PowerPoint SmartArt importing

Jan 21, 2021

Gordon Wimpress
By Gordon Wimpress

This is more of a feature request.  If I import a PowerPoint slide that has a SmartArt Desgin element in it, that whole bit just gets imported as one image, and is un-editable.  It would be great to have it import as separate elements.

For example, you can use SmartArt to make a grid of 6 photos with captions lined up in 2 rows of 3.  Imported into Storyline, though, it's one big image.  If I want to change anything in any way (say, the size of the font), I have to either 1) change it in the original PowerPoint, or 2) copy and paste each element separately, or 3) build it from scratch.  It would be nice to be able to edit it in Storyline.

2 Replies
Katie Riggio
3 years ago01/26/21 at 8:51 pm (UTC)

Hi there, Gordon!

I appreciate you helping us understand your use case!

While SmartArt Graphics will import as images in Storyline, you can edit or search text with these steps:

  • Rebuild the SmartArt Graphic in Storyline with shapes.
  • Before importing the presentation into Storyline, ungroup the SmartArt Graphic in this manner:
    1. In PowerPoint, select the SmartArt Graphic and use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+G to ungroup it.
    2. Press Ctrl+Shift+G a second time to fully ungroup it.
    3. Select each object that contains text in the ungrouped SmartArt Graphic. Then go to Format > Edit Shape > Change Shape and choose a shape that matches—or is similar to—its current shape. For example, if an object looks like a rounded rectangle, change its shape to a rounded rectangle (or any shape of your choice). Although this step may seem unusual, it's necessary if you need to edit or search the text in Storyline. 
    4. When you import the PowerPoint presentation, the text should be editable and searchable in Storyline.

Thanks for your thoughts, and we'll let you know if we make any updates that help!

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