Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
3.
Select the object casting the shadow and then put that
object at the top of the order of objects, above the shape
you drew; press
CTRL
-
F
(“to front” is the mnemonic).
While the object is still selected, hold
4.
SHIFT
and click the
path, adding it to the selection.
Press
5.
Q
to apply a ClipView; the bottom object clips the
top object.
Hold
6.
CTRL
and use the Selector Tool to click inside the
ClipView object. Look at the status line. If the object is
selected, press
TA B
to toggle to the path you drew. If you
hit the clipping path on
your first try, move on
to step 7.
Select the path only
7.
surrounding the object
and give the path no
fill and no outline. The
illusion is perfect now;
the character in front is
casting a shadow, but
not on the character
“behind” him. A flat
character would not
(photorealistically)
receive a perspective
shadow.
Dynamic Changes to a Shadow
A Floor Shadow is anchored to the base of an object for a very
good reason: regardless of the scale, position, and degree of
rotation you apply to the object later, the shadow dynamically
reorients itself to reflect any change. Try these maneuvers on
one of the subjects in this party scene:
1.
Choose an object in the scene that has a Floor Shadow
attached. Try an object that has a gradient fill to learn an
additional trick here.
Click on the selected object to put it into Rotate/Skew
2.
Transformation mode.
Drag a corner handle. Although the object rotates,
3.
the Floor Shadow's orientation remains the same,
dynamically changing shape to cast the current shadow
on an imaginary floor.
