3D Charts in Adobe Illustrator CS

Tutorial: Page (2) of 2 - 03/30/05

3D Charts in Adobe Illustrator CS Adding transparency and depth to graphs Adding the 3D effect
6. Now we're ready to create the 3D effect. To do this, close the Data window, and then choose Effect > 3D > Extrude & Bevel. Hit the "More Options button up on the top right of the window, and click the Preview checkbox so that you can see what's going on as you make your changes.

7. Now just apply your settings. The screen shot below shows the exact settings I'm using for my example. Note at the bottom that I've checked the "Draw Hidden Faces" checkbox. This allows the back faces of the extruded objects to show through the front faces when you've applied transparency to the objects as we did in steps 4 and 5.

And here's the result.

8. I'll also add in a default drop shadow (Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow) to make the image pop a bit more.

And here you see the graphic over a textured background to show that the elements in the graph are indeed still transparent.

9. As a final step, I'll select my group of objects and drag them into the Graphic Styles palette. This will allow me to reapply this style to this chart (and others) without having to start from scratch each time. This is important because, if you make changes to the data in the graph, all of your appearance attributes will be lost. Keeping the style in the Graphic Styles palette is an easy way to get the effects back.

Modifying the graphic
Now, as I mentioned in the beginning, everything about this graph is fully editable still, though some aspects of this may not be readily apparent. SO here's a quick list of methods for getting into your graphic and making changes.

? Modifying graph data. Ordinarily, when you right-click a graph, the contextual menu gives you an option for accessing the graph data. Not so when you've grouped the elements of your graph. So what you need to do first is to double-click the Pie Chart tool in the Tools palette while your object is selected. Click the Check icon to apply the chart, and your graph returns to normal. Now you can right-click it to open up the Data window. You will, of course, lose your 3D style this way, but that's the reason we saved the style in the Graphic Styles palette in step 9.

? Repositioning wedges. You can reposition the individual wedges of your pie chart without losing your effects. To do this, choose the Direct Selection tool, then click on one of the wedges and drag it into its new position. The effect will update automatically, and it won't affect the proportions of the graph.

? Adjusting transparency. If you decide the transparency of your objects isn't just right, you can adjust these values for individual wedges or for the group of wedges as a whole. To modify the transparency of one wedge, select it with the Direct Selection tool and adjust the Opacity on the Transparency palette. If you want to adjust the opacity of all of the objects, go to the Appearance palette. Double-click on the "Contents" item listed underneath the group.

This will activate the object beneath the group.

And now, if you go to the Transparency palette again, you'll see the original Opacity value you entered, which you can now modify.

? Adjusting the 3D effect. You can also adjust the 3D effect that you've applied. To do this, select the group once again, and this time double-click the 3D Extrude & Bevel item listed in the Appearance palette. This will open up the 3D window, allowing you to make modifications based on the settings currently applied to the object.

So now you can make any changes you wish, such as changing the bevel or adding perspective. Here are some variations on our effect using different bevel styles.

That's it for now. If you have any further questions, be sure to visit me in the Adobe Illustrator forum at DMN Forums by clicking here.

And, if you want to learn more about 3D effects in Illustrator, be sure to check out our five-part tutorial series. You'll find links to each article by clicking here.

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