Ulead COOL 3D Shadow Plug-in

Ulead COOL 3D provides a number of plug-in effects that you can apply to your title once you have them installed on your computer. In the full version of Ulead COOL 3D, you have the choice of installing any or all of the four plug-ins, including Board, Explosion, Twist, and Fire. Now Ulead has given you more options by adding two new plug-ins: Bend and Shadow.

This help file introduces you to the Shadow plug-in and explains how you can customize the effect you apply to your title. To learn more about each property on the Attribute Toolbar as you work along, click the Help button ( [image] ) and click the item in question.

  Note:  If you have not installed all the plug-ins during installation but decide to do so at a later time, you may run Setup.exe again from the folder where you install Ulead COOL 3D and select the plug-in effect that you want.

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Shadow Effect: At a glance
Applying Shadow to your title


Shadow effect at a glance
The Shadow effect at a glance

To activate the Shadow plug-in, first select the Global Effects folder in the EasyPalette and select Shadow. On the Attribute Toolbar, click the F/X button. The Attribute Toolbar then automatically changes, displaying the attributes for the Shadow effect. The EasyPalette also displays all the preset thumbnails that you can readily apply to your title by simply dragging or double-clicking a selected thumbnail. (Alternatively, you may right-click and select Apply.)

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Click the attributes to learn more about each item.


Click to add the settings of the current Attribute Toolbar to the appropriate folder in the EasyPalette. Once in the EasyPalette, you can easily recall the settings and apply them to other titles.
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Working with the EasyPalette


Shadow: X Offset

Adjusts the position of the shadow that you want to apply to your object along the X-axis. Moving the shadow in an animation sequence creates a cool effect as it suggests a change in the lighting position. Value ranges from -1000 to 1000.
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Applying shadow to your title


Shadow: Y Offset

Adjusts the position of the shadow that you want to apply to your object along the Y-axis. Moving the shadow in an animation sequence creates a cool effect as it suggests a change in the lighting position. Value ranges from -1000 to 1000.
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Applying shadow to your title


Shadow: Soft edge

Feathers the edges of the shadow. The higher the value, the better the edges blend with the object, making it appear blurry. Value ranges between 0 and 100.
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Applying shadow to your title


Shadow: Color

Displays the currently selected color for your object’s shadow. Click to specify a new one from the Color dialog box.
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Applying shadow to your title


Click to activate the plug-in effect. The Attribute Toolbar then displays all the attributes for that effect. Only then can you specify the attributes and customize the effect you want to apply to your title. Click again to turn the plug-in effect off.


The Attribute Toolbar

This Attribute Toolbar contains settings for changing the attributes of the applied plug-in effect. This allows you to explicitly define or fine tune settings for the various styles of that particular plug-in.


Applying Shadow effects to your title
Applying shadow to your title

Applying shadow effects to your animation adds impact to your web site. You can always customize the shadow applied to your object or title until you get the right effect. Whether you apply shadow directly behind your object or place it farther down the workspace, the Shadow plug-in has always been an efficient tool in creating astounding 3D text animation effects particularly for the web.

To apply shadow to your title:

1.	Click Edit: Plug-ins or select Shadow from the Global Effects folder in the EasyPalette.

2.	Click the F/X button on the Attribute Toolbar to activate the effect. Clicking it turns the plug-in effect on and off.

3.	Select the first key frame.

4.	Specify the attributes for that specific frame. Move your shadow by specifying the X and Y offset options; and select a color for the shadow. You have the option of applying soft edge to your shadow – a value of zero (0) does not blend the edges with the text while a higher value (maximum of 100) feathers the edges, making the shadow appear blurry.

5.	Select the next key frame.

5.	Repeat step 4. The main concept is to specify the attributes not only for the first key frame but also for all the other key frames that you added to the sequence.

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Using multiple key frame controls