RE: [css3-images] Proposed Gradients changes

Hi Brad,

'extend' signals if an endpoint 'extends' from the gradient. Typically you want this turned on in a gradient.
If it's turned off, the gradient might not fill its bounding box. PDF and PostScript define this keyword, but our applications almost always leave the extend on.
SVG, Flash and XPS also have the 'repeat' and 'reflect' keywords that let you tile a gradient like you describe. The last 2 keywords imply a specific size for the gradient so you can't use top/bottom or left/right in the css.
It seems that you can define a keyword with 'none', 'extend' (or 'pad'), 'repeat' and 'reflect'.

'focal point' is used with radial gradients for when you don't want the beginning and ending circle to have the same midpoint. (see attached SVG file) There are different ways to get this effect but it doesn't seem that CSS lets you do this.

What is the image box? Is that the bounds of the tag that has the CSS gradient?

Rik

-----Original Message-----
From: Brad Kemper [mailto:brad.kemper@gmail.com] 
Sent: Sunday, November 28, 2010 1:05 PM
To: Tab Atkins Jr.
Cc: Rik Cabanier; www-style list
Subject: Re: [css3-images] Proposed Gradients changes


On Nov 28, 2010, at 10:17 AM, "Tab Atkins Jr." <jackalmage@gmail.com> wrote:

> some features such as focal length and extend color are missing.

I don't know if it is the same thing or not, but we have discussed the possibility of letting the gradient extend beyond its image box in a background if the image is not repeating, either automatically or though a keyword or value ('background-repeat:extend' perhaps). It would be less useful in list images or border images or 'content'.

What does focal length do? Is it something like scaling the gradient within a clipping rectangle?