Gradients

Add a splash of color to your design with gradients! When Tinkercad added the ability to use custom colors, Tinkerers went above and beyond and found this cool way to make use of them. When used right, gradients can make even the simplest of designs become breathtaking and beautiful!

## How to

### Math Method

So, let's say you want to make a gradient from red (#ff0000) to blue (#0000ff). Step 1: swap the custom colors page from HEX codes to RGB. You should see R255 G0 B0 and R0 G0 B255. Let's focus on the red value only for now! Step 2: decide how many shapes you want in the gradient. Let's say 5, for simplicity. Put five flattened boxes on the workplane aligned and next to each other in setup for a gradient. Make one end red and make the other end blue. Now it's time for some math! Ew, I know, math sucks, but don't you want a pretty gradient? It's pretty simple math too! Here's the formula:

(R value of Shape1 + R value of Shape2) ÷ Total shapes in gradient

So, in this case, it would be (255+0)÷5=51. But wait, you're not done yet with the math! The next step is to find the R value of each individual shape in the gradient. Start with the shape with the smaller value, in this case the blue one, and add the number you found to the R value. 0+51=51. Put that into the R value of the shape next to the blue one! Then, add 51 to the number you just added. 51+51=102. Put *that* into the next shape! Repeat until you filled in the R value of every shape in the gradient. Great job! Your R values for each shape should be 0, 51, 102, 153, 204, and 255 in that order.

Now go back to step 1 and do it all over again two more times for the G and B values. Have fun! :')

* Pros: Perfect results if done right, hard to make major mistakes, very relaxing and meditative if you get in the zone, extra satisfying when you finish
* Cons: Extremely time consuming, easy to make tiny mistakes that are unnoticeable but cause perfectionists excruciating pain, will make you want to cry and toss your computer out the window, math

### Guess Method

There is way less to explain about this one than the math method. Take a shape, duplicate, change the color ever so slightly on the wheel, duplicate, and repeat until you're done! Instead of calculating the values, you just guess to see what looks good.

* Pros: Fast, easy, very skill-based so you can see visible improvements as you practice
* Cons: Never exactly perfect, takes a lot of practice to get good results, could be time-consuming if you try to fix any parts that aren't smooth

### Website Method

All you have to do is find a website that shows the hex codes of gradients, like PineTools, and copy those codes into your gradient! This one is fun to do and it's satisfying to watch the gradient quickly build up. Use a split screen, set Tinkercad on one and the website on the other, then just copy+paste away! It's so fast and so easy!

* Pros: Perfect, always perfect, fastest method, easy, I nearly cried tears of joy when I tried this after a lifetime of using the math method
* Cons: It could technically be considered cheating? I guess? Maybe? The only true way to cheat on Tinkercad is plagiarism without giving credit or changing the design at all, though. Scans and imports from other sources too. The website method still takes your own patience and work, despite being the easiest one out there!

### Which is best?

Normally these types of segments after a pro-con list end up saying "they're all different, find the one best for you!" But no. No. There will be no vague or wishy-washy opinions like that here. Use the website method. Do not use the math method. Spare yourself the pain.

I don't discourage you at all if you'd like to try the other methods! Go ahead and use a different method from the website one if that's what you like best! Heck, even if you enjoy the math method, even if you somehow don't fall victim to the slow draining of sanity and mental stability that I felt as a user of it, I fear you, but I do not discourage you. I've probably said this in every wiki page so far, but Tinkercad has no rules! Just have fun and do what you like!