Depth Cues: Creating the Illusion of Depth - Flash 3D: Animation, Interactivity, and Games - page 36

Step 2: Add a gradient fill
Gradients can create convincing 3D effects in Flash. Select the red circle on the Stage.
Go to the Tools palette and click on the Color Fill swatch. This opens the Color Swatches
pop-up palette. Select a red gradient fill swatch at the bottom of the palette (Figure
2.32). The red color in the ball will change to a circular gradient that blends red and
black together.
Figure 2.32 Applying a radial gradient fill to the red ball
Step 3: Use the Gradient Transform tool
Select the Gradient Transform tool in the Tools palette. This tool modifies a gradient fill
within a shape. There are different transformers available with this tool. Each trans-
former adjusts the gradient fill to create a more believable three-dimensional object.
Let's take a closer look at a couple of the transformers (Figure 2.33).
The center handle moves the center point of the gradient. Based on the cast shadows,
there is a light source above and to the left of the primitive shapes. The gradient fill
should also reflect this. Click on the center handle and move it up and to the left.
The scale transformer is the middle handle on the right. It scales the gradient symmet-
rically. Click on this handle and drag to the right to increase the scale evenly. Dragging
to the left reduces the scale. The red circle now looks more like a three-dimensional
sphere.