In this tutorial, we’ll explore how to animate a cartoon character using Morph Transition, Freeform Shapes, and Edit Points in Microsoft PowerPoint.
Whether you’re an educator, student, designer, or just someone who loves creating visual stories—this step-by-step guide will help you build fluid character animations without any third-party software.
🧠 What You’ll Learn
By following this tutorial, you’ll be able to:
- Draw custom cartoon-style characters using Freeform Shapes
- Animate body parts like hands, legs, and eyes with natural curves and movements
- Use Morph Transition to create seamless in-slide animations
- Modify shape paths using Edit Points for fine-tuned animation control
- Simulate facial expressions (like blinking or smiling) using hidden shapes
- Loop your animation for continuous playback during a slideshow
🛠️ Tools Used
- Microsoft PowerPoint (Morph available in Office 365 or PowerPoint 2019+)
- Freeform Shape Tool
- Edit Shape → Edit Points
- Selection Pane for managing shapes
- Slide Show settings for looping
📝 Step-by-Step Tutorial Summary
1. Design the Character
We begin by drawing a fun, potato-like character using the Freeform Tool. This includes separate shapes for:
- Body
- Arms
- Legs
- Eyes & eyelids
- Dumbbells
Use the Selection Pane to manage and rename shapes properly.
2. Use Freeform Tool like a Pro
- You can either draw freehand (by holding down the left mouse button)
- Or click to add nodes to form straight lines or curves
- After finishing, use Edit Points to modify the shape’s outline with Bezier handles
3. Animating with Morph Transition
- Duplicate the slide
- Modify the existing shapes only (no new shapes!)
- Use Edit Points to curve or reposition limbs and facial features
- Apply the Morph Transition on the second slide
Example: Move the left arm up, rotate the dumbbell, curve the leg into a new stance.
4. Simulate Facial Expressions
Use shapes with the background color (like ovals for eyelids) and place them over the eyes to simulate blinking or expression changes.
Pro Tip: Make sure the shape exists on both slides, even if it’s invisible on one.
5. Looping the Animation
- Use Slide Show → Set Up Slide Show
- Enable “Loop continuously until Esc”
- Set transition timings (e.g., 0.50s) to make it fluid and automatic
👉 Watch the Full YouTube Tutorial Here