Realistic Sphere

[ LiB ]

We all know that Flash doesn't support true 3D objects. So how do people make those shapes that appear to be 3D? For example, it would be nice to make a somewhat realistic-looking sphere, don't you think? Let's try it. Draw a basic circle with no stroke and a simple spherical gradient from the default list of gradients in the color picker. Activate the Fill Transform Tool from the Toolbar and select the circle on your Stage. You'll see that you now have four handles that appear, each controlling a different aspect of the gradient. First grab the circle in the center of the gradient and drag it slightly up and to the left. Now grab the middle handle of the right three and drag it down and to the left so that the gradient appears as though it's a 3D light cast down on a real sphere. You may need to adjust here and there to get the right effect, and turning off Snap To Objects can help your dragging accuracy. Hey, not a bad-looking sphere!

[ LiB ]