Adobe 65018518 User Guide - Page 135

USING FLASH CS4 PROFESSIONAL 130 Creating and Editing Artwork Linear gradients change color along a single axis (horizontal or vertical). Radial gradients change color in an outward direction starting from a central focal point. You can adjust the direction of a gradient, its colors, the location of the focal point, and many other properties of the gradient. Adobe® Flash® CS4 Professional provides additional control over linear and radial gradients for use with Flash Player. These controls, called overflow modes, let you specify how colors are applied beyond the gradient. For a sample of gradients, see the Flash Samples page at www.adobe.com/go/learn_fl_samples. Download and decompress the Samples zip file and navigate to the Graphics\AnimationAndGradients folder to access the sample. 1 To apply a gradient fill to existing artwork, select an object or objects on the Stage. 2 If the Color panel is not visible, select Window > Color. 3 To select a color display mode, select RGB (the default setting) or HSB from the panel menu. 4 Select a gradient type from the Type menu: Linear Creates a gradient that shades from the starting point to the end point in a straight line. Radial Produces a gradient that blends outward in a circular path from a central focal point. Note: When you select a linear or radial gradient, the Color panel also includes two other options if you are publishing for Flash Player 8 or later. First, the Overflow menu is enabled below the Type menu. Use the Overflow menu to control the colors applied past the limits of the gradient. Second, the gradient definition bar appears, with pointers below the bar indicating the colors in the gradient. 5 (Optional) From the Overflow menu, select an overflow mode to apply to the gradient: Extend (the default mode), Reflect, or Repeat. 6 (Optional) To create an SVG-compliant (Scalable Vector Graphics) linear or radial gradient, select the Linear RGB check box. This will allow the gradient to look smooth when scaled to different sizes after it is first applied. 7 To change a color in the gradient, select one of the color pointers below the gradient definition bar (the triangle at the top of the selected color pointer will turn black). Then click in the color space pane that appears above the gradient bar. Drag the Brightness slider to adjust the lightness of the color. 8 To add a pointer to the gradient, click on or below the gradient definition bar. Select a color for the new pointer, as described in the previous step. You can add up to 15 color pointers, letting you create a gradient with up to 15 color transitions. 9 To reposition a pointer on the gradient, drag the pointer along the gradient definition bar. Drag a pointer down and off of the gradient definition bar to remove it. 10 To save the gradient, click the triangle in the upper-right corner of the Color panel, and select Add Swatch from the menu. The gradient is added to the Swatches panel for the current document. 11 To transform the gradient, such as to make a vertical gradient instead of a horizontal one, use the Gradient Transform tool. See "Transform gradient and bitmap fills" on page 134 for more information. Adjust Stroke and Fill color You can specify the stroke and fill color of graphic objects and shapes using either the Stroke Color and Fill Color controls in the Tools panel, or the Stroke Color and Fill Color controls in the Property inspector. Updated 5 March 2009