3D Icon Tutorial

[2xsess]

3d Channel X thingy
1/ Open a new document 480x480
2/ Fill Layer 1 with black
3/ Create a new layer and rename it pill.
4/ Using the elliptical marquee tool draw pill shape in the centre and fill with white, deselect CTRL D. CTRL E to merge it with layer 1


5/ Apply a Gaussian blur of 16px then 8 then 4 then 2 then 1 to create a nice smooth blur.
6/ CTRL SHIFT D then expand the selection to encompass the blur SELECT>MODIFY>EXPAND 5-10px then SELECT>MODIFY>SMOOTH 5-10px

7/ Press Ctrl J to copy the selection to a new layer and then hide layer 1, you should now have a pill shape on a separate layer rename this layer Fred.
8/ Copy the layer Fred, CTRL T rotate the shape 90 degrees, and set the layer blend mode to LIGHTEN.

9/ CTRL E to merge these two layers, then make a selection of the result (CTRL click the layer) then copy the selection CTRL C.
10/ Open the channels palette and create a new channel. Paste the selection into the new channel with CTRL V.

Return to the layers tab and select the Fred layer.
11/ FILTER>RENDER>LIGHTING AFFECTS use illustrated settings as a guide.
Use texture channel Alpha 1, adjust settings to achieve a nice 3d affect without to much white, then click OK.

You should end up with something like this :S

12/ Create a new layer above Fred, select the new layer then EDIT>FILL select a PATTERN and click OK to fill the selection. Set the layer blending properties to OVERLAY and rename to pattern.

13/ Create a new layer above pattern and rename it highlight. Contract the selection, SELECT>MODIFY>CONTRACT and use 10-15 px and fill the selection with white, now de-select CTRL D.
14/ Using the elliptical marquee tool draw a circle in the centre of the highlight layer and delete the central part CTRL D to deselect and you end up with this.

15/ Copy this layer and inverse it so it’s black ( CTRL I ) and name it shadow.
16/ Reselect the highlight layer and press V for the move tool, press the down arrow key once and the right arrow key once.

Create a new layer above the shadow layer and call it pattern 2, Ctrl click the shadow layer to make a selection and SELECT>MODIFY>CONTRACT by 1 pixel. ( keep selected until told otherwise ).
EDIT>FILL and select a pretty pattern to fill the selection with and set this layer to OVERLAY.
Then select the shadow layer press delete key to delete the selection.
Then select the highlight layer press delete key to delete the selection.
Then select the pattern layer and press delete key to delete the selection.
Then CTRL D to de-select

Add a background and you should end up with this something like this

PLease never send this tutorail to other forums without my permission

[ursula]

Wow, great effect Good job!

[Tenchido]

Wow...I'm going to use that for a logo sometime!!!

[Chaos]

Thats pretty cool. I'll throw that in something sometime. Good job!

[Brian]

Wow that looks really cool. Nice effect.

[softcell72]

<<CTRL SHIFT D then expand the selection to >>

Ot looks really kewl but since I&#39;m a Noob...I know damn us.lol
it would help if when you use the keyboard short cuts you told us the "other" way to do so..PS hates my wireless keyboard and none of the keyboard short cuts works.
it sucks.

[Snowboardgeek54]

great&#33; i never would have thought of anything like that&#33;

[dragonlord]

wow nice effect&#33;
GJ

[PREDATOR.]

NICE&#33; but when i try, step 6 i cant select "EXPAND" whe i go to the menue? any ideas why??>

[2xsess]

There could be several reasons, you may have lost your selection or have the wrong layer selected.