Preserved Topic: Lightning effects and roughness

Hello. I'm trying to learn to make 3d looking graphics with Photoshop using lightning effects. I learned alot but something I couldn't figured out is the rough end jagged bevels (bevels, not edges). Mostly, on the bevels of the image some rough effects can be seen. I tried to use blur but that makes the image too blurry to my taste. Is there a tricky way to produce clean, crisp 3d bevels without that roughness?

yep!
http://mokushi.net/catgirl
check my tut,

and i'm sure heaps of other tut sites out there will show you how to do this...

1) if your mask doesn't have good edges, neither will you finished product

2) make sure you check the 'preserve transparency' box for the layer you're working on before you blur.

3) check out this tutorial: http://www.gurusnetwork.com/tutorials/photoshop/depth1.html it covers a couple of methods for nice, clean, smooth bevels.

If you do a large area with a large height you're going to get those bevels, or steps, no matter what. Kinda looks like a topographic map right? If that's what you're talking about then blur is the way to go. Gaussian blur and set it as low as possible but enough to take the 'steps' out.

Jason

have you guys forget the Old Doc?

thanks for the replies all.

dl-44, the tutorial you wrote seems a good one, I will check that one out.

JKMabry:
"Kinda looks like a topographic map right?

exactly, what I mean! hmm, I see blur is the only way, right?



[This message has been edited by kensai (edited 08-08-2001).]

yup - lighting effects is a primitive (albeit powerful) filter.

it's not a 'one step' kinda deal, there is always refinement to be done. like I said, make sure you have the 'preserve transparency' box checked before you blur, and play aaround with different settings...

<repeat shameless plug>

this part of the tutorial: http://www.gurusnetwork.com/tutorials/photoshop/depth2.html deals directly with this issue in detail

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yah, as DL said, there is always refinement to be done... depending on what you're going for in the end. Lighting effects is normally just a beginning step for me if I'm going for a 3 dimensional effect, almlost a base at times to build on.

If you'd post what you have and a description of what you're after in the end, I'm sure you'd get 40 different ways to go about it you've stumbled onto the greatest Photoshop learning resource on the planet Earth you know.

Jason

Make that Universe. I get around a little more that JK.

maruman: love the rei wall you did. awesome. got it in 1600x1200?

to the topic at hand:
phong! has a beautiful technique.


[dis]contempt+[.org]

thanks for the all help. DL's and phong's tutorial seems have the ways I should look for.

JKMabry, here's a sample what I want to do: http://www.ocal.net/temp/lightning.jpg . I would like to hear your opinions on how to do such things.

[This message has been edited by kensai (edited 08-10-2001).]

coincidentally ( ), that same tutorial, as well as the one that goes along with it, will cover a good amount of the techniques you will need for that kind of work.

you'll also want to get to know the pen tool intimately. it's tough at first, but with a little practice you can do wondrous things.

Check out other tutorials at the gurus network for some of the highlighting methods you'll want to get familair with -

Steve's 'highlight/shadow mask tute: http://www.gurusnetwork.com/tutorials/photoshop/depth_masks.html

DG's water droplet tute: http://www.gurusnetwork.com/tutorials/photoshop/droplets.html

and others.

also check out phong's e-plastic one...that's pretty good.

side note: the images you posted, while they certainly do look good, are really *not* that difficult to create....it's just a matter of observing real objects to acheive realistic lighting, and plenty of *time* spent paying attention to the details.

there you have it!

Jason

thanks DL, yours and the ones you posted here covers the exact info I was looking for. thanks alot..