How can I draw and colour annular rings

[trainmam]

Hi All,

As a newbie to these proceedings, I am looking for help on the following topic:

How can I draw scalable annular rings (concentric circles, the outer part) that I can then fill the annular part with a colour (the centre remaining clear or unchanged) and use the patterns selection box to put a required pattern on the colour (just in the annular part) ?

Alternatively, is there a shape stencil that is available somewhere, that will do this for me ?

The purpose is, that I want to draw fairly large rings with either an upward 'raised' or lowered 'guttered' effect.

Best regards to all,

Trainmam.

[wapperdude]

Drawing the annualar rings is relatively simple.  Draw two circles, and align them as desired.  Select both, then go to menu bar > shape > operations > combine.  Instant ring!

The fill part is easy, but, the fill pattern is not so easy.  Fill as you would normally -- only the ring will fill.  But, the fill patterns are based upon the entire shape, not just the ring.  So, it's difficult to get a concentric bevel.  Typically, the process is to stack multple shapes (rings in your case) to "approximate" a gradient fill.  VisioGuy did an article on this, but I don't recall the topic title.  You can also play with gradient fills, including shadows, and varying degrees of transparency.

I did a simple example, attached.  Purposely made the rings non-concentric, but, it gives you an idea of what can be down.  The example just used two rings.

HTH
Wapperdude

Found the article:  http://www.visguy.com/2008/08/09/create-better-looking-more-efficient-smartshapes/

[trainmam]

Hi Wapperdude,

Thank you most kindly for the information and sample 'Rings' they look great.
I think what you have done will fit the bill nicely.

I will give your very clear instructions a go and see what results 'I' get, I hope they come out just as yours did, I will be over the moon then.

Thanks also for pointer to the article VisioGuy did.

I did find one very simple solution to drawing scaled curved rails (for the model railway group), I just used lines overlapping and centred at the same point then custom adjusted the width of each curved line to the correct scale widths, then added the appropriate colour to each line in turn, obviously, the steel rail line had to be brought to the front to be seen, but the result did just look like a curved rail track line with the shiny top surface, and the lower slightly broader (Visio) line coloured to look like the lower rusty parts of the rail. Dead simple.

All the best and thank you again.

Trainmam.

[wapperdude]

Since you're targetting model railroading, you might want to check out the User-submitted entry, "Model Railroading", http://visguy.com/vgforum/index.php?board=14.60.

I think you'll find it fun.

Wapperdude

[trainmam]

Hi Wapperdude,

Thanks again, looks quite interesting, have downloaded the vsd file.

I must say you guy's are really helpful. 

All the best and regards,

trainmam.