Extract text from SmartArt

The SmartArt object model is read-only which means that it is possible to iterate through the shapes and their properties but one cannot assign any values or properties. The way to do it is to treat the SmartArt as a regular group.

Sub SmartArtText()

    Dim oSh As Shape
    Dim oSubShape As Shape
    Dim x As Long
    Set oSh = ActiveWindow.Selection.ShapeRange(1)
    With oSh
        If .Type = msoSmartArt Then
            For x = 1 To .GroupItems.Count
                With .GroupItems(x)
                    Debug.Print .Type
                    '''
                End With
            Next
        End If
    End With

End Sub

While the above example is expected to work it fails to do so in cases where your goal is to extract all the text or hyperlinks on that SmartArt because some bugs have crept in the object model. The way to get around this issue is to extract the shapes within the SmartArt and then extract all the info from the regular shapes.

This subroutine accepts the smartart shape and the slide on which it resides. It will create a duplicate slide with shapes of the smartart. We will use that new slide to extract the slide text and then delete the slide.

Function UngroupSA(oSAShp As Object, oSASld As Slide) As Slide
    '
    On Error GoTo UngroupSA_Err
    '
    Dim oShp As PowerPoint.Shape
    Dim oSldCopy As Slide
    Dim sShpArray() As Long
    Dim I As Long

    If oSAShp.Type = msoSmartArt Or _
            (oSAShp.Type = msoPlaceholder And _
                    oSAShp.PlaceholderFormat.ContainedType = msoSmartArt) Then

        Set oSldCopy = oSASld.Duplicate(1)
        oSldCopy.Shapes.Range.Delete

        If oSldCopy.Shapes.Count > 0 Then oSldCopy.Shapes.Range.Delete

        Application.ActiveWindow.View.GotoSlide oSASld.SlideIndex

        ReDim sShpArray(1 To oSAShp.GroupItems.Count)

        For I = 1 To oSAShp.GroupItems.Count
            sShpArray(I) = I
        Next I

        oSAShp.GroupItems.Range(sShpArray).Select
        Application.ActiveWindow.Selection.Copy
        Set oShp = oSldCopy.Shapes.Paste(1)

        Application.ActiveWindow.Selection.Unselect
        Set UngroupSA = oSldCopy
    Else
        Set UngroupSA = Nothing
    End If

    Exit Function

UngroupSA_Err:
    Call MsgBox(Err.Description & "in UngroupSA " & "at line " & Erl)
    Resume Next
    '
End Function

Sub Example()
    Dim oSld as Slide

    Set oSld = UngroupSA(ActiveWindow.Selection.ShapeRange(1), ActiveWindow.Selection.SlideRange(1))
    If Not oSld Is Nothing then
            'Extract text from shapes on this slide and then delete the slide. Left as exercise.
    Endif
    oSld.Delete
End Sub