Applying 3D effects to controls

You can make most types of controls appear three-dimensional, with a raised or sunken border around the control. For example, you can make a text field look like a button.

In addition to determining whether the control is raised or sunken, you can set the thickness of the 3D border around the control.

You can use the 3D effect on the following types of controls:

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• Grid/Graphs

• Images

• Panel stacks (all panels in the stack use the same 3D effect)

• Rectangles (except rounded rectangles)

• Selectors

• Text fields

To apply a 3D effect to a control

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1. Open the document in Design or Editable Mode.

2. Add one of the controls listed above.

3. Right-click the control and select Properties and Formatting. The Properties and Formatting dialog box opens.

4. From the left, select Effects.

5. Select the Enable 3D Borders check box.
   
   Note: You cannot apply a 3D effect to the title of a Grid/Graph or panel stack.

6. From the Effect drop-down list, select one of the following to determine the type of 3D effect to apply to the borders:

• Raised, to outset the text like a button.

• Sunken, to inset the control like a pushed button.

7. In the Weight field, type a number to determine the extent to which the 3D effect is applied to the borders. Enter larger numbers to apply a thicker and more noticeable border. In general, numbers between 1-20 should accommodate your design requirements.

8. Select the Enable Drop Shadows check box to apply a shadow to the control.

9. Use the Distance slider to adjust the distance of the drop shadow from the control.

10. Click OK to apply your changes to the control and return to the document.