply the 3-D Rotation effect to selected shapes in PowerPoint 2011 for Mac.
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If you haven't seen all our other tutorials on Shape Effects available in PowerPoint 2011, then this page is self sufficient on its own. On the other hand, if you have been following all our tutorials in this series, you know that we have covered all the Shape Effects apart from 3-D Rotation and Soft Edges. In this tutorial, you will learn to add a 3-D Rotation effect to your shapes. This will make them look three dimensional and prominent.
To see a sample presentation containing 3-D Rotation effects in PowerPoint, scroll down to the bottom of this page.
Note: Any shape that you apply a 3-D Rotation effect to needs to have some 3-D depth to show the rotation -- if you are familiar with 3-D programs, you will realize that depth in PowerPoint is similar to extrusion. To use an analogy, a thick book will show depth when placed on the shelf -- a single sheet of paper on the other hand has almost no depth.
You can add depth to your shapes using details provided on the Bevel (3-D Format) Options page.
Follow these steps to apply 3-D Rotation to a shape:
- Select the
shape with some depth applied. Then double click it to activate the Format tab of the Ribbon (highlighted in red in Figure 1).
Within this tab, locate
the Shape Styles group, and click the Effects button
that you can see in Figure 1 (highlighted in blue).
Figure 1: Effects button within the Format tab of the Ribbon
- This brings up the Effects drop-down gallery. From this drop-down gallery, choose the 3-D
Rotation option to open the 3-D Rotation gallery that you can see in Figure
2.
Figure 2: 3-D Rotation gallery
- The options in the 3-D Rotation gallery have been explained below:
- Parallel: Includes 10 variants that rotate the shape in different angles.
- Perspective: Includes 10 variants that rotate the
shape, and alter its rotation angle (perspective) from where
you view the shape, so that farther edges appear smaller than
nearer edges.
- Oblique: There are 4 variants that apply a very subtle rotation, almost as if a 2-D object is in a semi-3-D space.
- No 3-D Rotation: Use this option to remove 3-D
Rotation from the selected shape.
- 3-D Rotation Options:
This option brings up the Format Shape dialog box up with 3-D Rotation options. Here you can can customize 3-D Rotation Options further. We have explained these options in a subsequent tutorial.
- Parallel: Includes 10 variants that rotate the shape in different angles.
- Click on any 3-D Rotation effect to apply it to the selected shape.
In Figure 3 below you can see 3-D Rotation effect applied
to the previously selected shape (refer Figure 1 above).
Figure 3: 3-D Rotation effect applied to a Rectangle
- Remember to save your presentation often.
Sample Presentation
Click above to view on Slideshare
Click above to view on YouTube