Bending tubes with gradients

[JimR]

I often have trouble bending shapes with nice gradients, typically a tube on technical concept drawings

I'm using a workaround of adding lines on top of each other with gradually brighter colours feathered but it's not really elegant and there are issues at the end of the lines.

How would you this if I want to keep the nice gradients and the tube needs bending?


Bending_shapes.xar

br

JimR

[steve.ledger]

'Clipview'


Here's one method to try.

Create the thick line for the tube/pipe
Convert to shape
Clone
Use the shape editor to select the end nodes to extend each end a little then use the contour tool to thicken the shape.
'Add Shapes' (Ctlr+1) to merge the contoured clone to one shape and then use the feather tool.
The original shape is set behind, both are select and press 'Q' to clip.

Result:

[Rik]

Quite often I've used the Bevel tool. (Inner Bevel.)
The benefit I find is that no matter which way the pipe bends, the light and the dark remain on the correct side.
You can adjust the Contrast and Light Elevation to suit you requirements.

The shadow was applied after applying clipview.

I think we've discussed something like this before?!

[gwpriester]

Blend Along a Curve with the Rotate along a Curve option.

[MarcT]

You can also do straight line Blends, apply a mold and transform.


Molds are a bit tricky for tubes though, it would be nice to have a flow along curve deform.

You can also apply a gradient on bender without blends. ;-)

[Egg Bramhill]

Here's my method.

VIDEO

[gwpriester]

Egg - Do you ever name any of your pages?

Good solution.

If you offset the thinner line up and to the side it creates a more natural shadow.

I tried that and then for some reason tried closing the path for the thinner line. Interesting effect.

[JimR]

Thanks, you guys are brilliant! I never thought of so many ways of doing the same thing.

Jim

[Fred C]

I think we've discussed something like this before?!

Yes
http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthre...263#post452263