Solved: How to "Deselect" an AutoShape

[Cyberdude]

At times I have to select an AutoShape (pseudobutton) to change its color or text message. After I finish, I want to deselect it. The "Deselect" method according to Help is for Chart objects. So in the past I've always just selected a handy cell to select. Any suggestions for the best way to deselect an AutoShape?

[Zack Barresse]

AFAIK, you'll just need to reactivate your activecell...

Option Explicit

Sub Unselectshapes()
Dim rng As Range
Set rng = Selection
Stop
rng.Activate
End Sub

.. run the routine, when stopped, select your shape, then continue (F5); for testing purposes only.

[Cyberdude]

Hi, Zack! I'm sorry, but I don't follow what you're trying to tell me. Consider the following macro:
Sub SetButtonMsgRed()
ActiveSheet.Shapes("AutoShape 1").Select
With Selection
.Characters.Text = "DON'T COPY"
.Characters.Font.Italic = True
.ShapeRange.Fill.ForeColor.SchemeColor = AutoShapeRed
End With
Iwant a deselect stmt here before exiting
End Sub
In the past I've just used somethng like
Range("A1").select
or the like because there are some cases where a macro like this one might be called by another button rather than another macro.

This brings up another question .... is it ever possible to be in a state where nothing is selected??

[Zack Barresse]

Sub SetButtonMsgRed()
Dim r as range
set r = selection
ActiveSheet.Shapes("AutoShape 1").Select
With Selection
.Characters.Text = "DON'T COPY"
.Characters.Font.Italic = True
.ShapeRange.Fill.ForeColor.SchemeColor = AutoShapeRed
End With
r.activate
End Sub


This brings up another question .... is it ever possible to be in a state where nothing is selected??
Don't believe so. I think something has to be the activewindow/selection.

[Cyberdude]

Thanx, Zack.

[malik641]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think you have to actually Select the shape to modify anything.

Check it out:


Sub SetButtonMsgRed()
With ActiveSheet.Shapes("AutoShape 1")
.TextFrame.Characters.Text = "DON'T COPY"
.TextFrame.Characters.Font.Italic = True
.Fill.ForeColor.SchemeColor = 2
End With
End Sub

And BTW does ANYBODY know where I can find Excel's Shape properties? Just figuring this out took me too long because I'm not familiar with the properties of Excel's shapes...but I knew that this could be done, just not obviously - like recording a macro and noting the recorded code.

AND VBA doesn't have any autolist members for shapes http://vbaexpress.com/forum/images/smilies/102.gif What gives?

EDIT: Just found this on the web, VERY useful for this subject:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/vbaxl11/html/xlobjShape1_HV05204994.asp

[Zack Barresse]

Yes, it's all about the Shapes Collection, which is very, very wide and encompassing.

[Cyberdude]

Great idea, malik641! I had to make some changes to make it work, but it does indeed work and makes it unnecessary to have a deselect. Just what I was looking for. Thanx a million. http://vbaexpress.com/forum/images/smilies/friendship.gif