Table cells are 3D

Problem

You choose Insert, Table to add a table to a slide. When you give any of the table cells a fill color, they become 3D. The 3D On/Off button on the 3D Toolbar is disabled, so you can't remove the 3D setting.

Solution

If you've just created the table and haven't got too much work in it already, delete it, then do this to reset your AutoShape defaults to NO 3D:

• Draw a rectangle on the slide. It will have 3D properties by default.
• Remove the 3D effect.
• Right click the rectangle and choose Set AutoShape Defaults.
• Newly drawn shapes will no longer be 3D.

Now insert a new table and fill a cell or two with color to verify that they don't turn 3D. If not, go ahead and create your table.

If the table's already filled with text and you don't want to retype it, do the 3D reset trick above then

• Select all of the cells in your table.
• Press Ctrl+C or choose Edit, Copy to copy the text.
• Insert a new table and set it to the same number of rows and columns as your current table.
• Select all of the cells in the new table and press Ctrl+V or choose Edit, Paste.
• Your new table now has all the text from the original. Delete the original.

If the table's already filled, formatted, slaved over and there's no WAY you want to do all that work again, select the table then run this bit of VBA code on it:

Sub Remove3D()
	ActiveWindow.Selection.ShapeRange.ThreeD.Visible=msoFalse
End Sub

See How do I use VBA code in PowerPoint? to learn how to use this example code.

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