Manage SmartArt Graphics in Presentations Using Python

What this page is about

Automate PowerPoint SmartArt creation, editing, and styling in Python using Aspose.Slides, featuring concise code examples and performance-focused guidance.

Overview

Aspose.Slides allows you to create and manage SmartArt graphics in PowerPoint presentations programmatically. This article explains how to add a SmartArt shape to a slide, access existing SmartArt shapes, find SmartArt by a specific layout type, and update its visual appearance by changing the SmartArt style or color style.

The examples show how to work with SmartArt shapes through the presentation slide’s shape collection, check whether a shape is SmartArt and then modify or inspect its properties.

Create a SmartArt Shape

Aspose.Slides for Python via Java provides an API to create SmartArt shapes. To create a SmartArt shape in a slide, please follow the steps below:

Create an instance of the Presentation class.
Get a slide by its index.
Add a SmartArt shape by specifying a SmartArtLayoutType.
Save the modified presentation as a PPTX file.

import jpype
import asposeslides

if not jpype.isJVMStarted():
    jpype.startJVM()

from asposeslides.api import Presentation, SaveFormat, SmartArtLayoutType

presentation = Presentation()
try:
    # Get the first slide.
    slide = presentation.getSlides().get_Item(0)

    # Add a SmartArt shape.
    smart_art = slide.getShapes().addSmartArt(0, 0, 400, 400, SmartArtLayoutType.BasicBlockList)

    # Save the presentation.
    presentation.save("SimpleSmartArt.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx)
finally:
    presentation.dispose()


Figure: SmartArt shape added to the slide

Access a SmartArt Shape on a Slide

The following example accesses SmartArt shapes on a presentation slide. It iterates through every shape on the slide and checks whether the shape is a SmartArt instance.

import jpype
import asposeslides

if not jpype.isJVMStarted():
    jpype.startJVM()

from asposeslides.api import Presentation, SmartArt

presentation = Presentation("AccessSmartArtShape.pptx")
try:
    # Iterate through every shape on the first slide.
    for shape in presentation.getSlides().get_Item(0).getShapes():
        if isinstance(shape, SmartArt):
            smart_art = shape
            print("Shape Name: " + str(smart_art.getName()))
finally:
    presentation.dispose()

Access a SmartArt Shape with a Particular Layout Type

The following example accesses a SmartArt shape with a particular layout type, returned by SmartArt.getLayout.

Create an instance of the Presentation class and load the presentation containing a SmartArt shape.
Get the first slide by its index.
Iterate through every shape on the first slide.
Check whether the shape is a SmartArt instance.
Check whether the SmartArt shape has the specified layout type and perform the required operation.

import jpype
import asposeslides

if not jpype.isJVMStarted():
    jpype.startJVM()

from asposeslides.api import Presentation, SmartArt, SmartArtLayoutType

presentation = Presentation("AccessSmartArtShape.pptx")
try:
    # Iterate through every shape on the first slide.
    for shape in presentation.getSlides().get_Item(0).getShapes():
        if isinstance(shape, SmartArt):
            smart_art = shape

            # Check the SmartArt layout.
            if smart_art.getLayout() == SmartArtLayoutType.BasicBlockList:
                print("Perform the required operation here.")
finally:
    presentation.dispose()

Change a SmartArt Shape Style

This example shows how to change the quick style of a SmartArt shape.

Create an instance of the Presentation class and load the presentation containing a SmartArt shape.
Get the first slide by its index.
Iterate through every shape on the first slide.
Check whether the shape is a SmartArt instance.
Find the SmartArt shape with the specified style.
Set the new style for the SmartArt shape.
Save the presentation.

import jpype
import asposeslides

if not jpype.isJVMStarted():
    jpype.startJVM()

from asposeslides.api import Presentation, SaveFormat, SmartArt, SmartArtQuickStyleType

presentation = Presentation("SimpleSmartArt.pptx")
try:
    slide = presentation.getSlides().get_Item(0)

    # Iterate through every shape on the first slide.
    for shape in slide.getShapes():
        if isinstance(shape, SmartArt):
            smart_art = shape

            # Check and change the SmartArt style.
            if smart_art.getQuickStyle() == SmartArtQuickStyleType.SimpleFill:
                smart_art.setQuickStyle(SmartArtQuickStyleType.Cartoon)

    presentation.save("ChangeSmartArtStyle.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx)
finally:
    presentation.dispose()


Figure: SmartArt shape with changed style

Change a SmartArt Shape Color Style

This example accesses a SmartArt shape with a particular color style and changes that style.

Create an instance of the Presentation class and load the presentation containing a SmartArt shape.
Get the first slide by its index.
Iterate through every shape on the first slide.
Check whether the shape is a SmartArt instance.
Find the SmartArt shape with the specified color style.
Set the new color style for the SmartArt shape.
Save the presentation.

import jpype
import asposeslides

if not jpype.isJVMStarted():
    jpype.startJVM()

from asposeslides.api import Presentation, SaveFormat, SmartArt, SmartArtColorType

presentation = Presentation("SimpleSmartArt.pptx")
try:
    slide = presentation.getSlides().get_Item(0)

    # Iterate through every shape on the first slide.
    for shape in slide.getShapes():
        if isinstance(shape, SmartArt):
            smart_art = shape

            # Check and change the SmartArt style.
            if smart_art.getColorStyle() == SmartArtColorType.ColoredFillAccent1:
                smart_art.setColorStyle(SmartArtColorType.ColorfulAccentColors)

    presentation.save("ChangeSmartArtColorStyle.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx)
finally:
    presentation.dispose()


Figure: SmartArt shape with changed color style

FAQ

Can I animate SmartArt as a single object?

Yes. SmartArt is a shape, so you can apply standard animations via the animations API (entrance, exit, emphasis, motion paths) just like for other shapes.

How can I find a specific SmartArt on a slide if I don’t know its internal ID?

Set and use the alternative text and search for the shape by that value—this is a recommended way to locate the target shape.

Can I group SmartArt with other shapes?

Yes. You can group SmartArt with other shapes (pictures, tables, etc.) and then manipulate the group.

How do I get an image of a specific SmartArt (e.g., for a preview or report)?

Export a thumbnail/image of the shape; the library can render individual shapes to raster files (PNG/JPG/TIFF).

Will the SmartArt appearance be preserved when converting the whole presentation to PDF?

Yes. The rendering engine targets high fidelity for PDF export, with a range of quality and compatibility options.

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