Shapes

This group of instructions adds and arranges shapes on a slide: preset shapes (rectangles, ellipses, arrows, stars…), lines and connectors, and text placed inside a shape. It also lets you position, resize, rotate, flip, fill, and border a shape, group and ungroup shapes, change their stacking order, and align or distribute several shapes evenly.

Prerequisite: before using any of these instructions, the workflow must already have a PPTX presentation created or opened (with Create presentation), which these instructions will act upon.

These concepts recur across several instructions in this group; they are explained here once.

• Document: indicates which document in the workflow the instruction applies to. If left empty, the current document is used.

• Shapes are identified by their name: every shape has a name. The two instructions that create a shape (Insert Preset Shape, Insert Line Or Connector) let you give it a Shape name / Line name; if you leave it empty, the shape is named automatically (for example Shape2 or Line3). Every other instruction finds the shapes to act on by that name and applies to every shape with it. Leaving the Shape name empty applies the instruction to all shapes on the slide. If the name matches no shape, the instruction does nothing. Give your shapes names you can refer to later.

• Slide numbers start at 1: slides are referred to by their position, and the first slide is 1, the second is 2, and so on. The Slide number field uses this numbering.

• Out-of-range slide numbers do nothing: if the slide number does not exist in the presentation (for example, slide 5 in a 3-slide deck), the instruction does nothing and the workflow continues with the next instruction.

• Selecting several shapes (Shape names): Group Shapes, Align Shapes, and Distribute Shapes act on several shapes at once. List their names separated by commas (for example Title,Box1,Box2).

• Measurements and colors: positions and sizes are given in centimeters (cm); line thickness and font size in points (pt); rotation in degrees; colors as hex codes (for example 4472C4), with or without a leading #.

• Dynamic values (@name): in any text field you can type @ followed by the name of a value saved earlier in the workflow, and it will be replaced by that value. For example, if you saved a color in brandColor, you can type @brandColor in the Color field.

• Saving a result: Insert Preset Shape and Insert Line Or Connector offer a Save shape name in field that stores the new shape’s name under a name you choose. If left empty, nothing is saved. This is the useful one to chain with: every instruction that changes a shape selects it by name, so you can save the name here — including the automatic one you get when you leave Shape name empty — and use it later.

• “From variable” fields: the @name trick only works in text fields. So that a numeric field (like Slide number or Width (cm)) or a yes/no field (like Bold) can also take its value from a saved value, each one has a companion “from variable” field:

  • If you leave it empty, the value typed in the normal field is used.
  • If you fill it in with the name of a saved value, the engine ignores the normal field and uses that variable’s value.

  This is mainly for chaining instructions (one instruction saves a value, the next one reads it). If you only work with fixed values, you can ignore these fields.

• Add Text To Shape .pptx
• Align Shapes .pptx
• Change Z-Order .pptx
• Delete Shape .pptx
• Distribute Shapes .pptx
• Flip Shape .pptx
• Group Shapes .pptx
• Insert Line Or Connector .pptx
• Insert Preset Shape .pptx
• Rotate Shape .pptx
• Set Shape Border .pptx
• Set Shape Fill .pptx
• Set Shape Position .pptx
• Set Shape Size .pptx
• Ungroup Shapes .pptx

Add Text To Shape .pptx

Places text inside an existing shape, with a font size, color, style, and alignment.

When to use it: to write a label or caption inside a shape you inserted.

Parameter	Meaning	Default	Required
Document	Document the instruction applies to	(current document)	No
Slide number	Slide the shape is on (starts at 1)	1	No
Shape name	Name of the shapes to write in; empty = all shapes on the slide. Supports @name	(empty)	No
Text	The text to place in the shape. Supports @name	(empty)	No
Font color	Text color as a hex code. Supports @name	000000 (black)	No
Font size (pt)	Text size in points	18	No
Bold	Yes makes the text bold	No	No
Italic	Yes makes the text italic	No	No
Horizontal alignment	left, center, right, or justify. Supports @name	center	No
Language	Language tag for the text (for example en-US); empty = none. Supports @name	(empty)	No
Slide number (from variable)	Reads the slide number from a saved value	(empty)	No
Font size (from variable)	Reads the font size from a saved value	(empty)	No
Bold (from variable)	Reads the yes/no value from a saved value	(empty)	No
Italic (from variable)	Reads the yes/no value from a saved value	(empty)	No

Important behavior: if no shape matches Shape name, nothing happens (empty = all shapes on the slide). The text replaces any text already in the shape. An unrecognized Horizontal alignment is treated as center. An empty Font color leaves the text with the theme’s text color.

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Align Shapes .pptx

Lines up several shapes along a common edge or center.

When to use it: to neatly align a row or column of shapes to the same left edge, top, center, and so on.

Parameter	Meaning	Default	Required
Document	Document the instruction applies to	(current document)	No
Slide number	Slide the shapes are on (starts at 1)	1	No
Shape names	Comma-separated names of the shapes to align. Supports @name	(empty)	Yes
Alignment	left, right, top, bottom, centerH (horizontal center), or centerV (vertical center)	left	No
Slide number (from variable)	Reads the slide number from a saved value	(empty)	No

Important behavior: at least two matching shapes are needed; if fewer are found, nothing happens. An unrecognized Alignment value leaves the shapes unchanged.

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Change Z-Order .pptx

Changes how a shape stacks relative to the others on the slide (which shape is in front and which is behind).

When to use it: to bring a shape to the front so it is not hidden, or send it behind the others.

Parameter	Meaning	Default	Required
Document	Document the instruction applies to	(current document)	No
Slide number	Slide the shape is on (starts at 1)	1	No
Shape name	Name of the shapes (or groups) to restack; empty = all shapes on the slide. Supports @name	(empty)	No
Z action	bringToFront, sendToBack, moveForward, or moveBackward	bringToFront	No
Slide number (from variable)	Reads the slide number from a saved value	(empty)	No

Important behavior: if no shape matches Shape name, nothing happens (empty = all shapes on the slide). An unrecognized Z action is treated as bringToFront. Works on both individual shapes and groups.

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Delete Shape .pptx

Removes a shape from a slide.

When to use it: to take out a placeholder or a shape added earlier that the final presentation should not show.

Parameter	Meaning	Default	Required
Document	Document the instruction applies to	(current document)	No
Slide number	Slide to act on, counting from 1	1	No
Shape name	Name of the shape to remove. Supports @name	(empty)	Yes
Slide number (from variable)	Reads the slide from a saved value	(empty)	No
Save count key	Name to save how many were removed under	(empty)	No

Important behavior: the name is required: unlike the instructions that change shapes, where an empty name means “all of them”, leaving it empty here does nothing — deleting every shape on a slide by leaving a field blank would be too easy. Every shape with that name is removed. A slide that doesn’t exist does nothing.

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Distribute Shapes .pptx

Spaces several shapes evenly between the first and last of them.

When to use it: to get equal gaps between a set of shapes across the slide.

Parameter	Meaning	Default	Required
Document	Document the instruction applies to	(current document)	No
Slide number	Slide the shapes are on (starts at 1)	1	No
Shape names	Comma-separated names of the shapes to distribute. Supports @name	(empty)	Yes
Direction	horizontal (even gaps left-to-right) or vertical (top-to-bottom). Supports @name	horizontal	No
Slide number (from variable)	Reads the slide number from a saved value	(empty)	No

Important behavior: at least three matching shapes are needed; if fewer are found, nothing happens. The outermost shapes stay put and the ones in between are spaced out evenly.

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Flip Shape .pptx

Mirrors a shape horizontally, vertically, or both.

When to use it: to mirror an arrow or an asymmetric shape.

Parameter	Meaning	Default	Required
Document	Document the instruction applies to	(current document)	No
Slide number	Slide the shape is on (starts at 1)	1	No
Shape name	Name of the shapes to flip; empty = all shapes on the slide. Supports @name	(empty)	No
Flip horizontal	true (Yes) mirrors the shape left-to-right, false (No) undoes it, empty (No change) leaves it as it is	true (Yes)	No
Flip vertical	true (Yes) mirrors the shape top-to-bottom, false (No) undoes it, empty (No change) leaves it as it is	(empty) (No change)	No
Slide number (from variable)	Reads the slide number from a saved value	(empty)	No

Important behavior: if no shape matches Shape name, nothing happens (empty = all shapes on the slide). Each direction is independent: leaving one on No change lets you flip a shape one way without touching the other, so flipping horizontally twice in a row no longer resets a vertical flip you set earlier.

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Group Shapes .pptx

Combines several shapes into a single group that can be moved and managed as one.

When to use it: to keep a set of shapes together so they behave as one object.

Parameter	Meaning	Default	Required
Document	Document the instruction applies to	(current document)	No
Slide number	Slide the shapes are on (starts at 1)	1	No
Shape names	Comma-separated names of the shapes to group. Supports @name	(empty)	Yes
Group name	Name given to the new group (used later by Ungroup Shapes). Supports @name	Group1	No
Slide number (from variable)	Reads the slide number from a saved value	(empty)	No

Important behavior: at least two matching shapes are needed; if fewer are found, nothing happens. Remember the Group name — it is how Ungroup Shapes finds the group later.

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Insert Line Or Connector .pptx

Draws a straight line between two points on the slide.

When to use it: to add a rule, a divider, or a connector between two shapes.

Parameter	Meaning	Default	Required
Document	Document the instruction applies to	(current document)	No
Slide number	Slide to draw the line on (starts at 1)	1	No
Start X (cm)	Horizontal position of the start point	1	No
Start Y (cm)	Vertical position of the start point	1	No
End X (cm)	Horizontal position of the end point	10	No
End Y (cm)	Vertical position of the end point	1	No
Color	Line color as a hex code. Supports @name	000000 (black)	No
Thickness (pt)	Line thickness in points	1	No
Line name	Name given to the line; empty = named automatically. Supports @name	(empty)	No
Slide number (from variable)	Reads the slide number from a saved value	(empty)	No
Start X (from variable)	Reads the value from a saved value	(empty)	No
Start Y (from variable)	Reads the value from a saved value	(empty)	No
End X (from variable)	Reads the value from a saved value	(empty)	No
End Y (from variable)	Reads the value from a saved value	(empty)	No
Thickness (from variable)	Reads the thickness from a saved value	(empty)	No
Save shape name in	Name under which to save the new line’s name (the automatic one if Line name is empty)	(empty)	No

Important behavior: the line runs from the start point to the end point in any direction. If Line name is empty, the line is named automatically. An empty Color still draws the line, leaving it with the presentation theme’s line color.

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Insert Preset Shape .pptx

Adds a ready-made shape (rectangle, ellipse, arrow, star…) to the slide.

When to use it: to place a geometric shape you can then fill, border, or write text in.

Parameter	Meaning	Default	Required
Document	Document the instruction applies to	(current document)	No
Slide number	Slide to add the shape to (starts at 1)	1	No
Shape type	Chosen from the shared shape list (see below); stored as rect, roundrect, ellipse, triangle, rightarrow, leftarrow, uparrow, downarrow, star, diamond, pentagon, hexagon or callout	rect (Rectangle)	No
Left (cm)	Horizontal position of the shape	2	No
Top (cm)	Vertical position of the shape	2	No
Width (cm)	Shape width in centimeters	6	No
Height (cm)	Shape height in centimeters	4	No
Shape name	Name given to the shape; empty = named automatically. Supports @name	(empty)	No
Slide number (from variable)	Reads the slide number from a saved value	(empty)	No
Left (from variable)	Reads the value from a saved value	(empty)	No
Top (from variable)	Reads the value from a saved value	(empty)	No
Width (from variable)	Reads the width from a saved value	(empty)	No
Height (from variable)	Reads the height from a saved value	(empty)	No
Save shape name in	Name under which to save the new shape’s name (the automatic one if Shape name is empty)	(empty)	No

Important behavior: Shape type is picked from the same list of 13 shapes as Insert Shape .docx and Insert Shape .xlsx — rectangle, rounded rectangle, ellipse, triangle, the four arrows (right, left, up, down), star, diamond, pentagon, hexagon and callout — so it cannot be mistyped and does not accept @name; a presentation saved with an older, unlisted value still opens and draws a rectangle. If Shape name is empty, the shape is named automatically (for example Shape2) — give it a name if you want to act on it with later instructions.

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Rotate Shape .pptx

Rotates a shape by a given angle.

When to use it: to tilt a shape or point an arrow in a particular direction.

Parameter	Meaning	Default	Required
Document	Document the instruction applies to	(current document)	No
Slide number	Slide the shape is on (starts at 1)	1	No
Shape name	Name of the shapes to rotate; empty = all shapes on the slide. Supports @name	(empty)	No
Angle (degrees)	Rotation angle in degrees; positive turns clockwise	0	No
Slide number (from variable)	Reads the slide number from a saved value	(empty)	No
Angle (from variable)	Reads the angle from a saved value	(empty)	No

Important behavior: if no shape matches Shape name, nothing happens (empty = all shapes on the slide).

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Set Shape Border .pptx

Sets or removes the outline (border) of a shape.

When to use it: to add a colored outline to a shape, change its line style, or remove the border entirely.

Parameter	Meaning	Default	Required
Document	Document the instruction applies to	(current document)	No
Slide number	Slide the shape is on (starts at 1)	1	No
Shape name	Name of the shapes to border; empty = all shapes on the slide. Supports @name	(empty)	No
Color	Border color as a hex code. Supports @name	000000 (black)	No
Thickness (pt)	Border thickness in points	1	No
Line style	solid, dash, dot, or dashDot. Supports @name	solid	No
No border	Yes removes the shape’s border entirely	No	No
Slide number (from variable)	Reads the slide number from a saved value	(empty)	No
Thickness (from variable)	Reads the thickness from a saved value	(empty)	No
No border (from variable)	Reads the yes/no value from a saved value	(empty)	No

Important behavior: if no shape matches Shape name, nothing happens (empty = all shapes on the slide). When No border is Yes, the border is removed and Color, Thickness, and Line style are ignored. An unrecognized Line style is treated as solid. Color may be left empty: the thickness and line style are still applied, and the outline keeps the theme color.

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Set Shape Fill .pptx

Sets the fill of a shape to a solid color, a gradient, or no fill.

When to use it: to color the inside of a shape, apply a two-color gradient, or make it transparent.

Parameter	Meaning	Default	Required
Document	Document the instruction applies to	(current document)	No
Slide number	Slide the shape is on (starts at 1)	1	No
Shape name	Name of the shapes to fill; empty = all shapes on the slide. Supports @name	(empty)	No
Fill type	solid, gradient, or none. Supports @name	solid	No
Color	Fill color (solid) or gradient start color, as a hex code. Supports @name	4472C4	No
Gradient end color	The second gradient color, as a hex code (used only with gradient). Supports @name	FFFFFF (white)	No
Gradient angle (degrees)	Direction of the gradient in degrees (used only with gradient)	90	No
Slide number (from variable)	Reads the slide number from a saved value	(empty)	No
Gradient angle (from variable)	Reads the angle from a saved value	(empty)	No

Important behavior: if no shape matches Shape name, nothing happens (empty = all shapes on the slide). none removes the fill; with gradient, Color is the start color and Gradient end color the end. An unrecognized Fill type is treated as solid. If Color is left empty (or, with gradient, Gradient end color is), the shape keeps the fill it already had — use none to remove a fill.

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Set Shape Position .pptx

Moves a shape to a given position on the slide.

When to use it: to place a shape at exact coordinates.

Parameter	Meaning	Default	Required
Document	Document the instruction applies to	(current document)	No
Slide number	Slide the shape is on (starts at 1)	1	No
Shape name	Name of the shapes to move; empty = all shapes on the slide. Supports @name	(empty)	No
Left (cm)	New horizontal position	2	No
Top (cm)	New vertical position	2	No
Slide number (from variable)	Reads the slide number from a saved value	(empty)	No
Left (from variable)	Reads the value from a saved value	(empty)	No
Top (from variable)	Reads the value from a saved value	(empty)	No

Important behavior: if no shape matches Shape name, nothing happens (empty = all shapes on the slide). The position is measured from the top-left corner of the slide. Both coordinates are always applied — unlike Set Shape Size .pptx there is no “leave this one” value, because a negative position is a real position (the shape hangs off the edge of the slide).

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Set Shape Size .pptx

Resizes a shape to a given width and height.

When to use it: to set a shape’s exact dimensions.

Parameter	Meaning	Default	Required
Document	Document the instruction applies to	(current document)	No
Slide number	Slide the shape is on (starts at 1)	1	No
Shape name	Name of the shapes to resize; empty = all shapes on the slide. Supports @name	(empty)	No
Width (cm)	New width in centimeters; -1 = leave the current width	6	No
Height (cm)	New height in centimeters; -1 = leave the current height	4	No
Slide number (from variable)	Reads the slide number from a saved value	(empty)	No
Width (from variable)	Reads the width from a saved value	(empty)	No
Height (from variable)	Reads the height from a saved value	(empty)	No

Important behavior: if no shape matches Shape name, nothing happens (empty = all shapes on the slide). -1 in a measurement means “leave that one as it is”, so you can change only the width or only the height.

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Ungroup Shapes .pptx

Breaks a group back into its individual shapes.

When to use it: to edit or move the shapes of a group separately again.

Parameter	Meaning	Default	Required
Document	Document the instruction applies to	(current document)	No
Slide number	Slide the group is on (starts at 1)	1	No
Group name	Name of the group to break apart. Supports @name	Group1	No
Slide number (from variable)	Reads the slide number from a saved value	(empty)	No

Important behavior: if no group with that name is found, nothing happens. The shapes return to the slide as separate objects.

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