Gradient Design and Control in the 3D World

Gradient design is, by far, the most powerful aspect of the Glow module; it is what makes the entire Lens Effects module so useful. With gradients, you can design the most intricate glow effects that can be used in both still images or animations. However, it takes a bit of practice. In Glow, you have four different gradients-two color and two gray scale- that you use in conjunction with each other to produce the various glow effects.

The color gradients control the color of the glow, and the gray scale gradients control the transparency of the glow and are commonly called transparency gradients. The first step in understanding gradients is to learn the terminology. Several terms within the gradients can make your life miserable unless you understand what they mean. The next two sections both explain and demonstrate the common terms used when working with gradients. You must be using the Gradient color option defined in the Preferences tab of Glow-to see the results of changing any gradient.

Glow incorporates two types of gradient definitions: Radial and Circular. They are used for both color and transparency. Both radial and circular can be used independently or in conjunction with each other to produce different styles of glows. Radial gradient definition is determined from the center point of the glowed source outward. The left side of the gradient is the center of the glowed source and the right side is the outermost extents of the gradient that is determined by the glow's size (both by gradient and numerical).

Circular gradient definition works by controlling the glow as it travels along the perimeter of the object. You can alter where the glow takes as well as its color around the object by varying gray scale intensities or adding colors to circular gradients. The trick for circular gradients is that they work based on the direction of the edges of an object.

The left-most part of the gradient is the center of the radial cross-section. The right-most part of the gradient represents the effect at its extents. This means that if an object has several faces that point in the same direction along its edges, they all have the same glow effect on them if they fall within the right threshold.

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