7. The Menus / 7.8 The Effects Menu

7.8.57 3D Body

The function 3D Body displays a layer as 3D body. This works with all kinds of layers. The layer itself isn‘t changed and can still be edited normally.

The first line of the picture shows the source layer, the second line shows the same layers as 3D body. The source layers are a text layer, a simple vector layer and a group containing several vector layers.

If used with text layers, the 3D representation defines the text color for displaying the front and the back, the outline color controls the sides. If the text doesn‘t have an outline, the text color is used for the sides, too. With vector layers the fill color is used for front and back, the line color for the sides. If the line color is completely transparent, the fill color is used for the sides, too. With images the image defines the front and back, the sides are always gray.

In the corresponding dialog the on-switch is used to turn the 3D representation on and off. Depth controls the distance between front and back. The depth is given in percent relative to the size of the layer.

Perspectivic and Parallel are the kind of representation. Using Perspectivic parts farer away are smaller than the nearer ones, with Parallel there is no size reduction.

Light offers - aside from Soft Light, Normal Light and Hard Light - Mesh, too. With Mesh no surfaces are filled, instead they outlined.

Light controls the position of the light source. The percent value next to it is the strength of the light source. If Light Front and Back is turned off, the brightness of the front and of the back are not changed by the lighting. This is useful, if a gradient already simulating a reflection is used as color.

Rotation controls the position of the 3D body in space.

Finally some tips and hints for working with 3D bodies: