Microsoft continues to enhance its Office suite with both long-requested features and some surprising new additions. One such feature introduced in Word is the ability to draw perfect lines on devices that support optical pens.
While it might seem like a minor update, this feature can be incredibly useful in specific scenarios. It allows users to draw freehand shapes, which are automatically recognized and perfected by the tool. Microsoft is also testing this functionality in Excel and PowerPoint, making creating precise visuals and diagrams easier across the entire suite.
Microsoft will add the function to draw perfect shapes in Excel and PowerPoint.
Initially introduced in OneNote, this feature has now made its way to Word, transforming these applications into tools that allow users to draw perfect shapes using a stylus on compatible devices. Although this feature might seem minor, it can be extremely helpful when precision is needed, such as adding geometric shapes to a spreadsheet or slide.
As reported by Neowin, Microsoft plans to extend this feature to Excel and PowerPoint as well. In a post on its official blog, Microsoft shared more details on how this new functionality works. It would help if you opened a new spreadsheet in Excel or a PowerPoint presentation to use it. Then, using a stylus, you can draw a line, arrow, or shape on the blank canvas. Holding the stylus in place briefly, the application will recognize and perfect the shape.
The tool will allow you to draw various shapes like circles, triangles, ellipses, rectangles, rhombuses, trapezoids, hexagons, and pentagons. The strokes will be automatically straightened to give them a polished look.
Currently, this feature is available to Beta channel users with Office version 2410 Build 18108.20000 or newer. While the feature is still in testing, it’s expected to roll out to the stable channel in the coming weeks once it passes the beta phase.
This development is part of Microsoft’s ongoing efforts to enhance its Office suite with new features, stay competitive with alternatives on the market, and meet users’ evolving needs. It shows how the company continues to listen to feedback, adding functionalities that improve user experience, even when they may not have been immediately requested.
