User guide

Pictures, Lines, and Shapes 199
There you’ll see a variety of
remarkable 3D surface and texture
presets in various categories (Glass,
Metallic, Wood, etc.). Click any
thumbnail to apply it to the selected
object. Assuming the object has
some colour on it to start with, you’ll
see an instant result!
Alternatively, you can customize an Effects tab preset, or apply one or more
specific effects from scratch, by choosing
Filter Effects from the
Attributes toolbar. In the Filter Effects dialog, check the 3D Effects and 3D
Lighting boxes (if customizing they will already be checked). The master
settings of Blur and Depth make a great difference; you can click the “+” button
to unlink them for independent adjustment. As for 3D Lighting, without a “light
source” switched on, the depth information in the effect wouldn’t be visible.
Overview
Suppose you’ve applied a 3D filter effect preset from
the Styles tab, and then you bring up the Filter Effects
dialog. On inspecting the settings used in the preset, the
first thing you’ll notice is that two boxes are checked.
• 3D Effects is a master switch for this group,
and its settings of Blur and Depth make a
great difference; you can click the "+" button
to unlink them for independent adjustment.
• 3D Lighting provides a "light source"
without which any depth information in the
effect wouldn't be visible. The lighting
settings let you illuminate your 3D landscape
and vary its reflective properties.