gradienteffects plugin manual 3

GradientEffects Plugin Manual

file:///C|/...177G141P17T23027951D7ADC88/Andrew.Plugins.Volume.3.v1.2.for.Adobe.Illustrator/Documentation/GX03 Documentation.htm[6/5/2011 5:38:53 PM]

Gradient Effects (Andrew's Vector Plugins Vol 3)

Gradient Effects - Plugin to apply a variety of gradient effects to a path or paths with a gradient (the plugin will not work onpaths with pattern fills or normal fills etc or symbols or brushes etc)

Gradient Texture - plugin requires a gradient to be selected (say as a swatch) - the swatch must not be selected during theactual use of the plugin [the reason for this is messy.. but it has to do with the functionality of the plugin to create graphicstyles, and this gets a little messy if the focus swatch is also selected)

Installation of Plugins / symbols / Swatches / graphic styles etc

Please place the GX03_GradientEffects.aip in the c:\program files\adobe\illustrator CS\plug-ins folder [pc Illustrator ® CS] orc:\program files\adobe\illustrator 10\plug-ins [pc illustrator 10]

for the mac, please place the GX03_GradientEffects in HD:Applications:Adobe Illustrator CS:plug-ins [mac Illustrator ®CS] orHD:Applications:Adobe Illustrator 10:plug-ins [mac Illustrator 10] or the CS1 or the CS2 equivalent. Please put the correctversion in the correct application plugin folder. The plugins for 8 and 9 will not work in CS2 (as with 10 and CS1)

Update

If this is an update, and you have the mesh plugins, these are no longer included in this set so Iwould suggest keeping the mesh plugins separate from this update. The mesh plugins are nowavailable in a later volume (wuth 100s of new features)

Bonus Gradient Texture plugin

Please place the bonus Gradient texture plugin in the same folder as the above plugin.

Swatches

The swatches file (*.ai files) should be placed in the c:\programfiles\Adobe\Illustrator...\presets\swatches folder (or mac equivalent). Access the swatches files viathe windows\swatches menu (please consult the Illustrator documentation). The swatches are RGBgradients

Symbols

The symbol files must be placed in the symbols presets folder and accessed via the open symbolsfeature of Illustrator. Use the symbols in a variety of ways in Illustrator, such as the symbolsprayer tool

Styles

The style files must be placed in the graphic styles folder. Access the styles via the open stylesfunctionality. Access via the styles palette. Apply as required (please check the documentation forstyle use). The styles were created in RGB so they may or may not work well in CMYK.

Multiple plugins / Mesh

The plugins were originally spread over multiple plugins but they have now been combined intosingle + bonus plugin.

The mesh plugins are now available in the volume 16 set.

If you have the previous versions, you may wish to keep them as well. The names are different soyou can run the plugins from the old version and the newer version

Please note, not all the features are available to the plugin outside of Illustrator ® CS2. If you areusing 10 or CS1, you might find certain options such as the gradient texture's radial and useoriginal are not available.

Initial Use of Gradient Effects plugin

The plugins appear in the filters menu

Appears under AVP <Paths>. The plugin requires a path or multiple paths to be selected. The paths must be filled withgradients. All other path types will be ignored.

If you select multiple gradients, then the plugin will modify the gradients based on the current gradient for the path. If youmodify multiple paths with the same gradient, many of the plugins will generate the same gradient effect, but if there is an



element of randomness, each gradient will be different.

After using the gradient plugins, you can always use the gradients tool as normal to modify the angle / etc or change thegradient to linear or radial. Depending on the position or type of gradient, some of the gradients settings are ignored.

**** please, if you have found the perfect gradient etc and you have clicked OK and then you go back to additional gradientsetc, I would seriously recommend that you make backups of your work at reasonable intervals or save the swatches.Gradients can, and from a lot of trial and error on my part, be a big source of frustration and plugin glitches (as well asenjoyment) and you will lose the perfectly crafted gradient. Backup. Backup and a little more backup.

Gradients Effects Plugin

Stops Dialog

Main dialog for the gradient plugins. Some of the plugin dialog fields will change depending on the 'gradient plugin' in use. Ifthe gradient plugin is 'average' (access via the middle right dropdown) then dialog will only show the average controls, ifcolors then the colors controls and so on. They are separate plugins and the effects are not carried over from 'average' 'colors'etc (if you want to apply a colors dialog to a gradients in the 'average' dialog, you will need to click OK and re-start theplugin dialog and change the plugin dialog settings to 'colors')

Some of the controls are displayed for most of the plugins

'Jitter': Jitters the color of the current stops. If 0, ignored



'Midpoint / blur': Modifies the midpoints (between stops) to the defined setting for all 'active' stops. This blurs or sharpens thegradient.

The plugin's sub plugins are accessed via the dropdown on the right of the dialog. The first one is the average option(because it starts with A .. it is first) Changing between dropdown options will 'lose' the actual effect though the settings willbe still there if you go back to a previous mode. The dropdown options are below.

Average 'Average dropdown': A number of different averaging options are available. Each stop's color channels are addedtogether in different ways to create an 'average' which is then applied to the color channels of the current gradient stop.



Colors 'Colors': Modifiy the color channel settings for the current color mode (the bottom fields are ignored depending on thecolor mode)

Invert 'Invert': Inverts the color channels



Lightness 'Light': Darken or lighten the gradient

Lines 'Lines': The lines plugins works on the basis of the first and last stop of the gradient to create a totally new gradient.So if you have a white stop and white stop, all the stops will be white; if you have a first stop 'red' and the last stop 'green',then the stops will be red green red green...



Lines 'Minimum Stop': Increase the position of the first stop (if 0, it will be in the 0 position, if 50 then the first top will becreated at position 50 in the gradient)

Lines 'Maximum stop': decreases the position of the end stop. If the maximum is less than the minimum, they will be justswapped around. If the same, you will just end up with two solid colors. The closer the stops, the greater the gradient linecompression

Lines 'Zoom': Create unusual compressed gradients.



Randomised 'Max stops': Has no effect if the 'do not add stops' is set. Set to 50 or so when the RGB stops option is set (oranother) and the plugin will try and fill the gradient with up to 50 stops (it might fail.. it can only fit in as many as it can fit inunder gradient rules and if you set the ramp gap or gap between stops to a small figure, it will be more likely to get the stopsadded before it hits the end of the gradient). Set the ramp to 70 or so and it is unlikely to add anywhere near 50.

Randomised 'Color spread': The lower the value, the less color variation in the gradient (probably none) but the higher thevalue, the greater the range of gradient color variation from stop to stop. Can be used in all modes of stop or no stopaddition.

Randomised 'Ramp gap': Ignored if no stops are being added. If stops are being added (set to RGB stops etc) then the gapbetween one stop is randomized between 0 and the value set so if set to a low value, the stops will be fairly close together, ifset to a high value, there will be fewer stops.



Randomized 'Stops dropdown': Creates different kinds of stops. If you are in RGB and select the CMYK, you will still end upwith RGB stops, just converted ones. Works best when you select the correct item for the correct color mode.

Replace 'Replace with': If active, use this to replace the valid stop color channel. So if the stops are (240,250,2) and(34,45,56) RGB stops, and the first replace channel is set to active (check on) and the value is 50 then both of the stop's firstchannels will be set to 50. Great for creating a red or green gradient.



Replace 'Add to': Adds an additional value to all the active channels.

Remove No options available, simply removes all the stops bar the first and end stops

Shift stops 'Shift stops': Moves the stops left or right.



Zap No options (the zap plugin is a variant gradient color effect, it does have a side effect of leaving the last stop in position100 and grayscale black)

Apply Dialog

Use this dialog to modify general gradient settings. Not all the settings are relevant to all gradient types, i.e. angle is of nouse to radial and hilites are ignored with linear. Likewise, the matrix settings might or might not be of use depending of thetype, position of gradient.

'Angle': If not activated (check ON) then uses the current value. If multiple gradients are used, then overrides and sets all theangles to the same angle. Works only with linear gradients



'Length': Modifies the length of the gradient, stretches or compresses the gradient (same as the gradient tool)

'+Origin': Modifies the original (horizontal vertical) of the gradient (adds to the existing origin)



'Hilite angle/length': Modifies the hilite angle and length (needs a length set to see the angle). Requires radial gradient. Hilitelength is 0 to 100 (the angle hilite will be at the length's set value at the angle supplied)

'Matrix': Requires a lot of tweaking and experimentation. Use this to create unusual shaped gradients but does require a littlebit of work and trial and error to master. Added more for completeness sake. Also, can be slow. You might find the swatchesseem to have inherited the matrix information and any subsequent click of a switch will have the matrix settings (just closethe document and re-open to clear this - after saving, of course)



Create Dialog

Use this dialog to create gaps (or modifications) between the stops (skip or create) or random apply of stops. The interpolatealso blends the original path style and the new path style to create unusual color combinations as well as allowing for a moresubtle blend of colors.

As with the previous dialog, this dialog is general and is applied to most of the gradient plugins such as invert or colors. In thecase of lines, the skip / create creates gaps between the stops. In the case of color and invert etc, the function is skipped andthe original color of the stop is left.

'Skip': Skip function or creation of stop

'Create': Create function or stop. If set to 1-1 then the plugin will either create a stop then skip a stop (in lines) / skipapplying an invert then apply an invert (in invert or color plugin)



'Random apply': Applies the function (as in color or invert) or creates (or not randomly) a stop in plugins like 'line'. If set to100, ignored. The closer to 0, the more likely the function or stop will not be created. Use to create unusual structures togradient.

'Interpolate': Interpolates (by default it is ignored when set to -1) between original gradient and the 'newly' created gradient.Use to create unusual color combinations of gradients or subtle variants of the original gradient. For plugins such as the linesplugin, will create a lot of additional stops as the plugin creates the original stops as well as the plugin stops and combinesthem into one seriously overloaded gradient.



Settings Dialog

Various settings. Some of the settings are not enabled and are only enabled or visible when a setting in another screen is setto ON, i.e. the angle [R] is ignored if the angle is also inactive. [R] beside an entry means there is an element of randomness

'Angle [R]': Angle is randomized between 0 and current value. Not particularly visible in a help file if a single path isdisplayed, but multiple paths (as below) show the randomization of various elements.

'Length [R]': Randomizes the length

'Horizontal [R]': Horizontal origin (addition) is randomized between setting and value

'Vertical [R]': Vertical origin addition is randomized

'Hilite angle [R]': Hilite angle is randomized



'Hilite length [R]': Hilite length is randomized (again, as with all the others, the value needs to be set to on and greater than 0otherwise, ignored

'Matrix [R]': Randomized matrix elements, very unpredictable

'Opacity [R]': Randomized opacity / transparency between 0 and 100

'Blend [R]': Randomized blend mode such as difference for one and multiply for another

'Create Swatch': Not a very visual command but very useful if you want to create 100s of different swatches and add themstraight into the swatches palette. Create some paths, use randomization, set create to ON and apply and the swatches willbe in the palette (not any swatches created during the preview mode, they are lost, only the final on OK swatches are saved).You will notice the naming is weird, this is just an internal naming convention using by Illustrator and if you want to give theswatch a proper name, click each one and add a name to the swatch. If you want to keep the swatches, save the swatchesvia the swatches palette library command to a swatches AI file. If you have inDesign, you should be able to use the swatchesin InDesign. The best format might be to use the export command and save to AI format 5 or so (anything lower might be ofno use - please check on the format read for your version of Indesign)

Some of the functions have their own checkboxes, such as 'colors' plugin, these will appear beneath the 'create swatch'checkbox

Colors 'Wrap color': wrap color channels around, don't just stop at white or black

Colors 'Color [R]': Randomize colors

Midpoint 'Add midpoint': Add midpoint value to current midpoint

Randomized 'Limit / color': Limit colors to create variants of the existing gradient color

'Leave' 'Radial' 'Linear' 'Random' - these options modify the gradient type to a new type of gradient or leave the gradient typeor a totally random type each time you change a setting

Settings 1 Dialog

Additional dialog option

The second set of settings are more complex and require perhaps some trial and error. They were created with multipleoverlapping gradients (the same initial gradients) using perhaps a difference blending mode or multiply or lighten (or morethan two, 10 or so gradient paths) and then using the settings to add and accumulate from path to path the gradient angleor length. So, say you have three gradients and you want to accumulate the angle or length from path to path, so if the angleis 10 and then the first path would have an angle of 10, the second of 20, the third would have 30 and so on. As the blendingmode or transparency of the path shows the colors of the underlying paths, many different color effects can be created. You



can vary the shapes / designs and perhaps use the overlapping change of colors to create framed effects and more. All thesettings such as angle and length etc are available and only matrix has been ignored (as this is truly messy...) but you canalways use the matrix settings from the previous dialogs and these are applied to each gradient

The add options are used for adding the current value to the calculated value. More useful perhaps when you are repeatapplying outside of the plugin dialog.

The jitter setting on the front dialog can be useful for a lot of variant color effects.

Use different blending modes such as lighten, or perhaps mix lighten with darken and so on or use random blending modes oruse opacity random or set the opacity to 50% and more. Use in different paths such as text or combine with styles.

These feature can be used for many other effects such as a row of paths and not overlapping.

It is also useful to removal all elements of randomness and use solely the accumulate effects to create rainbow gradients orcolor ripples or color shifts

Some examples below



Gradient Texture - Bonus plugin

This plugin can create amazing imagery. However, it can be a little quirky in its use. The main issue is that it requires aninitial gradient to be used and the quickest way to do that is via the swatches palette. However, the plugin, because of its useof styles and styles mixing with swatches can be a little confusing, the plugin will fail to work in some of its functionality if aswatch is actually still selected. To throw a little more confusion into the mix, the swatches palette gradient is re-selectedeven though you un-select it if you leave the application and return to the application (say via Photoshop). Hopefully some ofthese quirks will be ironed out in the next version of the plugin. My apologies upfront. Still, it can be used to create somereally beautiful textures and designs, but please be aware of these issues.

The main purpose of the plugin is to create a style (as well as a texture or design). The style will appear (unless you disablethis feature) in the style palette on completion of the plugin. The style does depend on the color mode, so if you want tocreate a RGB style then create the style in an RGB document with an RGB gradient, otherwise the colors will perhaps lead tosome issues later (such as CMYK gradients and difference)

The plugin mixes two gradients (in its default mode) based on a blending mode. The blending mode by default is multiply.The plugin in its default state uses the two end points of the gradients to create a mix of lines (first stop end stop first stopend stop etc) and intermixes them. The plugin can also be set to use the original gradient (though this is one of the placesthe swatch gets in the way if selected.. the plugin will not in this case).



The above shows the first dialog / fill and it is in a linear mode. You can set the plugin to create the gradient as radial orrandomized (and the randomized option can create some truly weird combos of gradient). The radial though is a slightlyconfusing gradient type and this might or might not work on some occasions. As mentioned, gradients can be quirky.

If you are working in linear,you can use the length and angle and origin (the origin and length are relative items). You canuse the hilite angle and length if in radial (set the length to a value greater than 0 to see the hilite), this can be furthermodified by the length.

If you are using the original gradient, the lines are ignored (likewise anything connected with the lines such as the skip andcreate and most of the features of the tweak dialog) are ignored.

You can add additional color to all the stops by using the jitter option (set to 200 to get a more extreme color shift but a lowvalue can be used for subtle variants)



In the above display, the original gradient (dialog 2) and the lines (dialog 1) are being intermixed.

In the above the color jitter has been set to a larger value (though the color mode stops any actual variant color beingshown)

The above dialog shows the second dialog (basically the same as the first dialog) but you can set the values independently.The above example shows the radial gradient (2) and the use of the hilite



The above dialog shows the number of fills (by default it is 1). The repeats use the second fill (by default the second dialogsettings though this can be modified by using different link settings). In this way you can create a style with multiple fills (inthis case multiple fills of radial gradients with a hilite but with a random setting to show the random hilite positions and inlighten mode). Use the fill repeats setting to create extreme as well as truly stunning color effects and styles.

The dialog can also be used to modify the start position and the height and width of the created holding shape. The shapecan be a rectangle, oval, polygon, triangle, stars etc

The fourth dialog can be used to tweak the lines options such as adding a zoom factor to the lines to create a more spaced orcrunched view of the lines; or crunching the stop positions or expanding them out by using the min and max stop; or creatingdifferent patterns of stops such as bunching them in 1:2 2:4 etc sets. The first column is for the first dialog, the secondcolumn is for the second dialog gradient.

The bottom dropdown include the blending mode to be used by the fills (the blending between fill 1 and 2 or in the case of



multiple repeats of the fill, fill 1 2 3 4 5 .., though this can be set to a randomized setting)

Instead of just using the end and first stop, you can use randomized stops, the negative, first channel randomized, theaverage of the stops etc, and mixing this with the jitter settings, a considerable number of weird and wonderful gradients canbe created and styles / textures. The other two dropdowns are for the combining of the stops and you can create a combogradients using interpolation between gradient 1 and 2. This can result in some really wonderful gradients but it can alsoresult in a lot of different gradient stops all crunched along the gradient bar. The last dialog allows variant linking of settingssuch as using the settings 1 and 2 combined to created the gradient 2 (more of use for multiple fills) and factors of gradient 1to create gradient 2 etc. Can be used to create some truly weird and wonderful color combinations.

The fourth dialog using the lines settings and the skip / creating stops (if you check the stops afterwards, you will see themgrouped into twos and then a gap etc). Use this to create unusual satin like effects and grids. The midpoint setting can beused to sharpen or blur the gradient. The random create can be used to control the creation or not of stops



The fifth dialog has a number of settings, most of them for randomization. You can randomize the angle / length / hilite /opacity etc and this combined with the multiple fills and randomized blending and many other randomization features can beused to create a nearly unlimited range of unusual color illustrations. I would recommend, if you find a style you like, click OKand the style will be saved to the style palette for future use. If you don't save it, you might find yourself searching andsearching to get the exact combination in future.

You can turn off the permanent style (though why would you want to do this...?) You can also save the shape and the styleto the symbols palette for future use.

Please note, the symbols and the styles are only saved to this document. If you wish to save the styles and symbols forfuture use as a library, please use the save as a library feature (found on the palette). You can then use them in a futureproject / illustration

Applications support

macOSX .2 .3 98 ME NT XP Ilustrator ®10 CS 1 CS 2

Questions

Please contact me on support @ graphicxtras.com or leave a comment on the forum. Other plugins are available on the sitehttp://www.graphicxtras.com

Copyright

The plugins are copyright of 1999-2005, Abneil Software Ltd (Andrew Buckle). The swatches / styles / symbols are royalty-free, feel free to use as required. Swatches / symbols / styles are (c) 2004-2005 Andrew Buckle / Abneil Software ltd. Thisproduct was released by Abneil Software Ltd (UK based company)

Trademarks

Illustrator and Adobe and Photoshop are registered trademarks of Adobe. We have no connection whatsoever with Adobe.Adobe product screen shot(s) reprinted with permission from Adobe Systems Incorporated.

http://www.graphicxtras.com/

gradienteffects plugin manual 3

Documents

gradient effects plugin

illustrator documentation

illustrator cs2

mesh plugins separate

adobe illustrator cs

plugins pc illustrator

intosingle bonus plugin

variety of gradient