Sorry if this is ridiculously easy for you vector peeps, I’m just a lowly dev : )
If it IS possible, I’d like to know how. (note, not from black to white but from black to transparent)
Image isn’t loading for me.
Is that a “loading image” loop or is that the actual image you want to vectorize? 
nah just the shape… Ignore the spinning ; )
So you want, essentially, a doughnut that goes from black to transparent?
pretty much yeah.
Well, you could make two circles and use the small one to clip the big one to make the donut. Then use a gradient on the donut. I don’t think you could use transparency in the gradient though - I can’t remember. You might have to get fancy with masks to do that.
But you have to remember that the gradient on the doughnut will be linear (from one point to another) and not ‘following the circle’ so to speak…
You can make a linear or circular gradient on a shape (circle).
Use the primitive oval tool.
Set the inner radius to create the donut.
Not sure about the gradient.
Lunatic, afaik the circular (radient) gradient does it from the core out. Not from “0-360 degrees”? 
Really? I thought you could mess with the properties on that? I’ll have to check sometime (don’t have it at work and going river rafting tomorrow!).
I’ll have to check back with you about that one.
Any reason it has to be vector? The gradient with transparency would be dead easy in photoshop. Not sure how to do that bit in a vector program.
Not a huge reason, but it’s gonna be scaled. Hence the topic is it possible to make as a vector.
A bitmap is no problem, I’m aware of that.
if its going to be scaled just make a really really big version in PS
If you can’t figure out how to make it with Illustrator, or whatever, you could try making a fake-ish one: http://reclipse.net/kirupa/circleAlphaTwirlBig.html
Heh, mind sharing the source for that? : )
You can make that shape in Illustrator using blends as opacity mask.
[QUOTE=sekasi;2349601]Heh, mind sharing the source for that? : )[/QUOTE]
I made this several years ago, so the source is kind of messy, but here it is:
var numCircles:Number = 95;
var centerX:Number = 250;
var centerY:Number = 250;
var radius:Number = 180;
var angle:Number = numCircles/180;
var radians:Number = (360/numCircles)*Math.PI/180;
var count:Number = 1;
for (i=0; i<numCircles; i++) {
this.createEmptyMovieClip("circle"+i, i);
drawCircle(this["circle"+i], 35, 0x99FF00, 100);
this["circle"+i]._x = centerX+Math.sin(radians*i)*radius;
this["circle"+i]._y = centerY+Math.cos(radians*i)*radius;
this["circle"+i]._alpha = i*(100/numCircles);
trace(this["circle"+i]._alpha);
}
this.onEnterFrame = function() {
for (i=0; i<numCircles; i++) {
if (this["circle"+i]._alpha<=0) {
this["circle"+i]._alpha = 100;
}
this["circle"+i]._alpha -= 2;
}
};
function drawCircle(target_mc:MovieClip, radius:Number, fillColor:Number, fillAlpha:Number):Void {
var x:Number = radius;
var y:Number = radius;
with (target_mc) {
beginFill(fillColor, fillAlpha);
moveTo(x+radius, y);
curveTo(radius+x, Math.tan(Math.PI/8)*radius+y, Math.sin(Math.PI/4)*radius+x, Math.sin(Math.PI/4)*radius+y);
curveTo(Math.tan(Math.PI/8)*radius+x, radius+y, x, radius+y);
curveTo(-Math.tan(Math.PI/8)*radius+x, radius+y, -Math.sin(Math.PI/4)*radius+x, Math.sin(Math.PI/4)*radius+y);
curveTo(-radius+x, Math.tan(Math.PI/8)*radius+y, -radius+x, y);
curveTo(-radius+x, -Math.tan(Math.PI/8)*radius+y, -Math.sin(Math.PI/4)*radius+x, -Math.sin(Math.PI/4)*radius+y);
curveTo(-Math.tan(Math.PI/8)*radius+x, -radius+y, x, -radius+y);
curveTo(Math.tan(Math.PI/8)*radius+x, -radius+y, Math.sin(Math.PI/4)*radius+x, -Math.sin(Math.PI/4)*radius+y);
curveTo(radius+x, -Math.tan(Math.PI/8)*radius+y, radius+x, y);
endFill();
}
}
if you just want the static graphic with that gradient, try gradients blend methods (3 point gradient) or maybe easiest option is to create two shapes… one as a solid colour and then a cut shape at the edge with the gradient.
actually even easier than that… develop a normal straight shape, apply the gradient then apply a envelope warp to make it a circle.
