In this Illustrator tutorial we will be creating a 3D pie chart with transparency and highlights to make the graphic look like semi-opaque plastic. And we'll create a graphic style out of it so that it can be reused in future projects. The chart will remain fully editable so that we can change the data in our chart and re-apply our 3D style at will. Note, however, that the transparency in our style can only be applied to a pie chart. Other types of charts will have to be expanded (converted to a non-chart element) in order to apply transparency.
1. Start by creating your chart using the Pie Graph tool in the Tools palette. Draw a rectangle on the canvas to represent the area where the graph will be created. The Data window will appear. Enter your numbers, or click on the Import Data button in the Data window to import numbers from a text file.
In this example, I'm using a single row of data with just three columns.
This gives a simple, three-wedge pie chart.
2. Choose the chart and change the outline to "None." This is a critical step because it affects the way our 3D effect will be applied to the chart. If you have an outline, the extrusion of the chart will be the colour of that outline.
3. Next, choose the Direct Selection tool (A), and use it to pick the individual slices in the pie. When an individual slice is selected, you can change its colour using the Colour palette or the Swatches palette.
You can also use the Direct Selection tool to dislodge the wedges and rearrange them however you want.
Preparing transparency
4. If you wish to use transparency in your graphic in conjunction with your 3D effect--in other words, make your graph clear so that you can see the back sides of the objects--there are two preliminary steps you must take.
First is to set transparency. Again, you will be able to fine-tune this later. But for now, choose the entire object, and, in the Transparency palette, change the Opacity to 45 percent.
5. Group these objects (Command-G), even though they are already grouped together. When you do this, the individual elements will retain their 45 percent Opacity, but the Transparency will show the group itself as having a 100 percent Opacity.
6. To create the 3D effect close the Data window and then navigate to Effect > 3D > Extrude & Bevel. Hit the "More Options button up on the top right of the window, and click the Preview checkbox.
7. Now, apply the 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.
8. 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.
|
|
|
|
|