Join Two or More AutoShapes to Create a Group so You Can Move Them Together - Excel Tips & Tricks at Bright Hub

Join Two or More AutoShapes to Create a Group so You Can Move Them Together - Excel Tips & Tricks at Bright Hub
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Problem: Sometimes, you may want to have a few AutoShapes that are connected as a group. That way, when you move one AutoShape, they will all move together. This is particularly useful if you’ve spent a lot of time formatting all of the shapes and connecting them.

Strategy: Group the AutoShapes. Using the mouse, select one AutoShape. Hold down the Ctrl key while you click on additional AutoShapes. Select Draw – Group from the Drawing toolbar, as shown in Fig. 1404.

If you’re using Excel 2007 or 2010, you’ll find the Group option in the Arrange section of the Drawing Tools Format tab.

Note: Click any figure below for a larger view of that image.

Result: When you select the shape and move it, all of the grouped shapes will move, as shown in Fig. 1405. If you want to ungroup all of the shapes after moving, use the Ungroup option. Then, you can modify each shape separately again.

Gotcha: If you change the property of a grouped shape, all of the properties will change, as shown in Fig. 1406.

Summary: To group AutoShapes together, select an AutoShape and, while holding the Ctrl key down, select the other AutoShapes to be grouped, and then use Draw – Group.

Commands Discussed: Draw – Group

Images

Fig. 1405

Fig. 1406

References and Additional Resources

If you’re looking for more tips and tutorials, check out 91 Tips for Calculating With Microsoft Excel. This collection of easy-to-follow guides shows how to customize charts and graphs, different ways to make complex spreadsheets easier to update, various formatting techniques and even how to play games like Craps in Excel.

Can’t find the solution to your Excel problem? Leave a comment below, and we’ll try to help.

Other Resources:

Microsoft Excel Official Site, https://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/

Bill Jelen, Microsoft Excel 2010 In Depth, Available from Amazon.com.