REALLY NEED HELP WITH THIS! OUTLINE OVER SHADOW???

[noxer@adobeforums.com]

ok so let's say i type sumthin....and then i offset path....next thing i do is drop a shadow...and here comes the tricky part....i want do drop a kinda glow(preferable a kinda offset path)...around the whole new object...that means including the shadow...and i just can't do it...cause if i drop a new offset path it will outline the text and not include the shadow...no matter how i arrange it in the appearance pallete...and don't tell me to use the stylize\glow effect cause i don't want that....i want offset path over shadow.....is that possible???
please help/......
win xp, illustrator cs

[Alexander_Kogan.@adobeforums.com]

Are you absolutely positive you want the shadow to be Drop Shadow?

You can imitate the Drop Shadow effect by slightly moving (Effect>Distort&Transform>Transform) a Fill and adding a Feather effect to it. You set it to the color you need and set its Opacity mode to Multiply. Voila, you have your drop shadow.

Now, when you've done with it, you select the object and Group it (Ctrl-Group). Then you go to the Appearance palette, dbl-click the Group item, select the Fill item and drag it below the Contents one. Then you set its color to your "glow" color and offset (Effect>Path>Offset) it. Here you have your outline.

THe only thing is the fact that the drop shadow is projected over the " Glow" Fill. To get rid of it, on the Group leve in the Appearance palette, create a new fill and set it to 0% opacity. Then select the Group item (in the same Appearance palette) and in the Transparency palette set it to be Knockout Group. Done.

Here <http://bliss.cc/team/alex/examples/dropshadowoutlined.zip> you'll find an example(AI9). Check out the Appearance stack of this object.

he problem with such approach, is that you can't create a style out of it, for there's actually two styles: one at the object level, and another one at the group level. I saved the two styles (you'll find them in the Styles palette).

To apply these styles to a new object, first select the object and "group" it (hit Ctrl-G). Go to the Apply the style called "Group outline". Then deselect the object, select it again and apply the style called "Drop Shadow". ;)

[noxer@adobeforums.com]

the link to that archive it's not working....didn't manage to:"
dbl-click the Group item, select the Fill item and drag it below the Contents one."......don't know......anyway thanx a lot.....for the answer.....but in the appearance pallet the group level can't be doubled click....the contents layer below group can be selected though....and the fill layer can't be dragged all the way down below the contents one......because the contents one is being droped down...hmm....i hope i can manage...if u have any other advices please post further.....thanks again...

[noxer@adobeforums.com]

ok....on second tought....it works...i dlded the zip file...and i'm checkin it out...i'll understand it eventually....thanks again man

[Alexander_Kogan.@adobeforums.com]

You're welcome :D hope it helps ;)