cannot get shadow on custom shape

[dpenny]

Hi All:

I had such great success with post 2-3 wks ago, I thought I would try again

I have a custom shape made up of 3 lines and a free form curve.
I have combined them into one shape.
I want to put a standard shadow border on 1 or 2 sides.

I go to the "shadow panel" and select type, and add it.
The outline of the offset shape appears, BUT there is no way I can get the offset region filled (i.e. shadowed). Have tried for 30 minutes or so.

What simple step am I missing?

Dumb Dick

[wapperdude]

To fill the shadow, the primary shape must be filled.

How did you draw the shape?  Individual lines and then use join operation?  You may have to open shapesheet, under Geometry section set Geometry1.NoFill to false.

Wapperdude

[dpenny]

Thanks for VERY quick reply.

1. I did a combine on the lines, not join.
2. I have 4 geo sections in shapesheet. I set each to FALSE.
3. Fill seems spastic.  It does not fill the shape. It fills portions of the shape around the NUTBST edge which is 4th side of shape. Even after I set shadow=none.

But more important, why do I have to have primary shape filled in order to get a shadow? Ya mean I cannot have a clear/blank shape with a shadow?  Say a clear square box with text and a shadowy border? (not my case however).

Dumber Dick

[wapperdude]

Yep!  That's what I mean.  Think of shadow as a mirror of sorts.  To do what you want, you'd need to duplicate your shape and then offset / stack.  One filled, one not.

If you're stacking geometry sections, then filling becomes significantly more challenging.  While not strictly true (well, maybe it is), think of stacked  sections more like an exclusive or/nor function. 

Wapperdude