Is it possible to get a VertexColors effect in cylinder?

Question

I'm trying to create a figure illustrating a cylinder filled with gas. And I saw a very good looking similar one at here. The shape is polygon and by using the VertexColors option, it creates a impression of gas inside the building, with high density near the floor and low density near the roof. However, I would like to plot a cylinder, and for a cylinder, there seems no option of VertexColors. So how can I create the same shading effect for a cylinder?

Code copied from here

w = 100;
l = 200;
h = 30;
m = 70;
backwall = {{0, l, 0}, {w, l, 0}, {w, l, h}, {0, l, h}};
side1 = {{0, 0, 0}, {0, 0, h}, {0, l, h}, {0, l, 0}};
side2 = {{w, 0, 0}, {w, 0, h}, {w, l, h}, {w, l, 0}};
floor = {{0, 0, 0}, {w, 0, 0}, {w, l, 0}, {0, l, 0}};
top = {{0, 0, h}, {w, 0, h}, {w, l, h}, {0, l, h}};
front = {{0, 0, 0}, {w, 0, 0}, {w, 0, h}, {0, 0, h}};
leftRoof = {{0, 0, h}, {w/2, 0, m}, {w/2, l, m}, {0, l, h}};
rightRoof = {{w, 0, h}, {w/2, 0, m}, {w/2, l, m}, {w, l, h}};
roofBack = {{w, l, h}, {w/2, l, m}, {0, l, h}};
roofFront = {{w, 0, h}, {w/2, 0, m}, {0, 0, h}};
building = {backwall, side1, side2, floor, front, leftRoof, rightRoof,
    roofBack, roofFront};
figure = Graphics3D[{Opacity[0.5], 
   Style[Polygon[building, 
     VertexColors -> Map[0.5 + #[[3]]/80 &, building, {2}]], 
    Lighting -> {{"Ambient", White}}]}, Boxed -> False, 
  RotationAction -> "Clip"]

enter image description here

This question is answered by @J.M. in a response to Extruding along a path. That answer is much more general, but a cylinder is a special case of the problem addressed there. — Jens, May 20 '14 at 03:36

chuy · Accepted Answer · 2014-05-20T15:57:46.353

Tube takes a VertexColorsoption. In fact you can even combine this with a couple of Cylinders to a nice effect IMHO:

Graphics3D[{CapForm["Butt"], 
  Tube[{{0, 0, 0}, {0, 0, 2.5}, {0, 0, 5}}, 1, 
   VertexColors -> {Directive[Black, Opacity[.95]], 
     Directive[Gray, Opacity[.25]], Directive[White, Opacity[0.25]]}],
   Opacity[0.2, LightBlue], Cylinder[{{0, 0, 0}, {0, 0, 5}}, 1.05], 
  Opacity[1, Black], Specularity[White, 3], 
  Cylinder[{{0, 0, 5}, {0, 0, 5.1}}, 1.05]}, Lighting -> "Neutral", 
 Boxed -> False, SphericalRegion -> True]

enter image description here

Here is some fun with colors!

 GraphicsGrid[
   Map[Graphics3D[{CapForm["Butt"], 
     Tube[{{0, 0, 0}, {0, 0, 2.5}, {0, 0, 5}}, 1, 
      VertexColors -> {Directive[Black, Opacity[.95]], 
        Directive[Gray, Opacity[.25]], 
        Directive[White, Opacity[0.25]]}], Opacity[0.2, #], 
     Cylinder[{{0, 0, 0}, {0, 0, 5}}, 1.05], Opacity[1, Black], 
     Specularity[White, 3], 
     Cylinder[{{0, 0, 5}, {0, 0, 5.1}}, 1.05]}, 
    Lighting -> "Neutral", Boxed -> False, 
    SphericalRegion -> True] &, {{Red, Green, Blue}, {Brown, Purple, 
    Orange}, {Cyan, Yellow, Magenta}}, {2}], ImageSize -> 800]

enter image description here

And why not a lava lamp? Reverse the gradient! (This could likely be greatly improved with a bit more time and effort, especially with some dynamic content and randomly generated blobs).

Graphics3D[{CapForm["Butt"], 
  Tube[{{0, 0, 1.5}, {0, 0, 7}}, {2, 1/2}, 
   VertexColors -> {Directive[White, Opacity[.25]], 
     Directive[Black, Opacity[0.65]]}], Opacity[0.2, Purple], 
  Tube[{{0, 0, 1.5}, {0, 0, 7}}, {2.05, 0.55}], Opacity[1, Black], 
  Specularity[White, 5], Cylinder[{{0, 0, 7}, {0, 0, 7.1}}, 0.55], 
  Tube[{{0, 0, 0}, {0, 0, 1.5}}, {1.05, 2.05}], 
  Tube[{{0, 0, -1.5}, {0, 0, 0}}, {2.05, 1.05}], Orange, 
  Style[Sphere[{0, 0, 4}, 0.3], 
   Lighting -> {{"Point", Orange, {0, 0, 0}}}], 
  Style[Sphere[{0.1, 0.3, 3}, 0.5], 
   Lighting -> {{"Point", Orange, {0.1, 0.2, 0}}}], 
  Style[Sphere[{0, 0, 1}, 1], 
   Lighting -> {{"Point", Orange, {0, 0, 5}}}], 
  Style[Sphere[{-0.5, -0.4, 2}, 0.4], 
   Lighting -> {{"Point", Orange, {1, 1, 1}}}]}, 
 Lighting -> "Neutral", Boxed -> False, SphericalRegion -> True]

enter image description here

Nice! Can you also do a lava-lamp? – Yves Klett May 20 '14 at 15:24 — Yves Klett, May 20 '14 at 15:24
That looks beautiful. Thanks! – xslittlegrass May 20 '14 at 16:58 — xslittlegrass, May 20 '14 at 16:58
My crystal lava lamp predicts a hot network Q... – Yves Klett May 20 '14 at 17:20 — Yves Klett, May 20 '14 at 17:20

Vitaliy Kaurov · Answer 2 · 2014-05-20T02:54:06.103

Approximate by polygons:

bottom = Table[{50 Cos[n], 50 Sin[n], 0}, {n, 0, 2 Pi, 2 Pi/50}];
top = Table[{50 Cos[n], 50 Sin[n], 80}, {n, 0, 2 Pi, 2 Pi/50}];
sides = Flatten[#, 1] & /@ Thread[{Partition[bottom, 2, 1], 
         Reverse /@ Partition[top, 2, 1]}];

Graphics3D[{
  {EdgeForm[Directive[Opacity[0.2], Thick]], Opacity[0.7], Polygon[bottom]},
  {EdgeForm[Directive[Opacity[0.2], Thick]], Opacity[0.7], Polygon[top]},
  {EdgeForm[], Opacity[0.7], 
   Polygon[sides, VertexColors -> Map[0.5 + #[[3]]/80 &, sides, {2}]]}},
 Boxed -> False, RotationAction -> "Clip", 
 Lighting -> {{"Ambient", White}}]

enter image description here

Is it possible to get a VertexColors effect in cylinder?

2 Answers2