Drop shadow attributes

Drop shadows can be applied to any graphical object in Top/Plan view, including symbols, walls, text, plug-in objects, and sheet layer viewports. The way shadows are cast varies depending on the type of object.

You can apply drop shadows to most objects from the Attributes palette. For styled walls, slabs, roofs, and roof faces, enable drop shadows in the attribute settings for the style that is applied to the object.

1. Select the object and click the Drop Shadow button on the Attributes palette.

2. Click the settings button to the right of the button to open the Drop Shadow dialog box.

Parameter	Description
Offset	Enter the distance to offset the shadow from the object
Units	Select the units to be used for the Offset and Blur: ● page units: the offset and blur change appearance when the layer scale is changed. ● document units: the offset and blur look the same when the layer scale is changed.
Angle	Set the angle of the shadow; drag the slider to place the shadow, or enter an angle to the right of the slider, measuring the degrees counter-clockwise from the right edge of an object
Blur	Enter the extent of the blur applied to the shadow; a zero blur is a “hard” shadow, while a higher number makes the edge more blurred
Color	Select a color for the shadow
Opacity	Set the opacity of the shadow; drag the slider to the left to decrease the opacity, or enter an opacity percentage (0–100) to the right of the slider
Use class drop shadow	Select to use the drop shadow values set by the class of the currently selected object

Object	Shadow behavior
Sheet layer viewport with no fill	All objects floating on the background cast shadows, including viewport annotations. If you want drop shadows on annotations, but you do not want to apply drop shadows to the entire viewport, edit the viewport and apply drop shadows to annotations directly.
Sheet layer viewport with fill	The edge of the viewport casts a shadow, as do any annotations that fall beyond the edge
Grouped objects	Each object in the group casts a shadow
Symbol	2D objects in the symbol cast a single shadow; to create more shadows, edit the 2D component of the symbol, and apply drop shadows to the individual components
Plants and massing models	Plants and massing models have built-in shadow features; if Display Shadow in Plan View is enabled in the Object Info palette for these objects, an applied drop shadow produces two shadows in plan view