Convert Bulleted Text to SmartArt in PowerPoint 2007 for Windows

In a previous tutorial, we showed you how you can insert SmartArt graphics in PowerPoint 2007. However, that approach works only when you are creating new slides. Many times, you may already have slides that contain bulleted text. This tutorial shows how you can convert such bulleted text to a SmartArt graphic in a jiffy within PowerPoint 2007.

Follow these steps to convert existing bulleted text on a slide to a SmartArt graphic in PowerPoint 2007 for Windows:

1. Access a slide with some bulleted text in PowerPoint 2007 for Windows. Select the text, as shown in Figure 1, below.
2. 
   Figure 1: Bulleted text slide
2. With the bulleted text selected, carefully right-click to summon the contextual menu, as shown in Figure 2, below. From the menu, choose the Convert to SmartArt option.
3. 
   Figure 2: Convert to SmartArt
3. Doing so opens the SmartArt gallery, as shown in Figure 2, above. Choose from any of the SmartArt graphic variants within this gallery. Alternatively, to see more SmartArt graphics choose the More SmartArt Graphics option located at the bottom of the SmartArt gallery, as shown in Figure 2, above.
4. Doing so brings up the Choose a SmartArt Graphic dialog box that you can see in Figure 3, below.
5. 
   Figure 3: Choose a SmartArt graphic
6. Select any of the SmartArt graphic variants you want to use, and click the OK button.
5. Figure 4, shows the same bulleted text, as previously shown in Figure 1, above, converted to a matrix SmartArt graphic.
6. 
   Figure 4: Converted bulleted text
7. Note that you also can view the Text Pane in Figure 4, above. To add or edit text within the SmartArt graphic, make changes within the Text Pane.
6. Save your presentation.