This PowerPoint lesson contains a couple of the most common tips I give customers when they call about customizing our editable maps.
Tip 1. Benefits of the Shift Key
This is one of the most useful tips for changing several objects at the same time instead of one by one.
Holding down the Shift Key on the keyboard allows you to select multiple objects with the pointer for customizing.
While holding the Shift Key just click on the objects one after the other, you can also deselect an object if you didn’t mean to select it by just clicking on it again. It works like a toggle switch, click on, click off. Now when you select a color fill, all of the states or counties selected will fill at the same time with that color.
Holding down the Shift Key is also used to keep an object proportional if you are enlarging or reducing it.
Tip 2. Grouping and Ungrouping
When working with complex graphics like a map, Grouping and Ungrouping becomes very helpful to keep your map organized.
After you have customized an area of the map that contains several objects you should group them together to keep the elements from getting moved around by accident. Hold down the Shift key and select, by clicking on them with the pointer, all of the elements that you want with the pointer. GROUP is located in the DRAW popup menu in the DRAWING Tool Bar. Select GROUP, you will now see the many handles of the objects turn into just eight.
Grouping is also used when you want to Enlarge or Reduce several object. Group them first and then change size. Hold down the SHIFT Key to keep everything proportional
This guide works with PowerPoint version 2003 and older. All of the principals will work with version 2007 but the locations of the tools will differ. Most of the tools have been moved up to the top of the screen into the Ribbon.
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