Features to change AutoShape size(s) are greyed out!

[stargazer7]

Hello, everyone -
New to the group but a seasoned hardware guy and PC user (20+
years). Apparently I'm not as seasoned with MS Word graphics!
In Word 2003, I have a graphic which occupies a full-page
'canvas', which includes rectangular boxes containing text. The inital
problem was that text inside the boxes was (is) truncated vertically.
Now, _please NOTE_ . . . I know how I *should* be able to alter
things, but . . . both the Format AutoShape > Size > Height and Width
boxes, _and_ the Format AutoShape > Text Box > Resize AutoShape to
Fit Text features are _greyed out_.
I have no idea how these features became disabled, or how to make
them accessible/usable again. Can someone please help ? Thanks in
advance . . .
- Dave

 

[garfield-n-odie [MVP]]

Are the boxes grouped?

 

[stargazer7]

Sorry, I did not create the graphic, so I don't know if the boxes are
grouped. I did forget to mention, if I bring up the "drag points" and
try to alter the size of a box, I instead move the entire graphic
(page-sized). Also, in the Format AutoShape window, the Layout
and Picture tabs are greyed, so I can't even look at settings. I'm
assuming the "grouping" setting(s) is/are probably under the Layout
tab . . .

 

[garfield-n-odie [MVP]]

Two possibilities come to mind:
1. Everything in the canvas is grouped. Right-click on the edge of
one of the text boxes, and left-click on Ungroup. Depending on how the
original author created the graphic, there may be several smaller groups
within one or more larger groups, so you may need to ungroup several
times to break the graphic into its individual components.
2. The graphic was created in another document and then pasted into
your document as a picture, which means you cannot ungroup it to edit it.

 

[stargazer7]

Thanks very much! I was able to do it just fine. However, I would
add one detail -- that one needs to do what you suggested on the very
*first* object . . . that will immediately ungroup the entire
"string" (as opposed to trying it on successive objects in the
group). I suppose I should have guessed that ... heh.
Cheers!