ToolsToo

Make PowerPoint Rounded Corners the Same!

Rounded corners are a subtle design accent that is easy to apply to shapes, photos, even videos. But why is there no way to make the corner radius the same across multiple objects on a slide!

Fortunately, the capability is within PowerPoint, just not exposed on the Ribbon or any of the object formatting dialogs. The ToolsToo add-in suite has added the functionality to easily select multiple rounded corner objects and make the corner radius the same on all (yay 3rd party add-ins!).

Here is my example slide with 3 rounded corner rectangles. Because the rectangles are different sizes, and the corner radius scales with the shape (where is the “locked corner radius” option Microsoft!) the corner radius is different on each of the rectangles.

I have selected all 3 shapes, selecting box #1 first, because this is the reference object and all objects will match its corner radius.

Go to the ToolsToo ribbon > Make Same > Make Same Rounded Corner

Done! All 3 rectangles now have the exact same corner radius (yay!).

TIP: because I use this tool often, and I have added it to my QAT so it is now an instantly available 1-click formatting thing.

Troy @ TLC

By |2023-08-18T09:40:42-07:00September 7th, 2023|Tutorial|

ToolsToo PowerPoint Add-in

ToolsToo is the creation of another independent developer, and when it comes to making PowerPoint more productive, ToolsToo is amazing!

ToolsToo-1

The add-in has over 70 tools included, so it is a good thing it installs its own ribbon tab to house them all.

ToolsToo-2

On the technical side, ToolsToo is one of the few add-ins that is compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit Office (virtually all add-ins are only 32-bit compatible). It is coded as a .com add-in vs. a VBA add-in which is more common. It is also one of the few add-ins that can have any button individually added to the QAT, which is great! Lastly, it is also economical costing only $20.00 for the full host of productivity tools.

When developing slides, I make use of the Adjoin, Stretch, Align, Make Same, and Shape Tools section (which means I use a lot of tools from this add-in!). Here are a few of my favorite tools within the ToolsToo add-in:

Make Same Size, Make Same Height, Make Same Width: Select shapes or images and instantly adjust so they are the same size based on the first item selected!

[KGVID]https://thepowerpointblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/unnamed-file-2.mp4[/KGVID]

Make Same Rounded Corner: This is an agony point in designing with PowerPoint. The rounded corners automatically adjust their size based on the size of the shape/image and there is no way to set them to be the same across shapes. ToolsToo is worth the price just for the Make Same Rounded Corner tool!

[KGVID]https://thepowerpointblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/unnamed-file-1.mp4[/KGVID]

Make Line Horizontal, Make Line Vertical: Another pain point in designing content is determining if a line is truly straight, or 1/2 degree off… This simple tools forces a line to horizontal or vertical with one click.

[KGVID]https://thepowerpointblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/unnamed-file.mp4[/KGVID]

There are a lot of tools in this add-in. ToolsToo has become my highest used add-in when designing presentations.

Find out more at the ToolsToo site here.

-Troy @ TLC

 

By |2019-10-28T10:04:31-07:00June 15th, 2016|Software/Add-Ins|

Is That Straight Line Really Straight…?

The snap-to-grid, Align to anchor point and random placement of PowerPoint lines can, at times, become frustrating. When reviewing a slide layout, I am often looking at lines and trying to determine if they are straight. For example, after looking at this simple layout, I question whether the line connecting the two boxes is straight or just an optical illusion.

Straight_1

 

When we zoom in and add a guideline to see what is straight – the connecting line is very slightly off. Not a big deal when viewed as a small image here on the blog. But enlarge this diagram to fit a 40′ wide screen and this small inaccuracy is big!

Straight_2

 

One of my go to PowerPoint add-in sets is from ToolsToo.

Straight_5

These two tools are in the SHAPE TOOLS section: MAKE LINE HORIZONTAL and MAKE LINE VERTICAL.

Straight_3

 

Two clicks and I know a line is straight. Select the line, click the horizontal or vertical button and no matter what the line is snapping to, it is set to a straight line on the 0 or 90 degree axis!

Straight_4

 

– Troy @ TLC

 

By |2016-08-10T09:34:49-07:00September 10th, 2014|Tutorial|

New Version of ToolsToo Add-in Released (v5.1)

If you are regular visitor here, you probably know I am a big add-in/plug-in user for all programs. For PowerPoint, add-ins installed on all designer and show computers are those that make design work faster and easier. And the ToolsToo add-in is used daily.

Last week v5.1 was released. It adds a few new features and bug fixes. Also interesting, this is the first add-in I have seen that is only for use with PPT 2010, not 2007 (since v5.0) because it uses some PPT 2010 only features (such as the animation paintbrush). Although v4.5 is compatible with PPT 2007 and 2010 and still available. And, like almost all add-ins, it is only compatible with the 32-bit version of Office.

Website with more details and download options is here.

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-08-16T09:22:04-07:00July 11th, 2012|Software/Add-Ins|

Review: ToolsToo PPT Add-in

ToolsToo is a productivity add-in for PowerPoint 2007 and 2010. It is a collection of incredibly valuable tools used when designing slides. It adds a full tab full of 20+ tools that I first tested on a test computer and quickly installed on my main computer and have integrated it into my daily production.

Some tools can be found in other add-ins and I cannot function without, such as:
Equal – width, height, size

And there are a number of tools that I am amazed have not been thought of before as they are so incredibly useful. Here are a few of my favorites:

Adjoin

and make line straight (veritical or horizontal)

AND any tool can be added individually to the QAT! As example: make equal width, make equal height and make same size buttons have been added to my QAT.

There is a free version offered called “ToolsToo Lite” that offeres a limited set of tools. The full tool set reviewed is $20 and is highly recommend.

– Troy @ TLC

By |2016-08-16T11:14:33-07:00August 12th, 2010|Software/Add-Ins|
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