PowerPoint 2003 and previous versions don't allow you to draw a semi-circle shape although that's not an issue within PowerPoint 2007. In this
tutorial, we'll show you three ways in which you can add a semi-circle to your PowerPoint 2003 slide. Whichever way you choose, make sure you
save one semi-circle so that you can copy-paste and reuse it again whenever required.
First Option: Find a friend who has PowerPoint 2007
Yes, this really is the easiest option:
- Find a friend or colleague who has PowerPoint 2007, and ask them to follow the steps in our
Creating Semi-Circles in PowerPoint 2007 tutorial.
- Then tell them to save the resultant file as a PPT file, as opposed to PowerPoint 2007's default PPTX format.
- Thereafter whenever you need a semi-circle, just copy that shape from the PPT file you received, and paste it into any slide as
required.
Second Option: Use a Block Arc
OK, this must be one of the most counter-intuitive things in PowerPoint, but it can be done:
- Get started with a blank slide. Now access the Drawing toolbar, and choose AutoShapes |
Basic Shapes | Block Arc, as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Basic Shapes
- Place an instance of the Block Arc, as shown in Figure 2. Note that there is a diamond
handle in the left side of the arc tube. Drag it to the right very, very carefully until you end up with a semi-circle. We know, you may
not be able to achieve the semi-circle the first time you try—if that is the case, try again.
Figure 2: Block Arc
Note: OfficeOne provides a PowerPoint add-in called
ProTools (on the ProTools page, look for a section called Tips) that
makes it easy to create a semi-circle in PowerPoint and PowerPoint 2007 creates an easy semi-circle too.
- Either way, you'll end up with an almost perfect semi-circle as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3: Semi-circle
- (Optional) Rotate the circle 180 degrees using the green rotation handle on top so that your semi-circle looks like what
you can see in Figure 4.
Figure 4: Rotate at 180 degrees
- Save your presentation.
Third Option: Get Leftovers From A Chart!
Yes, you read that right you can create a semi-circle from a chart in PowerPoint 2003, follow these steps:
- Get started with a blank slide. Now choose Insert | Chart so that you are in PowerPoint's
special charting mode called Microsoft Graph.
- Choose Chart | Chart Type to bring up the dialog box that you can see in Figure 5.
As you can see, we choose the first option that's a regular pie. Click the OK button to exit this dialog box.
Figure 5: Chart Type
- If you cannot see the Datasheet, choose View | Datasheet so that you can see it
as shown in Figure 6.
Figure 6: Datasheet
- Clear the data within all the cells except for A1 and B1. In both these cells, type in identical values—we typed in 100
in both of them (see Figure 6 again).
- Click anywhere on the slide outside the chart area to exit Microsoft Graph.
- Select your chart, be careful not to double-click your chart since that will re-activate Microsoft Graph—so just gently
select it. Then choose Edit | Copy.
- Insert a new blank slide (Ctrl + M ), and then choose
Edit | Paste Special to bring up a dialog box of the same name as shown in Figure 7.
Choose the Picture (Enhanced Metafile) option, and then click the OK button.
Figure 7: Paste Special
- Right-click the pasted chart graphic carefully, and choose the Group | Ungroup option in
the resultant menu as shown in Figure 8.
Figure 8: Ungroup
- PowerPoint will warn you that the chart picture will convert to a Microsoft Office drawing object (see
Figure 9). Click the Yes button to proceed
Figure 9: Ungroup
- Right-click the ungrouped chart graphic carefully again, and choose the Group | Ungroup option
one more time.
- You'll now find two semi-circles within the ungrouped leftovers from the chart! Select any of them, and copy-paste them wherever
required.