<li>switch to the <b>Insert</b> tab of the top toolbar,</li>
<li>click the <imgalt="Shape icon"src="../images/insertautoshape.png"/><b>Shape</b> icon at the top toolbar,</li>
<li>select one of the available autoshape groups: basic shapes, figured arrows, math, charts, stars & ribbons, callouts, buttons, rectangles, lines,</li>
<li>click the necessary autoshape within the selected group,</li>
<li>place the mouse cursor where you want the shape to be put,</li>
<li>once the autoshape is added you can <ahref="ManipulateObjects.htm"onclick="onhyperlinkclick(this)">change its size and position</a> as well as its settings.
<p>Some of the autoshape settings can be altered using the <b>Shape settings</b> tab of the right sidebar that opens if you select the inserted autoshape with the mouse and click the <b>Shape settings</b><imgalt="Shape settings icon"src="../images/shape_settings_icon.png"/> icon. Here you can change the following settings:</p>
<li><b>Theme Colors</b> - the colors that correspond to the selected color scheme of the spreadsheet.</li>
<li><b>Standard Colors</b> - the default colors set.</li>
<li><b>Custom Color</b> - click this caption if there is no needed color in the available palettes. Select the necessary colors range moving the vertical color slider and set the specific color dragging the color picker within the large square color field. Once you select a color with the color picker, the appropriate RGB and sRGB color values will be displayed in the fields on the right. You can also specify a color on the base of the RGB color model entering the necessary numeric values into the <b>R</b>, <b>G</b>, <b>B</b> (red, green, blue) fields or enter the sRGB hexadecimal code into the field marked with the <b>#</b> sign. The selected color appears in the <b>New</b> preview box. If the object was previously filled with any custom color, this color is displayed in the <b>Current</b> box so you can compare the original and modified colors. When the color is specified, click the <b>Add</b> button. The custom color will be applied to your autoshape and added to the <b>Custom color</b> palette.</p>
<li><b>Style</b> - choose one of the available options: <b>Linear</b> (colors change in a straight line i.e. along a horizontal/vertical axis or diagonally at a 45 degree angle) or <b>Radial</b> (colors change in a circular path from the center to the edges).</li>
<li><b>Direction</b> - choose a template from the menu. If the <b>Linear</b> gradient is selected, the following directions are available : top-left to bottom-right, top to bottom, top-right to bottom-left, right to left, bottom-right to top-left, bottom to top, bottom-left to top-right, left to right. If the <b>Radial</b> gradient is selected, only one template is available.</li>
<li><b>Gradient</b> - click on the left slider <imgalt="Slider"src="../images/gradientslider.png"/> under the gradient bar to activate the color box which corresponds to the first color. Click on the color box on the right to choose the first color in the palette. Drag the slider to set the gradient stop i.e. the point where one color changes into another. Use the right slider under the gradient bar to specify the second color and set the gradient stop.</li>
<li>If you wish to use an image as a background for the shape, you can add an image <b>From File</b> selecting it on your computer HDD or <b>From URL</b> inserting the appropriate URL address into the opened window.</li>
<li>If you wish to use a texture as a background for the shape, open the <b>From Texture</b> menu and select the necessary texture preset.
<p>Currently, the following textures are available: canvas, carton, dark fabric, grain, granite, grey paper, knit, leather, brown paper, papyrus, wood.</p>
<li>In case the selected <b>Picture</b> has less or more dimensions than the autoshape has, you can choose the <b>Stretch</b> or <b>Tile</b> setting from the dropdown list.
<p>The <b>Stretch</b> option allows you to adjust the image size to fit the autoshape size so that it could fill the space completely.</p>
<p>The <b>Tile</b> option allows you to display only a part of the bigger image keeping its original dimensions or repeat the smaller image keeping its original dimensions over the autoshape surface so that it could fill the space completely.</p>
<pclass="note"><b>Note</b>: any selected <b>Texture</b> preset fills the space completely, but you can apply the <b>Stretch</b> effect if necessary.</p>
<li><b>Opacity</b> - use this section to set an <b>Opacity</b> level dragging the slider or entering the percent value manually. The default value is <b>100%</b>. It corresponds to the full opacity. The <b>0%</b> value corresponds to the full transparency.</li>
<liid="shape_stroke"><b>Stroke</b> - use this section to change the autoshape stroke width, color or type.
<li>To change the stroke width, select one of the available options from the <b>Size</b> dropdown list. The available options are: 0.5 pt, 1 pt, 1.5 pt, 2.25 pt, 3 pt, 4.5 pt, 6 pt. Alternatively, select the <b>No Line</b> option if you don't want to use any stroke.</li>
<li>To change the stroke <b>color</b>, click on the colored box below and select the necessary color.</li>
<li>To change the stroke <b>type</b>, select the necessary option from the corresponding dropdown list (a solid line is applied by default, you can change it to one of the available dashed lines).</li>
<b>Rotation</b> is used to rotate the shape by 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise as well as to flip the shape horizontally or vertically. Click one of the buttons:
<ul>
<li><imgalt="Rotate counterclockwise icon"src="../images/rotatecounterclockwise.png"/> to rotate the shape by 90 degrees counterclockwise</li>
<li><imgalt="Rotate clockwise icon"src="../images/rotateclockwise.png"/> to rotate the shape by 90 degrees clockwise</li>
<li><imgalt="Flip horizontally icon"src="../images/fliplefttoright.png"/> to flip the shape horizontally (left to right)</li>
<li><imgalt="Flip vertically icon"src="../images/flipupsidedown.png"/> to flip the shape vertically (upside down)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><b>Change Autoshape</b> - use this section to replace the current autoshape with another one selected from the dropdown list.</li>
<li><b>Show shadow</b> - check this option to display shape with shadow.</li>
<pid="shape_advanced">To change the <b>advanced settings</b> of the autoshape, use the <b>Show advanced settings</b> link at the right sidebar. The 'Shape - Advanced Settings' window will open:</p>
<li><b>Width</b> and <b>Height</b> - use these options to change the autoshape width and/or height. If the <b>Constant proportions</b><imgalt="Constant proportions icon"src="../images/constantproportions.png"/> button is clicked (in this case it looks like this <imgalt="Constant proportions icon activated"src="../images/constantproportionsactivated.png"/>), the width and height will be changed together preserving the original shape aspect ratio.</li>
<p>The <b>Rotation</b> tab contains the following parameters:</p>
<ul>
<li><b>Angle</b> - use this option to rotate the shape by an exactly specified angle. Enter the necessary value measured in degrees into the field or adjust it using the arrows on the right. </li>
<li><b>Flipped</b> - check the <b>Horizontally</b> box to flip the shape horizontally (left to right) or check the <b>Vertically</b> box to flip the shape vertically (upside down).</li>
<li><b>Cap Type</b> - this option allows to set the style for the end of the line, therefore it can be applied only to the shapes with the open outline, such as lines, polylines etc.:
<li><b>Join Type</b> - this option allows to set the style for the intersection of two lines, for example, it can affect a polyline or the corners of the triangle or rectangle outline:
<li><b>Arrows</b> - this option group is available if a shape from the <b>Lines</b> shape group is selected. It allows to set the arrow <b>Start</b> and <b>End Style</b> and <b>Size</b> by selecting the appropriate option from the dropdown lists.</li>
<p>The <b>Text Padding</b> tab allows to change the autoshape <b>Top</b>, <b>Bottom</b>, <b>Left</b> and <b>Right</b> internal margins (i.e. the distance between the text within the shape and the autoshape borders).</p>
<pclass="note"><b>Note</b>: this tab is only available if text is added within the autoshape, otherwise the tab is disabled.</p>
<p>The <b>Columns</b> tab allows to add columns of text within the autoshape specifying the necessary <b>Number of columns</b> (up to 16) and <b>Spacing between columns</b>. Once you click <b>OK</b>, the text that already exists or any other text you enter within the autoshape will appear in columns and will flow from one column to another.</p>
<p>The <b>Cell Snapping</b> tab contains the following parameters:</p>
<ul>
<li><b>Move and size with cells</b> - this option allows to snap the shape to the cell behind it. If the cell moves (e.g. if you insert or delete some rows/columns), the shape will be moved together with the cell. If you increase or decrease the width or height of the cell, the shape will change its size as well.</li>
<li><b>Move but don't size with cells</b> - this option allows to snap the shape to the cell behind it preventing the image from being resized. If the cell moves, the shape will be moved together with the cell, but if you change the cell size, the shape dimensions remain unchanged.</li>
<li><b>Don't move or size with cells</b> - this option allows to prevent the shape from being moved or resized if the cell position or size was changed.</li>
</ul>
<p><imgalt="Shape - Advanced Settings: Alternative Text"src="../images/shape_properties_3.png"/></p>
<p>The <b>Alternative Text</b> tab allows to specify a <b>Title</b> and <b>Description</b> which will be read to the people with vision or cognitive impairments to help them better understand what information there is in the shape.</p>
<hr/>
<h3>Insert and format text within the autoshape</h3>
<p>To insert a text into the autoshape select the shape with the mouse and start typing your text. The text you add in this way becomes a part of the autoshape (when you move or rotate the shape, the text moves or rotates with it).</p>
<p>All the formatting options you can apply to the text within the autoshape are listed <ahref="InsertTextObjects.htm#textbox_textformatting"onclick="onhyperlinkclick(this)">here</a>.</p>
<hr/>
<h3>Join autoshapes using connectors</h3>
<p>You can connect autoshapes using lines with connection points to demonstrate dependencies between the objects (e.g. if you want to create a flowchart). To do that,</p>
<ol>
<li>click the <imgalt="Shape icon"src="../images/insertautoshape.png"/><b>Shape</b> icon at the <b>Insert</b> tab of the top toolbar,</li>
<li>click the necessary shape within the selected group (excepting the last three shapes which are not connectors, namely <em>Curve</em>, <em>Scribble</em> and <em>Freeform</em>),</li>
<li>hover the mouse cursor over the first autoshape and click one of the connection points <imgalt="Connection point icon"src="../images/connectionpoint.png"/> that appear on the shape outline,
