Operation Manual

66 Working with Graphics, Animation, and Multimedia
♦ 3D effects go beyond 2D to create the impression of a textured
surface on the object itself. Bump Maps superimpose depth
information for a bumpy, peak-and-valley effect, while Pattern
Maps contribute color variations using a choice of blend modes
and opacity, for realistic (or otherworldly!) depictions of wood
grain, marbling, and blotches or striations of all kinds.
♦ Feathering is a filter effect that
adds a soft or blurry edge to any
object. It’s great for blending
single objects into a composition,
vignetted borders on photos, and
much more.
Instant 3D isn’t a filter, but a separate
command that lets you quickly transform flat
shapes and text into three-dimensional
objects, with precise control over settings
like extrusion, rotation, lighting, and texture!
The Studio’s Object Styles tab includes multiple
galleries of predesigned styles that you can apply to any
object. Each object style can include settings for up to
seven object attributes: line color, line style, fill,
transparency, filter effect, font, and border. The freedom
to include or exclude certain attributes, and the nearly
unlimited range of choices for each attribute, makes this a
powerful tool in the designer’s arsenal.
To modify an object style, simply right-click its gallery
thumbnail and choose Edit.... To create a new style based
on an existing object’s attributes, right-click the object
and choose Object Style>Create.
If you’re looking for a way to create fanciful geometric forms or unique
typographic effects, don’t overlook the Mesh Warp tool, with a fully-
loaded flyout of preset envelopes for distorting shapes and text, and its
own special toolbar for editing the “mesh” or grid that controls the
imposed curvature: