SWiSH Max Tutorial: Creating Shadows and Reflections

Adding effects to shapes or text in SWiSH Max can make them stand out in your flash movies. This tutorial will show how to create simple shadows and reflections on text and group the layers for use in your projects. The basic steps shown can be used in more complicated effects as well.

To add a shadow to text start by opening SWiSH Max and creating a new movie. Insert some static text, and then copy and paste it by selecting it in the Outline and then right clicking to bring up the menu and clicking on Copy Object, then right clicking again and selecting Paste in Place. This ensures the copied text is directly over the original.

In the Outline, select the copied text and then select the Rotate or Skew button under Options in the Tools section of the Layout. Move your mouse over the top or bottom center anchor points on the text until the cursor changes. Click and drag your cursor while holding down the mouse button until you are satisfied with the position of the shadow.

Adjust the color of the shadow by clicking on the Tint tab in the properties to the right of the Layout. You can choose to change the color or lower the Alpha percentage. Finally, move the shadow so that it aligns with the original text.

Including a reflection of your text follows the same first step as adding a shadow. Start by creating some static text and then copy and paste it directly over the original.

Select the copied text and move it underneath the original. Once it is in position, right click in the Outline and click on Transform in the menu. In the next menu click on Flip Vertical. Move the reflected text so that it touches the bottom of the original. Group the reflected text as a shape by either clicking on the Group as Shape button in the Grouping toolbar, or by right clicking on the text and going to Grouping in the menu, then clicking on Group as Shape in the next menu. Click Yes at the pop up that asks if you want to make the overlapped regions of objects with the same fill style empty.

Use the properties on the right of the Layout to change the fill of the reflected text from solid to a linear gradient. Adjust the gradient if necessary. For a natural appearance, set the the left side as the color of the original text and the right side as white.

Click on the Fill Transform button under Tools in the Layout. Move your mouse over the anchor points on the shape until the cursor change and then click and hold the button while dragging the cursor to rotate the reflection until you are satisfied with the result.

Using these steps to add basic effects to your text can lead to more interesting and complicated effects. Try your own experiments and build upon these ideas.