Adjust the Chart Gap Width
The Gap width within a chart is the space between two categories. We created the chart you see here within PowerPoint 2013
-- it's a Clustered Column chart type, and the gap width here is set to 219% of the width of individual Data Series (columns).
We now want to alter this gap width.
PowerPoint allows you to animate any slide object that can be selected on your slide. Such objects include pictures, shapes,
text, bulleted lists, SmartArt graphics, charts, etc. You can tweak the way objects on your slides appear, move, and disappear
only after adding animation to the particular slide object.
Types of Animation
Adding animation to your slide objects is easy, but begs for some thought process -- you should decide what type of animation works
best. The type of animation used for any object is paramount because it can make the end effect viable, or relegate it to a
distraction. In this tutorial, let us get started with showing you how many types of animations are available within PowerPoint
2013. When we say "many types", we do not mean the animation effects themselves, but the categories in which these Animation effects
Tables are essentially a group of cells arranged in a proper way. So typically you would expect that ungrouping a table into
individual cells should be a piece of cake, right? Nothing can be further from that! Before we explore ways to ungroup a table,
let us understand why you would want to ungroup a table in the first place. One of the main reasons why you may consider ungrouping a
Table within PowerPoint is to animate it segment by segment. In all PowerPoint versions, either the entire table can be animated --
or nothing! The workaround is to ungroup the table so that your table gets converted into a bunch of individual shapes, and you can
animate every individual shape as you want. So let us look at some ideas to understand ungrouping Tables better.
Among the several types of animations that PowerPoint 2013 provides, Entrance Effects are probably the most popular.
By applying Entrance Effect animations, you can make your hitherto invisible slide object appear on the slide almost
magically! You make them appear in the fraction of a second, or get them to fly in from any direction. You can also
do a zoom in, or even better, just make it subtle with a simple fade in. Whatever Entrance Effects animation you choose,
make sure to go for something that is in sync with the subject of your presentation.
Using the Invert if Negative Option within Charts
If your chart has negative value then PowerPoint by default uses the same fill color for negative values in any chart.
You can override this nature with the Invert if Negative option that we mentioned towards the end of the Changing
Fills and Outlines of Chart Elements tutorial.
Changing Color for Negative Data Series within Charts
In PowerPoint charts, when you choose to invert the fill for any negative option in a series of a chart, you end up seeing
those negative series in the default white color. This is not a great option if your slide background is white or if you
want negative series to show in red. In this tutorial, let us explore how to get over this limitation in PowerPoint 2013
using a workaround.
Emphasis Effect animations determine how the slide object calls attention to itself while it is on-the-slide. Entrance
and Exit effect animations allow a slide object to enter or exit the slide area, whereas slide objects with Emphasis Effect
animations are already there on the slide area before they start animating, and will be there even after they have finished
animating. Typical Emphasis Effects are Spin and Grow/Shrink. You can also apply Emphasis Effect animations to text objects
so that the fonts or the text colors change.
Exit Effects determine how the animated slide object leaves the slide area. For example, the slide object can fade or fly out the
screen area, or use any of the many other Exit Effects available within PowerPoint. Typical Exit Effect animations are Disappear, in
which an object just vanishes or Float Down, in which a slide object mimics the setting sun. You can also apply Exit Effects to text
objects so that words Spiral out of the slide. There are plenty of Exit Effect animations that PowerPoint provides -- however, make
sure you use animation sparingly to emphasize rather than to distract.
Colors by Point Option for Charts
When a Column chart in PowerPoint contains only one Data Series and several Categories, then, by default the individual chart columns
may use the same fill color. If your chart uses the same colored series in all of the categories, it can make your chart look dull
(see Figure 2 later on this page) -- it also does not provide a proper way for your audience to compare elements within the individual