Associated Links

Shadows
Shadow: Drop
Color Well

Shadow: Affine


In addition to a simple drop you may apply a full Affine transform to any shadow. The check box at the top is used to apply the transform.

The transform matrix is the primary control for an Affine transform. You may adjust the matrix and observe the transform in real time on your drawing.

Perhaps the best way to learn the effects of the matrix is to apply a simple shadow to a rectangle. The unity matrix (or do-nothing) values are 1.0's on the diagonal and 0.0's on the cross diagonal. Experiment by varying each element in turn, with the others at their do-nothing settings.

The 4 top matrix values define the Affine transform. The top left value controls X scaling, the lower right controls Y scaling. The top right value control rotation about the Y axis passing through the pivot point. The lower left value is best described as controlling skew with the rotated X axis as a symmetry line.

The Pivot values define a focal point for the transform in polar coordinates. These combine with the Drop location to define the actual pivot point for the resulting shadow.

The sliders are set to provide a reasonable range of adjustment. The button provided will recalculate the center points and ranges of the sliders.

One use of this capability has nothing to do with shadows. You may distort a graphic by generating its shadow (no-image, 100% bloom) and applying the transform to the shadow. When the desired shape and distortion is attained, separate the shadow from the graphic. This is done by selecting Separate Effects on the Convert menu (Tools main menu). The separated shadow is then transformed to a separate graphic with the distorted shape.