Creating Gradients

Gradients are defined and stored in the Resource Browser.

 

VectorWorks Term	Definition
Gradient	One color linearly blended to another color
Midpoint	Point between two colors where each color is of equal intensity; a midpoint is associated with the color spot to its left
Color spot	Point where the selected color is at full intensity
Gradient segment	Two adjacent color spots

To create a gradient definition:

1.	Open the Resource Browser by selecting Window > Palettes > Resource Browser.

2.	From the Resources menu, select New Resource to display the New Resource menu.

3.	Select Gradient.

The Gradient Editor dialog box opens. Specify a name for the gradient resource, and select the segment starting and ending colors. Gradients can consist of several segments and more than two colors. To create a gradient with more than two colors, click in the color spot area. This adds a color spot and midpoint to the gradient.

Specify the location of a selected color spot or midpoint by dragging it into position, or entering its position in the Position field.

 

Parameter	Description
Name	Specifies a name for the gradient resource; this name is displayed in the Resource Browser and Attributes palette
Midpoint	Point between two colors where each color is of equal intensity
Gradient Preview	Displays the gradient in a preview bar
Color Spot	Specifies the starting or ending color of each gradient segment. To specify the color, double-click on a color spot, or select a color spot and click Color. To add a new gradient segment, click in an empty location in the color spot area. A new color spot and midpoint are created. Drag a color spot to a new location in the color spot area; its associated color is retained. Remove a color spot and its associated midpoint by selecting the color spot dragging it from the color spot area.
Color	Specifies the color of the selected color spot; click to select the color
Position	Indicates the position (0.0 – 1.0) of the selected color spot or midpoint; the midpoint position is relative to its location between two adjacent color spots

4.	Click OK to save the gradient resource with the specified name.

Gradient definitions can be edited by accessing the Gradient Editor from the Resource Browser. Select a gradient and select Edit from the Resources menu. See Working with Resources for information on other Resource Browser commands.

Gradients are saved in VectorWorks drawing files. If the file is not saved and the gradient is not a default resource, the gradient is lost when VectorWorks is exited.