A SmartArt pyramid can be a beneficial addition to your Excel worksheet: you can use it to show proportions, hierarchies or other types of relationships. Using Excel's SmartArt Tools and SmartArt Styles, you can enhance the pyramid with 3-D effects to cause a section of the shape to stand out or simply to make the entire graphic more eye-catching. To do so, you must learn how to activate and use these helpful features.
Using Quick Styles
A fast and easy way to add 3-D and other effects to your SmartArt pyramid is by applying a Quick Style. Each style includes a set of formatting modifications, including line and fill colors and styles, shadows, edges and various 3D depths. To apply a Quick Style, click on the pyramid to select it and activate the SmartArt Tools tab. Go to the "Design" tab. Point to a SmartArt Style to preview how your pyramid will look. Click on the style you like to apply it to the pyramid.
Breaking Down Shapes
Perhaps you only want to apply 3-D effects to part of your pyramid to distinguish one section from the others. Converting the graphic into shapes allows you to apply different effects and formatting to individual elements of the pyramid. Click on the pyramid to select it and activate the SmartArt Tools tab. Go to the "Design" tab and select "Convert to Shapes" in the Reset group. Click on the individual shape you want to format, and go to the "Format" tab under Drawing Tools. Select "Shape Effects" and choose the 3-D effects you want to use.
Excel provides numerous 3-D effects, so you can customize your pyramid to your specifications. Click on the pyramid to select it and go to the "Format" tab under SmartArt Tools. Click the "Shape Effects" drop-down, point to "Preset" and select "3D Options." Use the drop-down galleries and to format the 3-D effects you want to use. For instance, under Materials you can choose from Metal, Plastic or other options. Select "3D Rotation" in the left pane to customize the angle of your pyramid as well.
If the preset options are not exactly what you want to use, you can modify individual 3D effects instead. Click on the pyramid to select it and go to the "Format" tab under SmartArt Tools. Click the "Shape Effects" drop-down. Point to "Shadow" and choose an option to make your pyramid stand out against the worksheet. Point to "Reflection" and choose an option to create a mirror image of the graphic. Point to "Glow" and choose an option to produce a glowing shadow effect in the background. Bevel and 3D Rotation provide options similar to those used in the presets, but you can customize those as well.
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