What's new in think-cell

Conveniently import charts created with Mekko Graphics to think-cell. Replace your Mekko Graphics charts with think-cell charts with all their data in corresponding datasheets. Choose the Mekko Graphics charts you want to import, then select Tools > Import Mekko Graphics to think-cell. You can use the complete suite of think-cell tools to edit imported charts.

For more information, see [import mekko graphics chapter].

In the datasheet, the 100%= row contains the totals from which percentages in your chart are calculated. This row is no longer part of the default data layout. You can always add it back in with Edit Data Layout .

When creating presentations through automated workflows, keep the new default data layout in mind. Make sure a chart's data in an Excel range or in JSON matches the chart's data layout in the template (see 24. Introduction to automation).

For more information, see 5.5 Edit data layout.

Format charts and tables with an even wider range of Excel conditional formatting rules.

One of the advantages of think-cell charts and other elements is that you can match the formatting of their features to formatting in their linked datasheets. This includes formatting for fill color, font color, font style, and borders.

think-cell now supports almost all conditional formatting rules, including:

• Value-based color scales
• Rules that contain references to other cells
• Rules for text and dates

For more information, see KB0186 on conditional formatting.

Based on your feedback, we've added the suffix per annum (p.a.) to the CAGR arrow label for added clarity. You can edit the label to remove the suffix, if desired.

For more information, see 8.2.2 CAGR arrow.

Add quadratic, cubic, and quartic trendlines to your scatter charts. With our other trendlines—linear, power, exponential, logarithmic, and averages of x or y values—you now have nine trendline types to choose from.

For more information, see 12.4 Trendline and partition.

Quickly show the sum of category totals in percent-axis Mekko charts. Right-click the chart and select Add Grand Total Label . The grand total appears at the top right.

For more information, see 10.1 Mekko chart with %-axis.

Display data in a ranked order with ordinal values on the category axis. Ordinal axes are available for column, line, and area charts.

To display an ordinal scale on the category axis:

1. Insert a column, line, or area chart.
2. In the chart's mini toolbar, choose how to rank the category data:
   • To rank the data from highest to lowest, select Categories in Descending Y Extent Order.
   • To rank the data from lowest to highest, select Categories in Ascending Y Extent Order.
3. Select the chart's category axis to open its mini toolbar. In the topmost dropdown menu, select Ordinal.

For more information, see 8.1 Scales and axes.

Instantly recreate Excel cell ranges with their formatting as tables in your presentation. Enjoy full control over what you format from the sheet versus from the slide.

Match table formatting to Excel

Match think-cell table formatting options—such as font style, alignment, and fill color—to an Excel cell range. In PowerPoint, select one or more think-cell table cells to open the mini toolbar, then:

• To match a formatting option to the Excel sheet, select its Use Datasheet option. For example, select Use Datasheet Horizontal Alignment.
• To control a formatting option from PowerPoint, clear its Use Datasheet checkbox or select a specific option in its dropdown menu.

We've improved support for the following Excel formatting options:

• Indent levels. To apply indents from Excel, select Use Datasheet Horizontal Alignment.
• Borders around empty Excel cells. To apply borders from Excel, select Use Datasheet Border.

To insert an Excel cell range as a think-cell table with text boxes and all Use Datasheet options initially selected:

1. In Excel, select the cells you want to include in the table.
2. In Excel's think-cell ribbon group, select Link to PowerPoint > Table with Formatting. Place your table on a PowerPoint slide.

To insert a cell range as an image that matches your Excel sheet pixel for pixel, select your cells in Excel. Then select Link to PowerPoint > Table as Image.

To update your Table with Formatting or Table as Image after making changes in Excel, see 21.3 Updating a linked element.

We've added more options for tailoring think-cell style files to match your corporate design:

• Set which data labels, like total and segment labels, to display in new charts (see ).
• Set the color scheme order for stacked charts to start from their baseline series or topmost series (see ).
• Set preferred font styles for legend labels (see ).

For more information about think-cell style files, see C. Customizing think-cell.

Reference objects give you more control when aligning and resizing a selection of objects:

• Align the position of the selected objects to a reference object.
• Match objects' width, height, or both to a reference object.

The reference object has a red dot at its center. To set the reference object, select multiple objects on a slide, then click your chosen reference object. Reference objects work with think-cell elements, or a mix of think-cell elements and PowerPoint shapes.

For more information, see .

Align objects

Align selected objects to the reference object in PowerPoint's Align menu. Make sure Align Selected Objects is checked.

Match selected objects' dimensions to the reference object. In the think-cell tab, in the Layout group, turn on Set Same Width , Set Same Height , or Set Same Size . Set Same Size matches objects' height and width simultaneously.

Objects responsively match each other's size: When you resize one matched object, the other matched objects resize as well. To turn off size matching, turn off the selected option or delete the Same Size arrows.

Charts now have an inner plot area within the overall chart area. Align and resize the chart area and plot area independently of each other for more control over your chart's appearance.

Align chart or plot area with gridlines

Align the chart area or plot area to other elements by moving elements around the slide or using their handles.

Red or gray lines—gridlines—appear to help you align the chart area or plot area with other elements. You can create three kinds of gridlines between objects:

• Gray gridlines indicate that elements' positions relative to each other are locked.
• Red gridlines extending partway beyond elements indicate that elements' positions are locked on the slide.
• Red gridlines extending to the edge of the slide indicate that the elements' positions are superlocked on the slide.

For more information, see [Ch. 14 subsection on alignment].

Align charts with each other and other objects on the slide with snapping.

Snap think-cell elements to the chart or plot areas.
Snap think-cell elements to the chart-area or plot-area gridlines.

Snap the chart area to PowerPoint objects if LPBD is on.
Snap the chart-area gridlines to PowerPoint objects in LPBD is on.

Resize the plot area independently of the chart area, if locks are closed and Lock Positions by Default is on. Resizing the chart area restores the original proportions of the chart area and plot area.

Layout compatible

Charts are now more compatible with layout.

Maybe include more about how layout works, since it's new. Like how do red lines and gray lines work.

Quickly build a table from custom elements and link it to a datasheet.

To convert elements into a think-cell table:

1. Select the elements you want to include in your table. The elements can include think-cell text boxes, rounded rectangles, Harvey Balls, checkboxes, images, or any combination thereof.
2. Right-click the selection and select Group .
3. Create a link to a datasheet:
   • To link to an internal datasheet, right-click the grouped elements and select Open Datasheet .
   • To link to an Excel sheet or slide datasheet, select the desired data range in the sheet. In PowerPoint, right-click the grouped elements and select Establish Excel Link .

For more information, see 17.1 Inserting a table.

Now, you can set a fixed height or fixed width for your think-cell images.

This gives you more control over the aspect ratio of your image. If you resize your image after setting a fixed dimension, the image scales proportionally.

For more information, see .

Individual indexing and search

Quickly search your existing PowerPoint presentations on slide-level with your content organized and accessible for quick retrieval.

Access to stock images and icons

Directly within PowerPoint, leverage an extensive collection of professional stock images and icons. This feature enriches your presentations with visually appealing and relevant imagery, saving you time and enhancing the overall aesthetic.

Curated high-quality slide templates

Utilize a handpicked selection of high-quality slide templates designed to meet a wide variety of presentation needs. These templates provide a professional starting point, ensuring your presentations stand out with a consistent and polished look.

Your most frequently used PowerPoint and think-cell commands, now in one ribbon tab

The new think-cell ribbon tab conveniently combines think-cell's functionalities with popular PowerPoint commands. Enhance your PowerPoint experience with quick and easy access to all the functionalities you need in a single tab.

Make it your own

The think-cell ribbon tab is fully customizable. Personalize yours by rearranging the tab, adding custom ribbon groups and commands, or removing the ones you don't use. For example, add a custom group for your favorite think-cell charts.

Learn more about the think-cell ribbon tab here.

Store a slide selection in the clipboard and paste it wherever it's needed. For example, paste the file into emails, messenger clients, or a folder on your computer.

Select the slides you want to copy, then go to Tools > Send Slides. Choose any additional options, then select Copy to Clipboard. think-cell creates a new presentation with the selected slides and stores the file in the clipboard.

• Moved the Use Datasheet Font Color and Use Datasheet Bold/Italic options into their corresponding dropdown menus.
• Added an option, Stacked Fill Order: Bottom to Top, to reverse the color scheme order in a stacked chart. Consider removing custom reversed color schemes from your style files and use the checkbox option instead. For more information, see .
• Added a button, Convert Text Field to Plain Text, to edit text from the slide instead of the datasheet. Note that after conversion, the text will no longer be updated from its data source.

Stay productive wherever you are with a copy of think-cell's user manual. It's saved on your computer when you install think-cell, and opens in the browser with the same look and feel as our website.

To use the offline manual, go to Tools, then select User Manual.

Continuous improvement

think-cell's subscription-based licensing model allows us to continuously improve our software. We regularly release new products and features besides the usual improvements in stability and speed. This way think-cell becomes more powerful, more efficient and above all easier to use. On this page we would like to take you on a short journey through the version history of our software.

Deliver beautiful, on-brand presentations faster than ever with the think-cell library. Effortlessly manage slides, templates, and other presentation assets directly within PowerPoint.

• Choose from 250 free, professionally designed slide templates.
• Access online icon and stock image providers.
• Instantly locate slide and image assets on your computer or network with powerful search features.

Browse professionally designed slide templates

Streamline presentation creation with beautiful, free slide templates from think-cell. The library contains 250 templates for process flows, SWOT analyses, infographics, and more. Templates automatically adjust to your color themes and slide masters, ensuring consistency across your presentations.

Add images and icons

Access millions of images and icons in the think-cell library. Icons from Freepik and stock images from Pexels and Unsplash are free to use with think-cell. If you have a subscription to Brandfolder, Canto, or Getty Images, you can add these sources to the library as well.

Instantly find the assets you need

Search existing images and slides on your computer or network, and insert the assets into your presentation—all directly within PowerPoint.

With the think-cell library, it's easy to find that perfect slide you created months ago:

• Search presentation file names and specific text on your slides.
• Filter the results by date modified, aspect ratio, author, slide master, layout, and more.

think-cell protects your files

When you add your slides and images to the library, your files stay where they are: think-cell neither uploads them to a cloud service nor copies them to another location.

The library also preserves user permissions for files. Users who can't access a file in your company network can't see that file in the library, either.

Explore the possibilities

For more information on how the think-cell library can enhance your productivity and presentation quality, see .

• Align and resize: Quickly and accurately adjust the alignment, position, and size of elements to ensure a polished presentation layout.
• Send and save slides: Easily share or export selected slides or entire presentations, ensuring smooth collaboration and communication.
• Clean up and sanitize: Remove sensitive information, comments, and other unwanted content to ensure your presentation is professional and secure.
• Insert symbols: Find the symbols and special characters you actually need with fewer clicks.
• Adapt the proofing language: Choose the proofing language for selected objects, slides, or the entire presentation. Ideal for international presentations. 
• Replace and resize fonts: Replace or resize fonts for selected slides or entire presentations to maintain a cohesive and readable design.
• Switch decimal symbols: Switch between periods and commas as the decimal point to ensure accuracy and consistency in international presentations.

All the most popular commands in one place

The think-cell ribbon tabs combine popular PowerPoint and Excel commands with think-cell tools. In a single think-cell tab, you can access all the essential tools you need to manage your data and create presentations.

Use the think-cell tab to streamline your workflow:

• In PowerPoint, insert images and other objects from the same tab where you manage your presentation's structure and layout.
• In Excel, manage your cell formulas from the same tab where you link tables and charts to PowerPoint.

To start using the ribbon tab in PowerPoint, see 3.1 Toolbar and Elements menu. For information about using think-cell in Excel, see 21. Excel data links.

Customize your ribbon tab

Windows users can fully customize their ribbon tabs. Personalize your ribbon by rearranging it, adding custom groups and commands, or removing the tools you don't use. For example, add a custom group for your favorite think-cell charts.

For more information about ribbon customization, see C.6 Ribbon customization.

You can create linked data tables in PowerPoint from data ranges in Excel.

To create both a chart and a data table:

1. Create a linked chart as usual
2. In Excel, select just the series labels and numbers
3. Choose Table from think-cell's Elements button in Excel
4. Place the data table on the slide and restrict its position as desired with the locks, e.g., to be below and aligned with the chart.

Updating the linked table works exactly the same as updating the chart. You can even set it to update automatically whenever the data changes in Excel. See 17. Table to learn more.

You can convert bitmap image shapes to think-cell elements by selecting the image and choosing Convert images to think-cell in the ≡ menu. think-cell will take the image into account when automatically positioning smart text boxes, process flows and tables.

Using the Stock Image button in the Elements menu, you can directly insert a stock photo that will be part of the automatic slide layout. On first use you need to enter your Getty credentials, or you can use free images from Unsplash. See 18. Images to learn more.

You can connect a view on a Tableau dashboard with a PowerPoint chart using think-cell. See 23. Tableau data to learn more.

1. Open a Tableau dashboard in Chrome.

2. Click the icon of the think-cell extension:

   

3. The different views on your dashboard are detected and shaded in green when the mouse pointer is over them. Click one.

   

4. A new tab is opened with the view's data. Pick the chart type you want to create.

   

5. Assign columns to the parts of the think-cell datasheet pertinent to the chosen chart type, i.e., for a stacked chart, categories, series and values.

   

6. Click Create to create a think-cell chart in PowerPoint.

   

think-cell remembers the connection to the Tableau data! Clicking on the datasheet button of the chart in PowerPoint will open the tab with the view's data in Chrome. There, you can click on Update to transmit updated data to PowerPoint. You can also start the data update from think-cell's Data Links dialog:

You can insert a text field that is linked to a cell in Excel into any think-cell label or PowerPoint text box.

1. In Excel, select the cell with the content you wish to link to
2. In PowerPoint, place the cursor in a label or text box
3. Choose Text Linked to Excel from think-cell's Elements button in Excel

The contents of the linked text field always updates automatically when the cell contents in Excel changes.

The Same Scale functionality is improved and more flexible. It was necessary to move the button to access it. The Same Scale button is not shown anymore when two or more whole charts are selected. Instead, select the parts you want to scale the same in both charts:

• two segments, one in each chart
• two axes, one in each chart
• two gridlines, one in each chart
• two data points, one in each chart

You can also mix and match, i.e., for a line and a column chart, you would select a data point in the line chart and a segment in the column chart.

As before, you then right-click and choose Set Same Scale from the contextual menu. And also as before, you can set more than two charts to the same scale. Just select, e.g., one segment in each chart and apply Same Scale. See below for another example, this time using two segments, in two charts:

To revert to automatic scaling, select a segment, axis, gridline or data point and choose Reset to Independent Scale from the contextual menu.

Ctrl+A is much more powerful now. Hit it repeatedly to automatically select ever larger sets: all labels of one series, then for all series, then all labels in the chart. Same for all segments of one series, then all segments in the chart, then even all segments across all charts on the same slide. As the next formatting change you make will be applied across the whole selection, this makes wide-ranging changes very fast.

You can move category labels to the top of the chart, without flipping the chart itself.

Do you have a multi-level agenda with too many sub-items to always show everything? You can now hide all chapters of a certain type. For example, select a third-level agenda item, right-click and choose Hide this and similar chapters. The currently active chapter can not be hidden, of course. To go back, select the whole agenda and choose Show all chapters and subchapters from its context menu. (learn more)

Chart scaling is adjustable even without a visible axis by selecting a segment, data point or gridline and using the usual axis handles.

Support for right-to-left charts for use with right-to-left languages such as Arabic and Hebrew. When you change the language, all existing charts are switched to right-to-left automatically and vice versa.

Specify fill colors directly in JSON:

{"number":4,"fill":"#00FF00"}
{"number":6,"fill":"rgb(33,66,0)"}
{"number":8,"fill":"rgb(80,8,52)"}

In the Gantt chart, you can set a fiscal year that is different from the calendar year. In a style file, include the following snippet for a fiscal year that ends in September. Q1 of the next year would start with October:

<fiscalYear> 
    <end month="sep"/> 
</fiscalYear>

With think-cell now branching across multiple platforms we took the opportunity to refresh the user interface. Icons in the Elements menu and context menu have a fresh new look.

With one click, you can change the chart type from this row of icons.

In the Data Links dialog you can now also easily select all charts linked to a specific Excel source file, and update them with one click (see 21.6 Data Links dialog).

New buttons in the contextual toolbar help you easily update and revert, as well as switch to automatic updates for a chart.

Using the same scale for multiple charts also works with axis breaks. Setting the same scale does not remove existing breaks, and adding an axis break to one chart will automatically add it to other charts using the same scale.

The X axes can also be set to same scale if they are value-based or date-based. For example, you can easily set two line charts to show the same years, even when the date range covered by the data is different (see 8.1.4 Same scale).

Scatter and bubble charts now support same scale. You independently choose whether the X- or Y-axis should use the same scale.

Value axes support a reversed axis. Scatter and bubble charts support a numerically reversed axis. Column, clustered and area charts simply flip the chart. In a line chart with two axes, you can set one to a reversed order to highlight negative correlations (see Reversing the value axis).

On Windows, you can use Gmail when sending slides instead of Outlook. To enable this, you set "think-cell Send with Gmail" as the default email program (see 20.5 Sending and saving slides).

The "Save Slides..." command uses a dialog which includes your Quick Access folders. At the bottom of the dialog, you can choose which slides to include and whether date and time should be added to the filename.

The font color of text in labels can be chosen and is not reset, even if the label background changes (see 6.5.2 Font color).

The Load Style File command makes it easy to load previously used and default style files. Initially, it contains all styles included with think-cell for easy selection.

In the scatter chart, trendlines based on a power law, exponential or logarithmic relationship can be fitted to your data (see 12.4.1 Trendline).

You can represent the numerical scale of your chart with only gridlines instead of an axis line, instead of showing both (see 8.1.1 Value axis).

Create slides with text content based on JSON input while using the full power and flexibility of smart text fields. The new named text fields serve as placeholders in your automation templates (see 24. Introduction to automation).

• You can run the JSON automation as a server (see 26.5 Processing JSON data remotely).
• You can call the JSON automation process from the command line (see 26.2 Using the JSON data to create a presentation).

Enhanced chart rendering

For better visual quality and faster editing, think-cell 9 uses PowerPoint's native chart component to render charts instead of the legacy MS Graph component. This also removes several other limits, e.g., scatter and line charts can now contain more than 4,000 data points. think-cell's user interface itself is not changed at all by the new rendering back-end. You will just notice the improved visual quality and better compatibility.

Automation with JSON

In addition to Excel, you can now use JSON data to automatically create and update periodic reports (learn more). This new enhancement allows you to:

• Create presentations automatically by merging template charts with JSON data.
• Build a web service that creates think-cell charts.
• Export your business intelligence reports as PowerPoint slides.

The new "Flat" agenda style uses background fills instead of rectangles. Learn more.

Tooltips now show labels and numeric values for individual datapoints.

Chart types can now be switched between absolute and percentage, even when there's no axis. Learn more.

The sort order of slices can now be easily changed for pie and doughnut charts.

In waterfall charts, category sort options such as "Categories First Up, Then Down, Including Start" ensure that sum columns stay in their position.

The baseline weight can now be changed.

In previous versions you adjusted the column width by changing the gap width between columns. In think-cell 9, you instead adjust the column width directly by using the following handles: Learn more.

Label rotation was changed by dragging a handle in previous version, while other properties like font size and number format were set using the floating toolbar. In think-cell 9, you also set label rotation in the floating toolbar. Learn more.

In previous versions, milestones where shaped as a triangle or diamond and you switched between them with a button in the milestone's context menu. In think-cell 9, additional shapes were added. Therefore, you choose the milestone shape with a control in the floating toolbar, which shows a list of choices. Learn more.

Quickly switch the decimal symbol (e.g., German to US format) for labels on all or selected slides. Learn more.

Remove animations from all or selected slides. Learn more.

Quickly choose custom colors with the new eyedropper tool. Learn more.

New keyboard shortcuts:

• Multi-select labels with Ctrl+Alt+Shift+← → ↑ ↓.
• Duplicate elements, e.g., in tables and process flows, with Ctrl+Alt+← → ↑ ↓.