Align to the first selected shape in PowerPoint using PPT Productivity. Override default PowerPoint alignment to most extremely positioned or outermost shape.

This feature lets you override PowerPoint's default alignment to outermost shape, to align to the first selected shape.

PPT Productivity by default aligns to outermost shape (consistent with standard PowerPoint). But PPT Productivity provides a feature to change the default so that you can align to the first selected shape in PowerPoint. Override the default alignment setting temporarily or permanently.

To temporarily align to first selected shape in PowerPoint, simply Ctrl-click the required PPT Productivity alignment button and your shapes will align to the first selected shape. To make alignment to first selected shape your default setting in PowerPoint, go to PPT Productivity tab > Settings > Shape Alignment. Tick "Align to first selected shape rather than outmost shape". Ctrl-click overrides the default, so once you have updated your default setting, Ctrl-click when clicking alignment buttons will then align to outermost shape.

PPT Productivity's align features can be used to quickly align shapes in PowerPoint. Plus you can choose your default alignment point using the anchor.

The shape alignment anchor feature is a setting that lets you choose your preferred default anchor point when aligning shapes. Click the Anchor feature button on the PPT Productivity Format Toolbar and select from the dropdown list of options. You can select to align multiple shapes to:

• Outermost shape: choose to anchor alignment to the outermost shape in PowerPoint when selecting multiple shapes - for example clicking align top would align your shapes to the highest selected shape in PowerPoint
• First selected shape: choose to anchor alignment of selected shapes to the first shape selected in PowerPoint - for example clicking align left would align to the left hand side of the first selected shape on your slide
• Last selected shape: choose to anchor alignment of selected shapes to the last shape selected in PowerPoint - for example clicking align left would align to the left hand side of the last selected shape on your slide (Align to last shape selected was requested by several BCG alum. Read about other PPT Productivity features that BCG alums love)
• Slide: choose to anchor alignment of selected shapes to your PowerPoint slide - for example clicking align center horizontal would align the center of all selected shapes to the center of the slide (this option also works for single selected shapes as well as multiple shapes)
• No Fly Zone: choose to anchor to the No Fly Zone - for example clicking align left would align to the left of your No Fly Zone - perfect when you want to align diagrams with text for example (this option also works for single selected shapes as well as multiple shapes)

PPT Productivity's Customizable PowerPoint Shortcuts feature can be used to quickly align shapes in PowerPoint via shortcuts.

PPT Productivity comes with pre-set extra shortcut keys for alignment in PowerPoint. You can assign additional shortcuts or change existing shortcuts. To assign shortcut keys:

• Go to PPT Productivity tab on PowerPoint ribbon > Settings > Shape Alignment, and tick "Align to first selected shape rather than outmost shape".
• Then Shift+click on each alignment button to assign your shortcut key, OR filter for commands named "FirstSelected" in the Shortcut Key Manager (PPT Productivity tab > Manage Custom Shortcut Keys).

Fix crooked lines in PowerPoint easily with these timesaving buttons.

How to make a line straight in PowerPoint? PPT Productivity's straighten horizontal line and straighten vertical line features make it easy to quickly straighten crooked lines. There are separate feature buttons for horizontal lines and vertical lines. The features will straighten single lines or groups of lines. Simply select the line(s) you need to fix and click the relevant straighten line button.

You can also use these features to straighten lines across multiple slides - simply select the slides from the thumbnail view and click either feature button.

Swap the position of two objects in PowerPoint to switch location. Swap shapes in PowerPoint in a single click! Choose from Swap Position, Swap Vertically or Swap Horizontally feature buttons.

PPT Productivity add-in's PowerPoint Swap Shapes features let you quickly edit PowerPoint slides to swap the position of two selected objects, so the selected objects switch positions. The swap position in PowerPoint feature works for shapes, images and text boxes.

Wondering why there are different buttons? The impact of a swap is different if you're swapping shapes that are different sizes (refer to the video above to watch an example of each type of swap):

• Swap Position: Swaps the position of two selected objects based on the top left coordinates of each object

• Swap Position Horizontal: Swaps the position of two selected objects. Anchors to the same left and right boundaries, retaining the same horizontal gap between the shapes

• Swap Position Vertical: Swaps the position of two selected objects. Anchors to the same top and bottom boundaries, retaining the same vertical gap between the shapes
• Swap Position based on centres rather than top left: Feature Enhancement released February 2023 Perfect when arranging different sizes shapes /images that are centre aligned in rows and columns (for example box tables used by McKinsey alums!) and you want to swap locations based on center points. To use this feature, press Ctrl+Click with any of the above feature buttons

Evenly distribute shapes in PowerPoint so they each have the same spacing between them. Distribute vertically in PowerPoint or distribute horizontally in PowerPoint with these time saving features (separate feature buttons for each).

PPT Productivity exposes common formatting features to the Format Toolbar, providing one click access to save you time. Quickly arrange multiple objects or shapes that you want to make equidistant from each other.

Even spacing of shapes on your slide (particularly for repeated shapes like chevrons), make your slides look more polished. There is a feature to distribute shapes vertically and a feature to distribute shapes horizontally. The distribute vertically and horizontally features will equally distribute PowerPoint shapes, text boxes and images.

PowerPoint introduced equidistance markers from 2013, but using equidistance markers is time consuming when distributing a larger number of shapes. Distribute evenly features are in the Gaps feature group on the PPT Productivity Format Toolbar.

PowerPoint add-in PPT Productivity lets you specify a horizontal gap or space between objects in PowerPoint, for perfect spacing.

Quickly specify the horizontal gap between one or more selected shapes or objects on your PowerPoint slide. For example set the horizontal gap between selected shapes to be 10pts or 4pts (you can enter whatever number you prefer). Perfect for making PowerPoint shape spacing exact and consistent.

The Set Horizontal Gaps feature is in the Gaps group on the Format Toolbar.

PowerPoint add-in PPT Productivity lets you set a specific vertical gap or space between objects in PowerPoint.

This feature lets you quickly specify the vertical gap between one or more selected shapes or objects on your PowerPoint slide. For example set the vertical gap between selected shapes to be 2pts or 20pts (enter whatever number you prefer). Perfect for making your spacing exact and consistent.

The Set Vertical Gaps feature is in the Gaps feature group on the Format Toolbar.

Reduce or expand the space between each of the selected shapes.

PowerPoint add-in PPT Productivity's squeeze and expand features let you quickly contract or expand spacing between selected shapes or objects on your PowerPoint slide (aka Nudging shapes together or further apart). Nudge shapes or objects closer together to make more space on your PowerPoint slide to fit in another shape. Expand the spacing between shapes to balance the empty space on the slide.

The space added or removed on each click is small, so you can incrementally adjust spacing.

Remove gaps between shapes in PowerPoint, either vertical or horizontal, so the shapes appear to be stacked on top of or beside each other.

PowerPoint add-in PPT Productivity's remove gaps features easily remove all gaps between selected shapes or objects. Shapes are repositioned so they are touching, but not overlapping. Vertically this is also known as stacked shapes, horizontally it's also called abutting shapes. The feature removes gaps, but does not change other alignments.

For example, stacking objects beside each other will not change any variations in horizontal alignment.

Want to layout a slide with separate text boxes, but manage them as grouped into rows? PPT Productivity can help.

Group by Row is a feature that lets you group all objects on a slide, based on the rows that they are aligned to.

This makes formatting and rearrangement of the slide easier when you want a well aligned slide without using a table. Standard PowerPoint provides the option to select objects and group them.

But PPT Productivity's Group by Row feature lets you group all or selected objects on a slide based on their existing close alignment to rows.

You do not need to select each individual object.

Want to quickly format a slide by grouping objects into vertical alignment? PPT Productivity's Group by Columns feature can help.

Group by Column is a feature that lets you group all objects on a slide based on the columns they are broadly aligned to. This makes formatting and rearrangement of the slide easier. Standard PowerPoint provides the option to select objects and then group them. However the Group by column feature lets you click the feature on a slide and all objects will be grouped according to their existing close alignment to columns.

You do not need to select each individual object.

PPT Productivity add-in for PowerPoint gives you a feature to pull a shape or object to the front or push it to the back of a set of shapes or objects on your PowerPoint slide in a single click.

In addition to offering new features in PowerPoint, PPT Productivity exposes common standard formatting features to the Format Toolbar - providing one click access to save you time.

Send to back/ bring to front buttons enable fast layering of objects on the slide.

One click access to send a shape or object backward or pull it forward in a set of shapes or objects on your PowerPoint slide.

In addition to offering new features in PowerPoint, PPT Productivity exposes common standard formatting features to the Format Toolbar - providing one click access to save you time.

Send backward/ bring forward buttons enable fast layering of objects on the slide.

Easily Group, Ungroup and Regroup shapes or objects in PowerPoint. Single click access from the Format Toolbar.

How to group in PowerPoint? PPT Productivity exposes common PowerPoint formatting features on the Format Toolbar, providing one click access to save you time. Group shape features are in the Arrange group on the Format Toolbar.

Group, Ungroup, Regroup enable fast editing, for example when stretching or shrinking shapes in PowerPoint. If you grouped several shapes but need to ungroup them for separate editing, simply select any of the previously grouped shapes or objects on the slide and use the Regroup button to reform the group.