Can this stacked box effect be done using just CSS? - css

Question

I have seen other complex effects being done with just CSS like the stacked paper effect:
http://jsfiddle.net/thefrontender/LwW7g/
<div class="slide expandable-slide">Title</div>
<div class="slide">Title</div>
.slide {
float: left;
display: block;
position: relative;
background: #FFF;
height: 10em;
width: 10em;
padding: 1em;
border: solid 2px #000;
margin-right: 2em;
}
.expandable-slide {
margin: 2em 2em 0 2em;
box-shadow: -1em -1em #666,
-2em -2em #333;
}
My need is very similar except the 2 outer edges need to connect with the main frontal div:
Anyone know of any tricks that can make this possible?

Answer 1

If you're able to use CSS pseudo-elements:
.slide {
position: relative;
width: 200px; /* arbitrary, adjust to taste */
height: 500px; /* arbitrary, adjust to taste */
border: 2px solid #000;
border-right-width: 40px; /* this is the 'depth' of the 'sides' */
border-bottom-width: 40px;
}
.slide::before {
content: '';
position: absolute;
top: -2px; /* to cover the top of the border */
left: 100%;
border: 20px solid #fff;
border-bottom-color: transparent; /* allows the containing element's border to be seen */
border-left-color: transparent;
}
.slide::after {
content: '';
position: absolute;
top: 100%;
left: -2px;
border: 20px solid #fff;
border-top-color: transparent;
border-right-color: transparent;
}
JS Fiddle demo.
The above uses the following HTML:
<div class="slide">Title</div>

Answer 2

You could stack multiple box shadows to attain the effect you're after:
.slide {
height: 200px;
width: 100px;
padding: 1em;
border: solid 2px #000;
}
.expandable-slide {
margin: 10px 10px 0 10px;
box-shadow: 1px 1px #999,
2px 2px #999,
3px 3px #999,
4px 4px #999,
5px 5px #999,
6px 6px #999,
7px 7px #999,
8px 8px #999,
9px 9px #999,
10px 10px #999;
}
jsFiddle example

Answer 3

You could do it this way (not the most elegant but works like a charm):
.expandable-slide {
margin: 2em 2em 0 2em;
box-shadow: 0.05em 0.05em #555,
0.1em 0.1em #555,
0.15em 0.15em #555,
0.2em 0.2em #555,
0.25em 0.25em #555,
0.3em 0.3em #555,
0.35em 0.35em #555,
0.4em 0.4em #555,
0.45em 0.45em #555,
0.5em 0.5em #555
;
}
fiddle

Answer 4

.expandable-slide {
position: relative;
margin: 2em 2em 0 2em;
box-shadow: 20px 25px 0px 0px #333;
}
.expandable-slide:before {
position: absolute;
content: "";
color: #333;
background: #333;
width: 0px;
height: 0px;
border-right: 15px solid #333;
border-top: 10px solid #333;
border-bottom: 15px solid #fff; /*match background color*/
border-left: 10px solid #fff;/*match background color*/
top: 194px;
left: 0px;
}
.expandable-slide:after {
position: absolute;
content: "";
color: #333;
background: #333;
width: 0px;
height: 0px;
border-bottom: 15px solid #333;
border-left: 10px solid #333;
border-right: 10px solid #fff; /*match background color*/
border-top: 15px solid #fff;/*match background color*/
top: 0px;
left: 194px;
}