I would classify the .svg support in PowerPoint as first generation, or v1. There is lots of additional support and features to be implemented – which I have a lot of confidence from conversations with the Microsoft Dev Team will steadily be added.
THE GOOD
- True vector format, so image can be resized from very small to very large with no quality loss.
- Ability to apply PowerPoint styling:
- Fill
- Drop Shadow
- Glow
- Outline
- Outline with no fill
- Soft Edge
- Fill
The BAD
- .svg images in PowerPoint definitely have some limitations
- There is no gradient fill or line option, only solid color
- .svg vector graphics cannot be ungrouped and there is no edit point functionality
- BUT, there is a work around to some vector shape editing! PowerPoint’s Merge Shapes tools work on .svg images. As example, here is our sample image with a PowerPoint heart shape added.
- By selecting both the .svg image and the heart shape > Merge Shapes > Union the .svg vector image is edited to a new shape
- BUT, there is a work around to some vector shape editing! PowerPoint’s Merge Shapes tools work on .svg images. As example, here is our sample image with a PowerPoint heart shape added.
.SVG is the future of vector images and graphics in PowerPoint, and if the PowerPoint Dev Team continues to add functionality and features (like edit points, gradient fills, etc.) I predict .svg will become a common file format on par with .png.
Troy @ TLC