- [Instructor] In this movie, I'll show you
how to record your own multi-step action
and so the idea is we're going to create an action
that shades the bottom of each one of these blocks
of metal type in order to create this effect, right here.
Let me explain the context, here.
I'll go ahead and turn off this image layer for a moment
so that you can see that the bottoms of each one
of these blocks is set to a different shade of gray.
I want to retain that shading but I want to add a gradient
on top of each one.
Now, if I wanted them to be exactly the same
then I could just add a gradient to one of the blocks
and then eye-dropper the other ones but as I say
I want each one of the gray values to be slightly different.
All right, so what I recommend you do in a case like this
is figure out what you want to do in advance
and then record the action after that
and so I'm going to start with the base at the end
and then I'll up to the Window menu
and choose the Appearance command to bring up
the Appearance panel and then I'll go ahead
and add a new fill by clicking the Add New Fill icon
down here in the bottom, left corner of the panel.
Next, I'll go up to the Window menu
and choose the Gradient command and then inside the Gradient
panel, I'll make sure the fill is active
and I'll click on the Gradient bar.
All right, now we have a second fill
that's set to Gradient but it's not the right gradient
and so I'm going to go up to the Swatches panel
and grab this shade of brown, which begins:
R equals 956 and I'll drag it and drop it
to the first color stop and then I'll grab
this shade of orange which begins: R equals 251
and I'll drag it and drop it to the final color stop
and then with that last color stop selected
I'll reduce the opacity value to 50%
and then finally, at least where this panel is concerned,
I'll set the angle value to 90 degrees, like so
and then I'll click on the opacity item
associated with my new fill,
here inside the Appearance panel,
and I'll change the Blend Mode to Multiply
to produce this effect, here and that's it.
Those are the steps that I want to apply.
So, now let's record those steps as an action
by selecting this base shape, right here,
and then going up to the Window menu
and choosing the Actions command
in order to bring up the Actions panel.
I'll go ahead and twirl closed both that action
that I applied in the previous movie
as well as the default action set.
You don't really want to record into that set
because those are Illustrator's default actions
and what you'll want to do is create a set of your own
but you do have to do so.
You've got to create a set before you record an action.
So, drop down to the little folder icon
at the bottom of the Actions panel and click on it
and then I'm going to call my action set, "dekeOps".
You can call yours anything you like
and then I'll click OK.
All right, the next step is to begin recording an action
and you do that by clicking the little page icon
to create a new action and so I'll go ahead
and call this guy "add brown grad", let's say.
At this point, you can choose a different action set
if you like.
So, I could switch to default actions
but, as I say, I think that's a bad idea
and then you have the option of assigning a Function Key.
Now, here on the PC, you can only choose from F2 to F12.
You have more options available to you on the Mac
but let's say I go something like F2.
You then have the option of adding the Shift Key
or, if you like, the Control Key,
that would be the Command Key on the Mac, or both
if you prefer at which point we would now have a shortcut
of Control + Shift + F2.
You can also specify a color, for example,
I'll give this guy a color of orange.
Now, in case you're wondering where these colors show up,
there is a playback button mode and I'll show you
how that works in the very next movie
but for now decide if you want a shortcut
and a color and then click Record and you can see
that not only is this new action selected
but the Record button, the circular Record button,
down here, is red and it's dimmed to show you
that you have a recording in progress.
All right, so, as you may recall,
Step one is to click on Add New Fill
in the bottom, left corner of the Appearance panel.
Step two is to assign some sort of default gradient
and I'm going to go with the default, here,
inside the Swatches panel, just to clear out
what I did last time around and then I'll go ahead
and grab this second-to-darkest shade of brown
and I'll drag it and drop it to the first color stop.
I'll grab this light shade of orange
and I'll drag it and drop it to the last color stop.
With that stop selected, I'll reduce the opacity value
to 50%.
I'll change the angle value to 90 degrees
and then I'll click on the word "opacity"
below the fill, down here in the Appearance panel
and I'll change the Blend Mode to Multiply
or if you load a D-key you can just press Shift + F1
and whether you do the work manually
or you perform the steps using shortcuts
the Actions panel will pay attention to what you're doing.
All right, now that I'm finished
I'll just go ahead and click the square, stop button
in order to stop recording that action
and assuming all goes well, it's that simple.
All right, I'm going to switch back to the Stroke panel
just to give myself a little more room to work
and I'll bring back the Layers panel
and I'll turn on that image layer as well
and I'll press Control + Shift + A,
or Command + Shift + A on the Mac, to deselect the art work
and as you can see we now have two properly shaded bases
to our letter blocks.
In the next movie, I'll show you how to play back
the action on these four surfaces, here
and in four different ways.