Illustrator; create marble effect on small line.

[Dal123]

I'm trying to create this effect on ruler markings and the whole of the ruler so it's the length of the page and a nice effect. I've tried using a radial gradient with blue and white but no luck. It gets a bit tricky have to remove stoke and fill.
Can anyone recommend any tutorials for this on a line. I've done this effect on rectangle but bit trickier on line. I think they may not be possible on a line as it just shows a line as the fill. How do I convert these to rectangles?

 

[Kwill]

Head-spinning confusion can't process request

 

[Dal123]

I understand Kwill:
See this picture attached. The 5 ruler markings on the bottom right don't have a stroke attached, but are filled with a gradient. Notice how you can barely see it as it's so small. The ones above have a massive stroke.
I guess I have to draw rectangles, It took me a long time to draw these with the pen tool I think but I don't have time to redo all this work as it's for my own business and I work 12 hours a day 6 days a week. Unfortunately as I love graphics and web design.
I'm hoping someone can conjure a remedy to my dilemma, possibly with an applescript to convert to rectangles and format with a gradient or action to do this. Or better, to format these with the pen tool.
Any input appreciated . You guys are lucky if you do this for a living. It's so interesting .

 

[UTclassof89]

To turn a stroke into a filled rectangle in Illustrator, select it, then choose OBJECT > Path > Outline stroke (then fill all resulting rectangles with your chosen gradient at once).

 

[Dal123]

Thanks very much UTClass that's exactly what I wanted. Cheers buddy .

 

[studio¹³¹]

it would be much easier to outline stroke > group > and then mask the image you want in those markings -- takes 2 minutes...

 

[Dal123]

So when you say 'mask' and image I'm guessing the image is placed into the background of them markings.
If so this is not the effect I am after as I want each marking to seem like it is 3d on the page and each marking the same.

 

[Kwill]

Terminology?

Phrases are being used that are obfuscating this discussion.

"Marble" -> Gradient
You don't need a mask. Are all the ruled lines strokes?

1. Drag selection around all the ruled lines.
2. Select Expand from Object menu (choosing "Stroke" only).
3. While everything is selected, double click Gradient on toolbar.
4. Build your gradient in the palette.
5. Save gradient in your Swatches palette.
6. Done.

 

[Dal123]

Thanks Kwill, and UTClass .
I have created this gradient and am pleased with it for the moment. I want this as a graphic style. I go to drag it onto the graphic style window but it does not place. I'm using Illustrator CS2.
It's fine to drag a basic colour with one simple effect but anything more than one does not work. Am I fighting a loosing battle (Not possible in CS2?) Surely that's the point of graphic styles and styles already in the library have far more complex appearances.
Any help appreciated as not being able to reuse graphic styles is really slowing me down.