Operation Manual

Applying Special Effects 207
With subtle Shear and Scale adjustments you
can produce skewed shadows for realistic 2D
lighting effects. The example opposite has had
adjustments to Shear X and Shear Y, with
blurring and reduced opacity.
Applying drop shadows with Shadow Tool
1. Click the Shadow Tool on the Drawing toolbar. You'll notice
control nodes appear which allow adjustment as described in the
annotated illustration above.
2. Drag across the object to create a drop shadow (note additional nodes
being created).
3. Change blur, opacity, shear, or scale accordingly by node adjustment
(or via the displayed context toolbar).
If you want to create simple shadows without additional control of
the above properties, disable Advanced on the context toolbar,
then drag the shadow to a new position.
To change a shadow's colour:
• Select a colour from the Studio's Colour tab.
To remove the shadow from an object:
• Double-click the object while the Shadow Tool is selected.
For more advanced shadow control on your object, click Filter
Effects on the Drawing toolbar. This provides shadow blend
modes, intensity, and the ability to lock the shadow to the left, right,
top, or bottom of the object. See Applying 2D Filter Effects on
p. 208.