using power point to make a ecomap/genogram

[PetiteTJ]

How do I use power point to construct the circles and various lines (dotted,
broken) to make a ecomap and genogram?

[Echo S]

"PetiteTJ" <Peti...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:9605E837-131A-4FB1...@microsoft.com...

> How do I use power point to construct the circles and various lines
> (dotted,
> broken) to make a ecomap and genogram?

I believe ecomaps and genograms are really just specific kinds of
flowcharts.

Visio would be especially good for this -- or a non-MS product such as
SmartDraw (which makes very good-looking stuff).

If you want to do it in PowerPoint, I'd use the autoshapes on the Drawing
toolbar. Just use the regular shapes to draw what you want -- ovals,
rectangles, etc. -- click the tool on the toolbar, then either just click on
the slide or click and drag on the slide. Press Shift when you drag on the
slide to constrain the shapes to square/circle/etc. proportion.

Use the line tools on Draw | Autoshapes to add lines. You can use
"connectors" to add lines that connect one shape to another. When you move
one of the shapes, the line stays connected. (Sometimes these can be
difficult to work with, though, so it's often easier to stick with lines --
just depends on the diagram.) Format them by selecting them, then using the
tools on the Drawing toolbar -- hover your mouse until you see the tool tips
saying "line style" (thickness) and "dash style" (dashed or solid).

You can also click the Draw button on the Drawing toolbar to get to the
align and distribute tools, which will help you line up objects on the
slide. The Grouping tools on the Draw button may help you as well.

--
Echo [MS PPT MVP] http://www.echosvoice.com
What's new in PPT 2007? http://www.echosvoice.com/2007.htm
Fixing PowerPoint Annoyances http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/powerpointannoy/

[spamlet]

And there is also the Word drawing features you can use as well. The grid,
nudge, and grouping, and order, options are key to getting it right. The
grid setting is, in particular, well hidden and comes much too coarsely
spaced as standard: difficult to get anything lined up at all until you have
reset the grid to 1mm each way.

With skilful use of the grouping function you can construct quite detailed
clip art from the basic shapes available, and you can also insert clip art
and convert it into its basic shapes which is a very handy way of getting
more.

I think Word is greatly undervalued as far as it's drawing abilities go,
and, I have found that while Visio, for example, looks to be the tool to
use, it's bewildering array of templates, and little info about working from
scratch, makes it not worth the effort of learning, when one can usually do
all one wants with Word.

Keep at it: constructing these diagrams can be quite a satisfying hobby once
you get the idea (and it is now so much easier than when we had to do it all
by hand!).

S

"Echo S" <msnews...@echosvoiceUGHSPAM.com> wrote in message
news:OPbTCM2q...@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

[PetiteTJ]

Thank you for your assistance. Hopefully I can follow this without tearing
out my hair!

[PetiteTJ]

Thank you for your reply. I appreciate the advice.

[Echo S]

The Word drawing features are generally the same as the ones in PowerPoint.

FWIW, I find them easier to use in PPT than in Word also -- mostly because I
don't end up with that weird drawing frame in PPT.

--
Echo [MS PPT MVP] http://www.echosvoice.com
What's new in PPT 2007? http://www.echosvoice.com/2007.htm
Fixing PowerPoint Annoyances http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/powerpointannoy/

"spamlet" <spam.m...@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
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