Branching gradients?

[jdballou]

Hi Experts

Using Illustrator CC.

I have an object that I want to fill with a gradient.

This is what I have so far.

But what I want to do is have the upper right grade to a different tone of green starting where the central part of the object breaks into two branches. So same grade up to branch that the upper branch grading into a different green.

This .ai file is available here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3t47djr18llfw9p/Ch12%20Box%2012_4%20Chart%202%20Version%202.ai?dl=0

[Monika Gause · Accepted solution]

Using freeform gradient could be an option?  https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/how-to/freeform-gradients.html 

[jdballou]

Didn't know this existed!  Thanks Monkia!

[Monika Gause]

You're welcome!

Depending on how you're going to export and use this, there could be issues with it. It probably won't show in PDF viewers other than Acrobat. Separating fill and stroke and converting the fill to pixels can help in that situation.

[Jacob Bugge]

jd,

To get a true branching keeping the live linear gradient(s), in other words a fully controlled linear gradient moderation where the lower part is unchanged and the upper part is an exact match up to the break, and with no viewing issues wherever, you can:

1) Copy the path to the front, remove the Fill from the copy and Hide it;

2) Select the original path and remove the Stroke;

3) Add a gradient stop at the break to lock the gradient there, seemingly about 66.6%, adjust percentage and colour as needed;

4) With the Line Segment Tool ShiftClickDrag to the left from the Anchor Point at the centre of the break and past the left edge;

5) Object>Path>Divide Objects Below;

Now you have and upper path and a lower path with identical gradients;

6) Change the rightmost part of the upper path (from the new gradient slider) as desired;

7) Show the stroked path from 1).

The following image shows step 2)/3), then 4), then 6), 7) in two versions namely with Stroke aligned to Center and to Outside, the latter being only outside the Fill instead of covering part of it, just as the original Stroke did, for a simpler version with gradient(s) between red and blue and with the break/slider at 75%,

Click/RightClick to see in full, Click again to get closer

Edit: Owing to a rift in the space time continuum, only the first reply showed a quarter of an hour ago; now all the three first replies appear as posted an hour ago.

Edit edit: Clarification of introduction.