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In this tutorial I’ll show you how to make an Interactive DVD player in Illustrator. To reach the final result we will use the instrument Rounded Rectangle Tool, the option 3D > Extrude & Bevel and the Map Art option.

Step 1

Open a new document with the dimensions 900px/1200px, pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool and create a rectangle with dimensions: Width: 639px, Height: 939px, Corner Radius: 40px.

Step 2

Create another rectangle with dimensions: Width: 520px, Height: 66px, Corner Radius: 40px in the top part of the first rectangle in position as shown below:

Step 3

Now select both rectangles you have created earlier, open the Pathfinder Panel by going to Window > Pathfinder (Shift+Command+F9) and click on the Minus Front button.

Step 4

Pick the Rectangle Tool (M), create a rectangle with dimensions: 563px/390px and fill with Linear Gradient by going to Window > Swatch Libraries > Gradients > Metals, select the Silver gradient.

Step 5

As the last rectangle you created is still selected, go to Object > Path > Offset Path, select Offset: -4px, click OK and fill the newly created rectangle with Linear Gradient from grey to dark grey.

Step 6

Now choose the Pen Tool(P) and draw a line in the bottom of the last created rectangle and also in the left part. Turn off the Fill Colour and apply Stroke Colour: Black and Weight: 5px.

Step 7

Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a rectangle underneath the DVD display with the same width as the rectangle from Step 1. Fill with black, create a circle with dimensions: 130px/130px, position it on the right side of the previous rectangle.

Step 8

Select the rectangle and the circle, open the Pathfinder Panel and click on the Add To Shape Area button.

Step 9

With the shape created in Step 8 still selected, go to Object > Path > Offset Path, in the window, set Offset: -2px, press OK and change the filling color to R=51 G=51 B=51.

Step 10

Select the Ellipse Tool (L) and create a circle over the last created shape on the right side that appeared after applying Offset. Fill with white.

Step 11

With the circle still selected, go to Object > Path > Offset Path and set Offset: -1px. Click OK and fill with Linear Gradient – Window > Swatch Libraries > Gradients > Metals and pick the Chrome Gradient. Straight after that, go to Effect > Blur > Radial Blur, set Amount: 100, Blur Method: Spin, Quality: Good and click OK.

Step 12

With the circle you applied Radial Blur to still selected, go to Object > Path > Offset Path and in the new opening window set Offset: -20px and click OK.

Step 13

With as the circle still selected, open the Appearance Panel by going to Window > Appearance (Shift+F6), delete the Radial Blur effect by selecting it with the mouse and dragging it to the bin and fill with Linear Gradient as shown in the picture below.

Step 14

With the circle still selected, go to Object > Path > Offset Path, set Offset: -4px, click OK and change the Fill Colour to black.

Step 15

Pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool and create an ellipse with dimensions – Width: 30px Height: 15px Corner Radius: 40 px. Fill with black and move the ellipse into position as shown in the picture below.

Step 16

With the ellipse still selected, go to Object > Path > Offset Path and in the new window set the Offset: -2px. Click OK and fill the newly created ellipse with Linear Gradient containing colours from grey to black, then move the ellipse a few pixels downwards and to the left.

Step 17

Select the last two ellipses and group them. To do this, select both ellipses and go to Object > Group (Command+G). With the two ellipses selected, go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform, in the new window set Copies: 9, Move: Horizontal 45px. Turn on Preview to see the final result and if you are happy with it click OK.

Step 18

Pick the Ellipse Tool (L) and create a circle with dimensions: 12px/12px under the shapes from Step 17 and fill with colour R=128, G=128, B=128.

Step 19

With the circle still selected, go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform, in the new dialogue window choose the following settings: Copies: 35 Horizontal: 16px and click OK.

Step 20

With the newly created circles still selected, go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform and in the new window choose the following settings: Copies: 3 Vertical: -16. Click OK and straight after that go to Object > Expand Appearance.

Step 21

Copy the circles from Step 20 using Command+C followed by Command+F, change the Fill colour to black and move the copies a little bit downwards and slightly to the left as shown in the picture below.

Step 22

Pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool and create a rectangle with dimensions: 570px/30px and Corner Radius: 40px. Fill with black.

Step 23

With the last shape you created still selected, go to Object > Path > Offset Path and in the new window set Offset: -2px and click OK. After that, change the Fill colour to grey and move the new created shape you applied Offset to a little upwards and to the right.

Step 24

Select all shapes excluding the shape from Step 2 and group them by going to Object > Group (Command+G).

Step 25

Select the group you just created, open the Symbols Panel (Shift+Command+F11) drag the shapes into the Symbols Panel. This will create a new symbol, which will be used in the next steps.

Step 26

Now select the shape from Step 2 and go to Effect > 3D > Extrude & Bevel and in the new window choose the following settings: Specify Rotation Around the X Axis: -26, Specify Rotation around the Y Axis: 30, Specify Rotation Around The Z Axis: -35, Perspective: 45, Extrude Depth: 100pt.

Turn on Preview to see the perspective and click OK on the Map Art button. In the new window select the Symbol you created in the previous step and click OK.

Step 27

With the player still selected, go to Object > Expand Appearance, then ungroup the shapes by going to Object > Ungroup (Shift+Command+G) and select the side shapes of the player, open the Pathfinder Panel (Shift+Command+F9), click on the Add To Shape Area button and fill with Linear Gradient as showed in the picture below.

Step 28

Select the shapes as showed on the picture below, open the Pathfinder Panel (Shift+Command+F9), click on the Add To Shape Area button and fill with Linear Gradient as shown below.

Step 29

Select the main shape of the player using the Direct Selection Tool (A) and fill with Linear Gradient.

Step 30

Copy the shape you filled with Linear Gradient from the previous step using Command+C and position it on-top Command+F.

Step 31

With the shape you have positioned over the others selected, go to Object > Path > Offset Path and in the new window set Offset: -4px and click OK. This way we will duplicate the shape in a smaller size. With the smaller shape still selected, go to Object > Path > Offset Path and in the new window set Offset: -4px and click OK.

Now we have two duplicates. You can delete the original’s path. Select the bigger shape and move it above the smaller shape by going to Object > Arrange > Bring Forward. Turn off the Fill colour and apply Stroke colour with weight: 8x. The colour isn’t important because we will fill the shape with Linear Gradient.

Step 32

With the shape you applied Stroke colour to selected, go to Object > Path > Outline Stroke and fill it with Linear Gradient.

Step 33

Now select the copy that has remained under the previous shape. Turn off the Fill colour and apply Stroke Color black and Weight: 5px.

Step 34

Select the shapes of the player and group them by selecting all the shapes and going to Object > Group.

Step 35

Pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool and create a rectangle with dimensions: 400px/700px; Corner Radius: 40px. In the next steps we’ll apply a 3D effect to the rectangle we have created, but before that we need to create the symbol we will apply it to.

Step 36

Pick the Ellipse Tool (L) and create a circle with dimensions 25px/25px. Fill it with Linear Gradient by going to Window > Swatch Libraries > Gradients > Metals and selecting the Silver Gradient.

Step 37

With circle selected, go to Object > Path > Offset Path and in the new window set Offset: -2px. Click OK and change the colour to black.

Step 38

With the black circle still selected go to Object > Path > Offset Path and in the new window set Offset: -2 px. Click OK and fill with Linear Gradient with colours from white to black. Reduce the Opacity to 60% as shown in the picture below.

Step 39

Create more shapes using the same technique, open the Symbols Panel by going to Window > Symbols (Shift+Command+F11) and drag the shapes in the Symbols panel.

Step 40

Select the rectangle from Step 35, go to Effect > 3D > Extrude & Bevel and select the following settings: Specify Rotation Around The X Axis: -26, Specify Rotation Around The Y Axis: 40, Specify Rotation Around The Z Axis: -35, Perspective: 45, Extrude Depth: 100pt. Turn on Preview to see the perspective and click the Map Art button. In the new window select the symbol you created in the previous step and click OK.

Step 41

With the newly created shape you applied the 3D effect to selected, move it behind the player by going to Object > Arrange > Send to Back and position the shape as showed in the picture below.

Step 42

Continue creating the parts of the player. Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a rectangle with dimensions: 345px/610px. Create one more rectangle with dimensions: 210px/330px. Position it over the previous one, open the Pathfinder Panel and click the Minus Front button.

Step 43

Pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool and create a rectangle with dimensions: 300px/196px, Round Corners: 40px then create another wider rectangle and position it in the top part of the previous one. Select both rectangles, open the Pathfinder Panel and click the Minus Front button, have a look at the picture below for reference.

Step 44

Now select the shape from Step 42 and go to Effect >3D >Extrude & Bevel and in the new window do the following settings: Specify Rotation Around The X Axis: -69, Specify Rotation Around The Y Axis: 47, Specify Rotation Around The Z Axis: -26, Perspective: 0, Extrude Depth: 25pt and click OK.

Step 45

Select the smaller shape and go to Effect >3D >Extrude & Bevel and in the new window chose the following settings: Specify Rotation Around The X Axis: -3, Specify Rotation Around The Y Axis: 41, Specify Rotation Around The Z Axis: -26, Perspective: 0, Extrude Depth: 25pt click OK and move the shape behind the previous one in a position as shown below.

Step 46

Now select the last two shapes and go to Object > Expand Appearance.

Step 47

Pick the Direct Selection Tool (A), press and hold Shift, then click on the right sides of the shape, open the Pathfinder Panel, click the Add To Shape Area button and go to Object > Arrange > Bring to Front. After that fill with Linear Gradient as shown in the picture below.

Step 48

Continue filling the shapes with Gradient. To do this, click on the shape you will fill using the Direct Selection Tool (A), go to Gradient Panel and fill it in.

Step 49

Send the last shape behind all the others by going to Object > Arrange > Send to Back (Shift+Command+[) and position it as shown.

Step 50

Now it is time to create a disk. A good tutorial on the subject is How to Make a Vector CD. After you’ve created the disk, select all the shapes from the disk and go to Effect > 3D > Rotate, in the new window select the following settings: Specify Rotation Around The X Axis: -32, Specify Rotation Around The Y Axis: 51, Specify Rotation Around The Z Axis: -48, click OK and position the disk between the player and the shape created after it.

Step 51

Pick the Rounded Rectangle Tool and create a rectangle with dimensions:20px/340px and Corner Radius: 40px with black colour and white Stroke colour, weight: 5px. Rotate the shape and position it under the disk, it should look similar to the picture below.

Conclusion

To finish your illustration you can add a Shadow background in a way you want.

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