Operation Manual

5) Go to View > Toolbars > Mode on the main menu bar, click on the Effects icon on the
Line and Filling toolbar to open the Mode toolbar.
– Click on the Gradient icon in the Mode toolbar (Figure 95). This displays a
dashed line connecting two colored squares. The colors show the From and To colors
that are used for the selected gradient (Figure 96).
– For linear gradients – move the square corresponding to the From color to change
where the gradient starts (border value). Move the square corresponding to the To
color to change the orientation (angle value).
– For axial gradients – move the To color to change both the angle and border
properties of the gradient. Only the square corresponding to the To color can be
moved.
– For radial gradients – move the From color to modify the border property to set the
width of the gradient circle. Move the To color to change the point where the gradient
ends (Center X and Center Y values).
– For ellipsoid gradients – move the From color to modify the border property to set
the size of the gradient ellipsoid. Move the To color to change the angle of the
ellipsoid axis and the axis itself.
– For square and rectangular gradients – move the From color to modify the border
to set the size of the gradient square or rectangle and the angle of the gradient shape.
Move the To color to change the center of the gradient.
6) Click OK to save your changes and close the Area dialog.
Note
Moving the squares will have different effects depending on the type of gradient. For
example, for a linear gradient, the start and end squares of the gradient will always
be situated to either side of the center point of the object.
Creating custom hatching patterns
To create new hatching patterns or modify existing ones, select the Hatching tab of the Area dialog
(Figure 97). As with gradients and colors, it is better to create a new hatching pattern rather than
modify a predefined one. The properties that can be set for a hatching pattern are shown in Table
3.
Table 3: Hatching pattern properties
Property Meaning
Spacing Determines the spacing between two lines of the pattern. As the value is
changed the preview window is updated.
Angle Use the mini map below the numerical value to quickly set the angle formed by
the line to multiples of 45 degrees. If the required angle is not a multiple of 45
degrees, just enter the desired value in the edit box.
Line type Set single, double or triple line for the style of the pattern.
Line color Use the list to select the color of the lines that will form the pattern.
Chapter 4 Changing Object Attributes 85