Create reusable custom shapes in Microsoft Excel or even Office in general

microsoft-excel microsoft-office microsoft-excel-2007 microsoft-excel-2010

16,030

This is not possible in Excel 2007/2010. This article describes what you can and cannot do with shapes in VBA and nowhere is there VBA that will allow us to add a new shape with a new shape index number.

What you can do is copy/paste your shape, or save your shape as a picture and insert it through picture or clipart. You could also put your shape on a template excel file so that it could be used. But, unfortunately, there is no way to add it to the excel shapes index currently.

16,030

Jake

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

Jake over 1 year

In Microsoft Excel 2007/2010, or even Microsoft Office in general,

Say I use the use Insert > Shapes to create a drawing in Excel, is it possible to save this drawing in as a new Shape itself in the Shape dropdown selection? Or maybe under clip art? The Shape needs to be editable and formattable.

In Photoshop, this would be similar to the custom brushes.

It would be better if the new shapes can be associated at the Workbook level rather than Application or Office Suite level.

EDIT: My solution is to create WMF files programatically and save them in a network location. The most important issue addressed here is that the imported drawings can still be edited.
- datatoo about 12 years
  
  I would be interested in how you access the WMF files. You attach them to a toolbar in some manner or they were saved as clip art?
- Jake about 12 years
  
  I didn't go to that extent. Just on a network location currently. But it might be more sleek to generate on-the-fly using VSTO excel add-in. Could include a preview pane etc.
- datatoo about 12 years
  
  great that you found a solution and this is definitely usable information
Jake about 12 years

That is such a dissapointment... thanks for the affirmative. I'm going to wait a few more days before marking as answer though. Hope there's tips and advice.
datatoo about 12 years

The suggestion that you save your own shape is about all you can do. You could save items like these in a utility sheet but Raystafarian seems to be right here
Raystafarian about 12 years

@Jake that is a pretty clever solution