Gradient mesh problem

Question

I'm trying to make the gradient align to the curve, so I get an even linear gradient along it. I created the mesh, adjusted the anchor points so that they corresponded to the shape I tried to recreate. Then I adjusted the bexier handles (the "horizontal" ones, not the ones in the cross-sections/columns) so that the shape was almost perfectly aligned to the original shape. I then chose a color for each anchor point, black for the top ones and white for the bottom ones. Since I want straight or linear cross-sections, I dragged the bezier handles in the cross-sections to their respective anchor points.
The result is as follows: http://imgur.com/eDE5V
The gradient is linear at places, mostly between the cross-sections. But if you look at the bottom anchor points, you can see that the gradient isn't very linear. In fact, the gradient is like a white sphere around each bottom anchor point. Also, the area around the top anchor point, third from the left and fifth from the right, is gray rather than black for some reason. I've set all anchor points to their intended colors - black or white.
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

You're kinda over-complicating this. You don't need so many MeshPatches and so much tedious twidling for that object.
The key to working with MeshGrads (especially when first getting acquainted with them) is: Keep it simple.
"Simple" is a balance. "Simple" in terms of use is one thing. "Simple" in terms of actual resulting construct is another. The two often conflict.
Said another way; tihe attempt to provide what too many think is "intuitive" use (instant-gratification click & drag "simplicity") often prevents intuitve undestanding of what's going on, and yields inelegant results.
Understand: Meshes are rectangular arrays of patches. That's why the MeshGrad dialog asks you to specifiy rows and columns. Just as in a spreadsheet, each row has the same number of columns. When you draw a shape and then convert it to a MeshGrad, you often loose sight of this and end up confused, because the visual appearance of the auto-generated rows and columns doesn't seem to correspond to your undestanding of the shape.
The same basic problem manifests when users think auto-tracing is some kind of automagic "conversion." You have to remember this about all such features: The program doesn't know didly about your intent and understanding of shape.
Each Patch has four corners. When you let the program automagically create your Mesh, it has to try to reconcile your shape to what amounts to an arrangement of rows and columns. The MeshPoints (corners of MeshPatches) which generate the grad don't necessarily correspond to your path anchorPoints which define the shape. You just often think they do, because the MeshPatches are distorted by an Envelope which tries to match the shape of your path.
So whenever possible (as it certainly is in your sample), start with a Mesh object and then fix its shape, instead of starting with a shape and trying to force-fit its grad:
See how much simpler (elegant) that is in terms of construct? Note that the left Patch still has four corners. It merely looks like it has three.
Note, however, the ugly triangular facets of the grads. I can't do anything about those. And that brings me to my second main point: Why do you feel compelled to ceate this particular object with a MeshGrad anyway? Just because MeshGrads are all the buzz because they're relatively new, it doesn't necessarily follow that they are a panacea for everything.
Maybe you're just experimenting for familiarity with MeshGrads. If so, that's a good thing. But if this for actual real-world work, for the specific kind of thing you depict, I'd likely buld an Artbrush, and end up with something far easier to use, far more versatile, and which more reliably yields the "across-the-shape" graduation you want:
Once the Brush is built, using it is a simple matter of drawing a single spine path of any shape, instead of actually having to draw the outlines. On any path to which you apply the Brush, color and thinckness is controlled as if it were a single ordinary Stroke; just apply a different color and/or weight to the object's Stroke.
JET