Rotate a Graphic Using the Keyboard

Thanks Ken! Thats really great of you to write out a macro for me! Thank you very much! It works great too! So as I re-read your original comments that 1st macro was intended for graphics I guess, such as a pasted or imported picture I suppose, and the drawing objects are "Inline Shapes" and require some different code to handle... I did try a picture and your new macro works fine with it too.

Here is a complete macro to rotate shapes including inline shapes.

Sub RotateShape(Degrees As Single)
Dim scountR As Long
Dim scountI As Long
Dim scountS As Long
With Selection
scountR = 0
scountI = 0
scountS = 0
On Error Resume Next
scountS = scountS + .ShapeRange.Count
scountI = scountI + .InlineShapes.Count
scountR = scountR + .Range.ShapeRange.Count
On Error GoTo 0

If Val(Application.Version) < 14 And scountS > 0 Then
If .ShapeRange(1).Type = msoTextBox Then
MsgBox "Cannot rotate textbox in Word 2007"
Exit Sub
End If
End If

If scountR + scountS + scountI = 0 Then
MsgBox "No shape has been selected"
Exit Sub
End If
If scountS > 0 Then .ShapeRange.IncrementRotation Degrees
If scountR > 0 Then .Range.ShapeRange.IncrementRotation Degrees
If scountI > 0 Then
On Error Resume Next
.InlineShapes(1).ConvertToShape
.ShapeRange.IncrementRotation Degrees
.ShapeRange(1).WrapFormat.Type = wdWrapInline
On Error GoTo 0
End If
End With
End Sub

Maybe this is a difference between Word and Excel?

It is a problem with all drawing shapes. I tried Freeform, block arrow, regular arrow, rectangle, scroll, callout and moon. When I edit it by remarking out the If block as shown below, it works fine. It behaves this way on my work pc and my home pc, both win7 64bit though my work pc is win7Pro.
Hmmm - the error message is different on my home pc: "Run-time error '438':
Object doesn't support this property or method."
Sub RotateShape(Degrees As Single)
With Selection
' If .ShapeRange.Count = 0 And .Range.ShapeRange.Count = 0 Then
' MsgBox "No shape selected"
' Exit Sub
' End If
If .ShapeRange.Count > 0 Then
.ShapeRange.IncrementRotation Degrees
Else
.Range.ShapeRange(1).IncrementRotation Degrees
End If
End With
End Sub
I'm happy with it as edited above, with the error trap remarked out. If I forget to select the object first and get an error that's no big deal. Just wondering why that part causes a problem... not that I understand much about vba anyway.

What type of shape were you trying to rotate?

I get error:
Compile error:
Argument bot optional
win764bit excel2010
It does not like:
If ShapeRange.Count = 0 And Range.ShapeRange.Count = 0 Then

I cannot see how the moves by the arrow keys can be made faster except by using macros that increase the move increments.

If you are manipulating graphics, you will find useful free tools at:
http://www.editordie.com.au/editorkae/shapes.html

How can I make the graphics move faster when I use the arrow key to move it?

I'm am on Word 2010 both here and at home so something is different between the two.

Perhaps it is version driven. On my home PC, I can SHIFT+ARROW in any direction to select a picture or clipart. Here at the office, I have to have my cursor to the immediate right of the object and then SHIFT+LEFT ARROW to select it. I can then ALT+ARROW to rotate in any direction. Drawn objects from the SHAPES options doesn't work from the office either.

The SHIFT + ARROW keys don't seem to work in a copy of Word 2007 that I have on an old laptop. Also, the rotation menu in the Drawing Tools ribbon works differently to Word 2010. It deselects the shape after each rotation.

I am using W2007 SP2 from Office Professional Plus.
It doesn't matter whether I insert a picture, a shape or clip art, the result is the same.

I mean version of Word, not Windows.

Richard,

What version of Word are you using?

The ability to rotate only came in with W2007 and there were bugs that were fixed in W2010.

"The problem seems to be how the shape is selected. There are two types of selection - the first is by clicking just the shape, in which case the four corners of the box containing the shape are marked with small circles as well as the midpoint in the sides. Also a rotation handle is displayed. ALT + left or right arrow keys will then rotate the shape."

Ken - this is how I selected the shape, but Alt + left or right arrow keys does nothing.

Richard,

The problem seems to be how the shape is selected. There are two types of selection - the first is by clicking just the shape, in which case the four corners of the box containing the shape are marked with small circles as well as the midpoint in the sides. Also a rotation handle is displayed. ALT + left or right arrow keys will then rotate the shape.

The second selection method is by clicking to the left of the text margin at the shape, or by SHIFT + arrow, or by dragging the cursor past the shape, or if you want to use keyboard only, by usung SHIFT + arrow, or by using the arrow keys to move the cursor to above the shape, clicking F8 then moving the cursor via arrow keys to below the shape and clicking ESC. The shape is then highlighted (along with one or more paragraph marks) and surrounded by a thick walled box. There will be no rotation handle shown and the ALT + arrow keys will not rotate it.

You could use a macro to convert from the second to the first selection type, after which the ALT + arrow keys work. The macro is:
Sub SwitchShape()
Selection.Range.ShapeRange(1).Select
Selection.Range.ShapeRange(1).IncrementRotation 0
End Sub

It would be much simpler to use the mouse to click on the shape, then use the rotation keys.

Alt plus arrow keys doesn't work for me for a selected object in Word 2007. I inserted the 5-point star shape but Alt+left and Alt+right did nothing. Alt+up deselected the star. Also tried turning off Num Lock and using the keypad arrows. Tried Alt+Shift+left/right but this set and changed heading levels.

You can use the keypad to select and rotate shapes including drawn shapes, without using the mouse.

As Shirlene mentions, you can use shortcut keys to select a block of text that also contains the shape's anchor and hence the shape. Unfortunately, the ALT + arrow rotation tools will not work on such a composite selection unless the shape is the only thing selected. The following will get around this problem.

Select a portion of the document containing the shape. My suggestion is to move the cursor to a paragraph before the shape's anchor paragraph, click F8, move the cursor to below the anchor and click ESC. The shape will now be highlighted as well as the text in the selection.

To rotate the shape click the the keyboard shortcuts that are associated with the macros given in the tip. Click the shortcuts again to further rotate the shape.

You can select an image or clipart using SHIFT+ARROW (any direction, depending on where you need to go). This does not work with a drawn shape. And, yes, the steps for rotating are convoluted but they do work. For those of us who eschew the mouse whenever possible, we put up with convoluted keystrokes.