 |
s |
I hope you enjoy this FREE online training. Let me know if you'd like to see more! You can email me
at jmo@filemakerpros.com. And, if you really like this online training, consider one of
my live classes based on my wildly popular book and CD ROM.
Happy FileMaking!
|
3D Fields
3D fields are essential for good interface design. Everyone knows how to make them, but can you make
them efficiently? Here are the steps I use to create 3D fields as quickly as possible.
Start by choosing the color scheme. I usually use the background grey in the first column, second from
the bottom row. Just select the Body part and choose the color you want from the paint bucket.
Next, select the colors for your 3D field. Based on the background color I use, the first
two colors at the top of the first column contrast each other well. Pick the first color
(white) and draw a vertical and a horizontal line of approximately the same length.
TIP: Normally, the arrow tool is automatically selected after you have drawn a line.
Double-click on the line tool to lock it. That way you can draw multiple lines without reselecting
the line tool everytime a line is completed.
TIP: Hold the Shift key down while drawing your line to get a perfect horizontal or vertical line.
Next, duplicate the two lines and change their pen color to the second color on the first column.
Assemble the lines so that the anchors for each line meet at the corners and group them together.
You'll know the anchors are overlapping when you select all the lines and you don't see any anchor points.
If the anchors for the lines don't overlap, resizing the grouped lines will not work properly.
One line will get a little longer or shorter than the others and you won't have a rectangle anymore.
TIP: Turn ON the AutoGrid option at the bottom of the Arrange menu so that your lines can be lined
up more easily.
Once you have the lines grouped, you can easily resize the rectangle to fit any field or even
reverese the depth by dragging one corner past the other.
A lot of people like to just place the 3D rectangle around the field, but I like to add more
depth by placing a black border on the edge of the field.
Instead of overlapping the field borders with the 3D rectangle, position the 3D rectangle so it
is one pixel outside the field borders. The difference to me is night and day.
Download an example FileMaker file
.
DONE
|
|
 |
s |
Database Pros offers training classes across the globe. Classes
include the wildly popular Intermediate and Advanced Scriptology training series.
|
|
