Creating Semi-Circles in PowerPoint 2013 for Windows

PowerPoint 2013 for Windows provides so many basic shapes within the Shapes gallery. All of these shapes can be used in many ways, and that in itself works most of the time. Yet there are plenty of other shapes that are not provided within the Shapes gallery but you can easily modify an existing shape a wee bit to end up with something you need. A semi-circle, as shown in Figure 1, below is a perfect example of such a shape.

Figure 1: Semi-circle is essentially half a circle

There are two ways in which you can create a semi-circle:

1. You can draw a Circle and intersect it with a Rectangle to create a semi-circle.
2. You can draw a Pie shape and drag its modifier to create a semi-circle

We show you both ways here—choose the way you prefer. To start with, launch PowerPoint 2013 for Windows. Most of the time, PowerPoint will open with a new slide in a presentation. You can change the slide layout to Blank by selecting the Home tab | Layout | Blank option. Then choose the way you prefer:

Way 1: Intersect a Circle

1. Place a perfect circle on your slide, and then place a Rectangle shape over it so that the new Rectangle shape originates from and overlaps the circle's diameter horizontally, as shown in Figure 2, below.
2. 
   Figure 2: Rectangle shape originates from the circle's diameter



2. Select both shapes and Intersect them to end up with a semi circle, as shown in Figure 3.
3. 
   Figure 3: Semi circle created

Modify a Pie

1. Within the Home or Insert tab of the Ribbon, click the Shapes button to access the Shapes drop-down gallery that you can see in Figure 4.
2. 
   Figure 4: Shapes drop-down gallery
2. Within the Shapes drop-down gallery, select the Pie shape (highlighted in red within Figure 4, above). Drag and draw on your slide to place an instance of the shape, as shown in Figure 5.
3. 
   Figure 5: Pie shape
Tip: You can make the Guides visible on the slide so that you can create the semi-circle more accurately in the next step.
3. Select the inserted Pie shape, and you'll see two square shaped, yellow handles (refer in Figure 5, above). Select the top yellow square handle and start dragging it counter-clockwise, as shown in Figure 6 below. The cursor changes to an arrow head (highlighted in red within Figure 6, below), and you can see a line as well to indicate the manipulated shape that results from this dragging action.
4. 
   Figure 6: Drag the top yellow square handle of the Pie counter-clockwise
Tip: Any shapes that show yellow square handles when selected, can be manipulated by dragging those squares. Learn more in our Manipulating Shapes by Dragging Yellow Squares in PowerPoint 2013 tutorial.
4. Keep on dragging the cursor till you end up with a semi-circle, as shown in Figure 7.
5. 
   Figure 7: Semi-circle drawn using Pie shape
5. Remember that all semi-circles can be flipped or rotated, as shown in Figure 8.
6. 
   Figure 8: Flipped semi-circle
6. Once done, save your presentation.