A visual query is based on pictorial representation of conceptual entities and operations. One of the most important features used in visual queries is the shape. Despite its intuitive writing, a shape-based visual query usually suffers of a complexity processing related to two major parameters: 1-the imprecise user request, 2-shapes may undergo several types of transformation. Several methods are provided in the literature to assist the user during query writing. In this paper, we present a new cooperative approach based on the shape neighborhood concept allowing the user to rewrite a shape-based visual query according to his preferences with high flexibility in terms of including (or excluding) only some shape transformations and of result sorting.