How to add highlight lines to a stretchable button?

I'd like to have a custom set of stretchable buttons as my starter set for new projects.

As shown by the attached (zoomed) screen capture, when I add a highlight line and stretch the button, the line no longer follows the rounded corner shape. I've exaggerated th highlight line for this example. The line on the Xara template button uses a solid gray line all round, which isn't useful to me. Ideally, the line would be two colors with proper transitions at the corners.

I realize I may be approaching this the wrong way, which is why I'm asking. But I haven't spotted a post or example that gives me a clue.

Thanks for any help.


Attachment 96635

The trick is to use another rectangle for your highlight not a line. I've attached a quick sample you can take apart but basically what I did was to layer a second rectangle with an outline and no fill on top of the bottom rectangle. At this point you can convert your rectangles to editable shapes for making stretchy buttons. Then I used an opacity mask to mask out the areas of highlight shape I didn't need. I used the eraser tool and grouped the hightlight shape with its self to force the eraser to produce the opacity mask (this can also be done by setting a softness value for the eraser)

Thanks for your response.

I thought I understand your steps. And the whole idea of using a second rectangle for the outline sounded promising. But after I built a button that looks great in it's default size, stretching (or contracting) it ruined to corner radii.

Is there a technique that can lock them relative to each other? Then I would have a stretchable button. Otherwise, I guess I'll settle for a palette of 6 or 7 and manually adjust each radius.


Attachment 96637

ahhh now I see more what you are doing. You can use the bevel tool to create bevelled buttons, make a small button small enough to just hold a short word , and make sure you have the stretch properties set to extend not scale.

Yes, I had tried the bevel tool once before. The problem was in setting the exact color (light and dark sections) of the bevel portion ... which makes the line part of the button shape.

For the particular button I'm working on today, I was able to modify the Local Fill Color of the bevel to approximate the effect that I want. And a resize does preserve the corners, like you said.

All in all, it's a far easier method than what I was attempting.

Thanks.

You can also adjust the light and dark colours in the bevel with the bevel contrast and light elevations sliders. And you can adjust the light angle to get a pressed in effect for a nice subtle mouseover.

You can also Ctrl + Click to select just the bevel and change it's colour independently.