The Effect Panel allows you to quickly customize the overall appearance of your presentation, with a wide variety of different patterns and shading effects, including gradients, images, and shapes.

Placement Properties

See the general Placement Properties page for more information.

 

Background Properties

Choose from one of the following options from the drop-down box (click a property for more information):

• Linear Gradient - Transitions from one color to another.
  
  
• Advanced Image - Uses an image for the background.
  
  
• Blank - No colors, gradients, or images
  
  
• Solid Color - Uses a single color for the background.
  
  
• Rectangular Gradient - Transitions from one color to another in a square pattern.
  
  
• Image - Uses an image for the background.
  
  
• Circular Gradient - Transitions from one color to another in a circular pattern.

Pattern

• No Cycle  - The No Cycle pattern provides a single blending from the Start Color to the End Color along the angle created by the values of the Start Point and End Point. 
  
  
• Reflect - The Reflect pattern creates multiple gradients alternating between Start-
  Color-to-End-Color and End-Color-to-Start-Color, with the number of gradients shown determined by the distance between the Start Point and the End Point.
  
  
• Repeat - The Repeat pattern creates multiple gradients, each going from Start Color to End Color, along the angle created by the Start Point and End Point values.

The Start Point and End Point values determine the angle of the gradient. Point (0,0), which is the default value for the Start Point, is the top-left corner of the object. Point (1,1), the default value for the End Point, is the bottom-right corner, which is one over and one down from Point (0,0). Distances in between can be specified in decimals down to the 1/1000th. Negative values place a Start Point or End Point in a position that will not be displayed but will be referenced in the formation of the gradient. When utilizing a pattern, the distance between the points will determine the number of repetitions of the gradient.

Shape: By default, the Effect Panel is set to a Rectangular Shape, this shape will allow you to create different sizes of rectangles and squares. By selecting the Elliptical shape option you will be able to create ovals and circles. The Polygon option will allow you to create triangles, hexagons, octagons, and other shapes by adjusting the Number of Sides the shape has, you can also adjust the rotation of the shape.

Next Article: Angle Gauge