Animating table cells?

[Iggles14]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Intel In 2004, I could "ungroup" a table, then animate the contents of the individual cells. I can't find a way to do this in 2008, and it seems to me that this feature would be in demand.

I've found a cumbersome workaround ... I make multiple copies of the table, with the cells filled with an opaque color, then I copy-and-paste all the tables onto one slide.

I'm really hoping there is an easier way ...

 

[CyberTaz]

What actually happened in the 2004 version is that the individual cells of
the table were converted to separate shapes. Unfortunately, the new graphics
engine used in 2008 does not allow for doing so with SmartArt.

An alternative to your workaround is create the rectangular shapes arranged
to form a grid & add text in each one. You can then apply the animation
effect of your choice to each shape & remove the check on 'Animate attached
shape' in the Text Animations settings if you wish.

As a suggestion for creating the grid: Create & format the first rectangle
to include the text. Then hold the Option key while you drag the shape to
create duplicates that abut one another to form the first row. Select the
entire row then Option-Drag to create each additional row. You can then just
double-click the text in each one to replace it with the preferred content.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Iggles14]

Awesome work around. Thanks!

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

What actually happened in the 2004 version is that the individual cells of
the table were converted to separate shapes.

FWIW, in 2007 the tables behave pretty much the same, it sounds like.

There, you can copy the table then paste it back as an EMF or WMF (ie, a vector
graphic) and ungroup THAT to get the component shapes 'n schtuff.

IIRC, 2008 doesn't offer the Paste As capability. But if you were to paste the
table into a drawing program, it wouldn't understand the MSness of the object and
might allow you to ungroup it, then paste back into PPT as shapes.

 

[CyberTaz]

Nah, the Paste Special> Picture option is no problem but it doesn't paste in
a format that can be ungrouped.

That does present another option, though: The table can be pasted in then
the shapes/text boxes with No Fill & No Line can be overlaid using the table
grid for placement... Not sure it's any better/worse but may facilitate
formatting.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Nah, the Paste Special> Picture option is no problem but it doesn't paste in
a format that can be ungrouped.

That does present another option, though: The table can be pasted in then
the shapes/text boxes with No Fill & No Line can be overlaid using the table
grid for placement... Not sure it's any better/worse but may facilitate
formatting.

Ah. Or move the table temporarily to the slide master so you can use it for
placement w/o having to worry about moving it.

'Course when 2011 comes along, give me a shout. Somewhere around here I've got a
little grid-generating macro that might be just the ticket.