Updated: July 10, 2020 (January 22, 2007)

Faster Diagrams Through SmartArt

As managing vice president, Rob Helm covers Microsoft collaboration and content management. His 25-plus years of experience analyzing Microsoft’s technology... more

The SmartArt feature provides tools for quickly laying out and formatting simple diagrams. SmartArt is available in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 when a new Insert SmartArt Diagram command is invoked. Shown here is a SmartArt process diagram in PowerPoint.

SmartArt offers the user a wide choice of diagram types, including the following:

Process diagrams for step-by-step processes
Cycle diagrams for repeated step-by-step processes
Hierarchy diagrams for organization charts or component structures.

Having chosen a diagram type, the user enters source text into a floating input box; SmartArt generates and lays out graphic elements for the text in real time.

After the diagram has been created, a variety of controls can quickly change its type, color scheme, and layout. Diagram elements can be moved manually or returned to their default state. Software developers will be able to define new SmartArt diagram types and their default color schemes and layouts using a specialized, XML-based customization language.

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