Can't move or nudge objects in small increments in Excel 2008

[TheMachead]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

Hopefully I'm just missing something; is there really no way in Excel 2008 to move or nudge selected objects (labels, text boxes, graphics, etc.) in small increments? This is such a standard feature of any program that does even rudimentary layout that I initially refused to believe that it was missing from the industry-leading charting app, but I've been fumbling and Googling for over an hour now and I've mostly come to the conclusion that it can't be done. I've tried arrow keys with every possible combination of modifiers, digging around in the Formatting palette, dragging with modifiers, etc., all to no avail.

If I've somehow overlooked the magic keystroke, please let me know, and I'll be happy to make a full apology for my ignorance. If this feature really doesn't exist, please let me know that too; I'll have a lot more to say.

TVB

 

[Bob Greenblatt]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

Hopefully I'm just missing something; is there really no way in Excel 2008 to
move or nudge selected objects (labels, text boxes, graphics, etc.) in small
increments? This is such a standard feature of any program that does even
rudimentary layout that I initially refused to believe that it was missing
from the industry-leading charting app, but I've been fumbling and Googling
for over an hour now and I've mostly come to the conclusion that it can't be
done. I've tried arrow keys with every possible combination of modifiers,
digging around in the Formatting palette, dragging with modifiers, etc., all
to no avail.

If I've somehow overlooked the magic keystroke, please let me know, and I'll
be happy to make a full apology for my ignorance. If this feature really
doesn't exist, please let me know that too; I'll have a lot more to say.

TVB

What objects are you trying to move? Selecting the object and pressing the
arrow keys works for me.

 

[TheMachead]

Bob,
Thanks for your quick reply, and I'm happy to clarify. I made a reference to Excel as a "charting app" in passing, but I should have stated explicitly that charts are where I'm having this problem; my apologies for the oversight.

Whether it's on a regular sheet or on its own chart sheet, as soon one clicks on a chart and enters chart "space", the arrow keys become selectors, cycling through all the objects in the chart layout in turn. This is admittedly a very useful behavior, and I could even imagine it being someone's favorite/default use for the arrow keys when laying out charts (though it would not be mine). However, I can find no way to re-enable the default behavior of the arrow keys when laying out charts, not with modifier keys or toolbar toggles or anything else.

You are quite correct that, outside of chart space, the arrow keys work as "nudgers" just as one would expect. However, given that the entire purpose of charts is to summarize and present data in a primarily _visual_ manner, I would propose that chart layout is perhaps the one task in Excel where precise manipulation of the placement of objects is most important.

TVB

 

[CyberTaz]

Unfortunately that's one of the trade-offs for the wonderful world of
SmartArt Charts & Diagrams :-( The arrows can still be used to nudge other
objects on a sheet, but they do not nudge SmartArt Objects or their
component parts.

I'm certain this has been voiced to MacBU but SmartArt is something
inherited from the Dark Side where it behaves the same way. The Mac folks
don't have much say in the matter. Nevertheless, it wouldn't hurt to add
your voice to the discontented choir -- I know that many PC folk miss it as
well. Use Help> Send Feedback to reinforce the point.

 

[TheMachead]

Wow. Just...wow.

Thanks much, Bobs x 2, for your replies and for confirming this for me. My random Wednesday morning griping aside, this is an accessibility NIGHTMARE.

I've been using a mouse and/or trackball for 25 years, and I was having trouble getting things put where I wanted them this morning because I'd had a bit too much caffeine. If I had any kind of permanent dyskinesia (stroke, CP, early Parkinson's or ALS, etc.), I'd have just hit the wall here.

Off to send my feedback now.

Cheers,
TVB

 

[CyberTaz]

Actually, I've had a nagging suspicion in the back of my mind since
responding so I've gone back to double-check in both 2004 & 2003 -- neither
were available at the time.

In both versions the behavior is the same as what you're seeing in 2008. It
didn't vividly occur to me at the time because I don't recall ever having
tried to nudge the elements of a chart. However, I was almost certain that a
chart object could be nudged when embedded on a worksheet, but apparently I
remembered incorrectly.

OTOH, shapes drawn on a chart [callouts, banners, rectangles, etc.] can
still be nudged with no problem. It's just the chart's built-in components
that the arrow keys won't nudge.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[TheMachead]

OTOH, shapes drawn on a chart [callouts, banners, rectangles, etc.] can

still be nudged with no problem. It's just the chart's built-in components
that the arrow keys won't nudge.

Hmm, this wasn't my experience. I wasn't even trying to nudge the built-in stuff; it was shapes, text boxes etc. that I had manually inserted.

Reproduced this just now. Insert a chart into a new chart sheet, turn on Drawing toolbar, select Text Box tool, make a new text box anywhere on the chart; it can't be nudged.

Is that not what you see in Excel 2008?

 

[CyberTaz]

OTOH, shapes drawn on a chart [callouts, banners, rectangles, etc.] can
still be nudged with no problem. It's just the chart's built-in components
that the arrow keys won't nudge.

Hmm, this wasn't my experience. I wasn't even trying to nudge the built-in
stuff; it was shapes, text boxes etc. that I had manually inserted.

Reproduced this just now. Insert a chart into a new chart sheet, turn on
Drawing toolbar, select Text Box tool, make a new text box anywhere on the
chart; it can't be nudged.

Is that not what you see in Excel 2008?

I can confirm what you're seeing -- but the behavior is different for charts
on a chart sheet as opposed to charts embedded on a worksheet (which is what
I was working with at the time of my reply -- didn't think to check on a
Chart Sheet as well). Also, that's actually a change for the better from
prior versions where the arrows had a navigation function regardless of
where they were located. I'm not sure *why* that is but evidently it's
*designed* to be that way... does seem a bit inconsistent, doesn't it?

I realize this isn't the most preferable alternative but it really isn't all
that inconvenient: Control/Right-Click in the Chart Area & move the chart to
a worksheet to make your adjustments then reverse the process to move it
back to a Chart Sheet when you're done. I don't know what else to suggest.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac