Opacity gradients on images

[Justin]

Hi,

I'm just trying out FW4 after using Adobe Imagestyler for the last two
years. One effect I used to use alot in imagestyler was the Opacity tool.
You could import a Jpeg onto your canvas, choose opacity, choose a gradiet
type (linear radial etc) and you had the desired effect.

I'm trying to repeat the exercise in FW4 but it's driving me nuts. I'm sure
it must be really easy. All I want to do is fade a JPEG image from left to
right on the canvas.

Please can anybody lend a hand. I'm sure it must be so easy but I can't see
the wood for the trees.

Thanks in anticipation

Justin

[Linda Rathgeber]

Hi Justin,

Drag a rectangle over your image and add a black/white linear fill to
it. In the Layers panel, Shift + select the thumbnails for both the
image and the gradient rectangle, then choose Modify > Mask > Group as
Mask.

Best regards
---------------------------------------------------------------
Linda Rathgeber
Macromedia Evangelist
Author, PLAYING WITH FIRE
www.playingwithfire.com
---------------------------------------------------------------
The Playing With Fire book will be featured
at FlashForward 2001 in NYC next month
---------------------------------------------------------------

[Justin]

Hi Linda

Many thanks...

It's easy when you know how...

Best regards

Justin

Linda Rathgeber <lig...@austin.rr.com> wrote in message
news:3B3A3F33...@austin.rr.com...

[Mark Haynes]

Here are some steps to make it easy!

1. Open or import a JPEG.

2. Set the Fill panel to a Linear Gradient or any other Gradient, using
Black, White or White, Black as the default color for the fill.

3. Open the Layers panel.

4. If the object is not already selected, click on its thumbnail.

5. Click on the Add Mask button at the bottom right of the Layers panel.

6. Select the Paint Bucket tool from the Tools panel.

7. Click and drag to draw a gradient mask on the JPEG, making sure that
where you click is the origin of the gradient (so if your gradient is
white to black, it will be the transparent area, if black to white, it
will be the opaque area). As you drag out from the origin of the gradient,
release the mouse button at the point you want the gradient to end. The
image will appear with a transparent fade out as you have designated. If
you don't like it you can move the handles!

enthusiastically,
mark haynes
macromedia tech support