INFOGRAPHIC SERIES - 3D RIBBONS CHART

Create a 3D ribbon-effect that looks like a dimensional wall of information. 

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Start with a rectangle, add a fill color, no stroke.

Duplicate the rectangle 3 times and use 3 different colors. Make sure the rectangles are butted against each other.

Duplicate the first set of 4 rectangle and group the second set.  

Under the Effect menu, choose Distort & Transform, Free Distort.

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Distort one side vertically, keeping the line vertical and not distorting the shape width wise, only height wise.

The results are a wider set of rectangles. Go under the Object Menu and choose Expand Appearance to make the shapes render as objects and no longer an effect.

The result of the Expand appearance is actual distorted shapes.

Copy the first set of 4 rectangles to the right side and snap them to the left edge of the existing rectangles.

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Scale the rectangles to match the height of the distorted rectangles.

Select the center set of rectangles and go the the Edit menu and choose Edit Colors>Adjust Color Balance

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Check the Convert check box, check the preview box, then slide the black slider to the right to add more black overall to the colors.

The results is an overall darkening of the shapes color without having to edit each color individually.

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3D ribbons with a change of value as the panels turn.

To round the ends take the Direct Selection Tool and select just the left edge of the rectangles and pull the Corner Widgets in to the center of the rectangle.

And you get nice rounded ends. Hot dog ends!

And here is your final graphic.