Adding Shapes to Existing SmartArt Graphics in PowerPoint 2007 for Windows

As you work with SmartArt graphics within PowerPoint, you'll find that you need to add some more components to your SmartArt graphics. Maybe there's a change required in an organization chart, or you need to add a new shape within your diagram to reflect some other change. Fortunately, the SmartArt feature lets you maintain the changes happening in the world around with just a click or two!

This is normally achieved by adding extra shapes to your existing SmartArt graphics either from within the SmartArt graphic itself, or through the Text Pane, which we have already covered in a separate tutorial. Adding a new shape to a SmartArt graphic depends entirely on the SmartArt variant that you are using. Some variants offer more options than the others. Read on to learn more.

There are two ways to access the same options that let you add extra shapes to your SmartArt graphics:

1. Select a similar shape in the existing SmartArt graphic, access the SmartArt Tools Design tab of the Ribbon, and choose the Add Shape option, as shown later on this page within Figure 3.
2. Select a similar shape in the existing SmartArt graphic, right-click, and then choose the Add Shape option from the contextual menu, as shown later on this page within Figure 4.

Follow these steps to add extra shapes to your SmartArt graphics in PowerPoint 2007 for Windows:

1. Select your existing SmartArt graphic. As you can see in Figure 1, below, the SmartArt graphic variant that we have selected is the Diverging Radial.
2. 
   Figure 1: Diverging Radial

SmartArt Ideas

See more SmartArt graphic samples here.

2. As soon as you select a SmartArt graphic, you'll find that the Ribbon now has two extra SmartArt Tools tabs. These are the SmartArt Tool Design and SmartArt Tool Format tabs. For now, just select any individual shape within the SmartArt graphic, as shown in Figure 1, above. Activate the SmartArt Tools Design tab in the Ribbon, as shown in Figure 2, below.
3. 
   Figure 2: SmartArt Tools Design tab of the Ribbon

Contextual Tabs

The SmartArt Tool Design and the SmartArt Tool Format tabs are contextual tabs. These tabs are special tabs in the Ribbon that are not visible all the time. They only make an appearance when you are working with a particular slide object which can be edited using special options.
3. Within this tab, locate the Create Graphic group. Then, click the Add Shape button to view the drop-down gallery, as shown in Figure 3, below.
4. 
   Figure 3: Add Shape
5. Alternatively, right-click the selected shape to bring up the resultant contextual menu. Then, choose the Add Shape option, as shown in Figure 4, below. Note that options here are exactly the same as shown within the gallery, as shown in Figure 3, above.
6. 
   Figure 4: Add Shape
7. These options are explained below:

Add Shape After

8. Inserts a shape at the same level after the selected shape.

Add Shape Before

9. Inserts a shape at the same level before the selected shape.

Add Shape Above

10. Inserts a shape one level above the selected shape.

Add Shape Below

11. Inserts a shape one level below the selected shape.

Add Shape Assistant

12. This option places a shape which is hierarchically lower than the selected shape. Shape Assistant is only available if you have chosen an organization chart layout.
13. You'll see that last three options in Figure 3 are grayed out. This is because these options logically don't work with the SmartArt graphic variant being used (Diverging Radial). Each SmartArt graphic variant will allow some options, and gray out the others.