Placing Multiple autoshapes into drawing canvas

[Vikrant]

I am trying to modify a couple of diagrams which were, unfortunately, not
created using the drawing canvas. All of these diagrams were developed using
multiple autoshapes. The problem is how can I select the entire drawing and
put it into a drawing canvas? The only way I presently know how to do this
is by selecting each shape and grouping all of them together. If there were
just a couple of shapes, it wouldn't be so bad but with potentially 50 or 60
shapes, it is quite tedious. Is there a faster, more efficient way of
putting them all into a drawing canvas without selecting each one separately?

 

[garfield-n-odie [MVP]]

If none of the shapes are inline with text, then you can click on the
Select Objects tool and draw a box around all of the shapes to select
them.

 

[Vikrant]

Thanks, Garfield. The shapes are all in line with text.

I guess then the question then becomes how can the shapes in text be
selected at once and converted to shapes outside of text?

Your suggestion, though, is quite helpful as I did not know about this
feature. I had to spend a couple of minutes figuring out what select tools
you were talking about but found it. In order to help the readers I have
included detail instructions on how to select multiple shapes at once:

1. make sure: View>Toolbars>Drawing Tools is checked. If not, then check
this box.
2. The Drawing toolbar should appear at the bottom of the screen.
3. Click on the "White" arrow next to "Draw".
4. Go to your document and select the shapes you want in the drawing canvas.
If they are not inline with text you are in luck. Othewise, you may have to
select each shape individually and drag it into a text box, or keeping the
shift key pressed, left-click on each shape. Once you've selected all shapes,
then right-click on any selected shape and select "grouping">"group" to group
them together.
5. Drag these shapes into the drawing canvas (you should create this before
beginning)

 

[garfield-n-odie [MVP]]

If you had said what version of Word you were asking about, I might have
been more specific about how to access the Select Objects tool. Your
instructions apply to Word 2003 or earlier, but not to Word 2007.

I'm having a difficult time envisioning how the autoshapes in a diagram
"developed using multiple autoshapes" can all be inline with text. But
whatever. Inline shapes can be selected just like selecting text. You
can use the mouse to select individual shapes (like selecting individual
text characters) or to select a paragraph (which selects all of the
shapes in that paragraph) or to select multiple paragraphs (which
selects all of the shapes in the selected paragraphs).