Shadow Boxes, Beginner - Intermediate Options

[jhelton]

Easy Shadow Box Using Only Shadows

Here's a tutorial on how to create a simple 3-D box using only shadows. Using this method allows for quick and easy change of color. You can also alter the shadows to change perspective, or use gradient fills to get different effects. I'm going to make mine in SWiSHmax, but you can do this in any layers based program (like Photoshop). Here's what we are going to create:



So let's get started! Fire up SWiSHmax and create a new movie. I'm going to use 300x50 for this example, but it can be done at any size.

1. The first thing you need to do is create a rectangle that will be the size of your box. Fill it with a light, solid color and give it a .1 line so that it's easy to see.



2. Now zoom in so that your box takes up all of your workspace. This will make it easier to do the following steps.
3. Using the rectangle tool, draw another rectangle inside your first one. Make it the size you want the back of your box to be.
4. For this box, fill it with black set to 45% transparency with no line. You should now have something like this:




5. Now let's center the boxes. Select both boxes and use the horizontal and vertical centering buttons on the Align tab.




6. Now that we've got these boxes aligned let's lock them in the Outline so they don't accidentally move.




7. Here comes the fun part. Let's add the top shadow. Using the bezier tool, click the top left corner of the background box, then click the top left corner of the smaller box, then over to the top right corner of the smaller box, next the top right corner of the background box, and finally back to the top left of the background to complete the shape. Set the fill to black trasparency 50% with no line.

Don't worry if your lines aren't perfect. We'll adjust them in a second! You should now have something like this:



8. Time to correct any problems with the lines. It's important for them to be lined up correctly or things won't look right later (you don't want overlaps or gaps). Zoom in close to the upper left corner and grab the Reshape tool. Use it on the corner handles of the new shape to get everything lined up correctly.




9. Now repeat this process to make the left, right, and bottom sides. Set transparency to: Left 40%, Right 20%, Bottom 15%. You should end up with something like this:



Looks kind of like the old fashion 3-D buttons of the last century, so let's fix that!

10. Now let's add the last shadow. This one is a little tricky, because it will cover several other shadows. In my example the light source is in front of the box and to the top left side. Start by copying the background object, and then paste it in place. Set the line to None and the fill to solid black and transparency 5%.

Now the difficult part:

• Using the reshape tool, right click and add 2 vertices to the lower left side of the new box.
• Next drag the left vertex that you added up to the bottom of the back shadow box line and to the right of the corner.
• Drag the second vertex directly above the first to about 3/4 up the back shadow box.
• Last, drag the bottom right corner up to the right side of the back shadow box so that the new line is level.

You should end up with something like this:



Thats it! You can change the color of the whole box by changing the fill color of the first box you created. You can also shift the boxes and shadows around to change the viewing angle in your box, change the shadow transparencies to move your light source, or draw some external lines to give the box more character. Just let your imagination run wild!

Another color change effect


And finally...the source:
 ShadowBoxTutorial.swi ( 6.12K ) Number of downloads: 1380
re-added Jan 2006


Thanks!

[Mdo]

Good tut! Would never know its youf first one!

Definatly a cool effect! Thanks!

- Mat

[RedDragon]

Reads great

Great tutorial.

[PSgirl]

Cool tutorial, very well explained

[*D*]

Niffty tutorial Jim, very well explained.

[jhelton]

Thanks everyone!

[Eddie_K]

Nice tut there jhelton. I would like to add something if you don't mind.

It is an easier method to achieve a close effect to the one you have made.

From the Tools menu, hold down the AutoShapes button and select the Beveled Button tool



Now just drag the green handler 1 to change the size of the "walls" and the green handler number 2 to change the lighting. You can add gradient to the button and a lot more



Hope this helps too

Eddie

[jhelton]

Nice tut there jhelton. I would like to add something if you don't mind.

It is an easier method to achieve a close effect to the one you have made.

From the Tools menu, hold down the AutoShapes button and select the Beveled Button tool



Now just drag the green handler 1 to change the size of the "walls" and the green handler number 2 to change the lighting. You can add gradient to the button and a lot more



Hope this helps too

Eddie

Certainly a similar effect for SWiSH, but doesn't offer the ability to offset the box. Also, I'm not sure if this feature is available in all layer based programs, so I hope that it offers some help to folks looking for a similar effect.

Thanks for the addition.

[mariaan]

Good
Mariaan

[ostaz]

good explanation