Text Effect - Metal

Here's that small tutorial I promised. Using Painter 6, but should be backwards compatable.

Start with a File/New canvas size that gives you plenty of room to move. Then pick the text tool (the big A) in the Tools pallete (this may take a while to load if you have a lot of fonts), and click on the left side of the canvas.

In the Controls:Text pallete choose a common font (click next to font, Ariel? is near the top), and a larger Point Size of about 80 to 100 (works best with larger or more rounded fonts). Here you can drag the little pointer, click on the arrows, or click on the number and type in the amount.

Then type in Metal, or?

Go to the Objects pallete, click on Layers, and notice your text highlighted, in reverse. At the bottom, click on the Group button, then the Collapse button, and then Commit All in the pop-up if it appears. You need to commit/turn Group(1) into a Layer(1) to proceed.

Now go to Menu/Effects/Surface Control/Apply Surface Texture. In the pop-up window, next to Using, pick the Layer 1 Mask, and then drag the Softness to between 2.3 and 5.7 . (Aha!, interesting soft bevel effect here). Go to the Reflection slider and slide to 100%.

Now, go to the Art Materials palette and open up Patterns. Hit the bumpy bar with the down triangle if you can't see the full library and pick an evironmental/reflection map. Should be one there (it looks like a shiny metal ball), but if you don't have one in sight, click on the white text bar below the pattern samples and choose Load Library. Try and find the eMaps 1 Pattern.ptl (pattern library) in the Extra Art Materials folder or on CD. Find one of those shiny balls someplace.

Back in the Apply Surface Texture pop-up window you should have a pretty good looking metal effect on your text in the Preview box. Time to tweek/experiment/play with the Softness, Amount, Shine, Reflection, and Light Control sliders to get the effect you like. If your Preview shows a lot of jaggies, back in Patterns, slide the Scale bar , at the bottom, to the teens or 20's. While your there, pick some other Patterns and see what shows up.

Don't forget a drop shadow (Menu/Effects/Objects/Create Drop Shadow) for extra added depth and definition.

Experiment! Have fun! Enjoy!

Bru

[This message was edited by BR on September 11, 2000 at 04:15 PM.]

Here's that small tutorial I promised. Using Painter 6, but should be backwards compatable.

Start with a File/New canvas size that gives you plenty of room to move. Then pick the text tool (the big A) in the Tools pallete (this may take a while to load if you have a lot of fonts), and click on the left side of the canvas.

In the Controls:Text pallete choose a common font (click next to font, Ariel? is near the top), and a larger Point Size of about 80 to 100 (works best with larger or more rounded fonts). Here you can drag the little pointer, click on the arrows, or click on the number and type in the amount.

Then type in Metal, or?

Go to the Objects pallete, click on Layers, and notice your text highlighted, in reverse. At the bottom, click on the Group button, then the Collapse button, and then Commit All in the pop-up if it appears. You need to commit/turn Group(1) into a Layer(1) to proceed.

Now go to Menu/Effects/Surface Control/Apply Surface Texture. In the pop-up window, next to Using, pick the Layer 1 Mask, and then drag the Softness to between 2.3 and 5.7 . (Aha!, interesting soft bevel effect here). Go to the Reflection slider and slide to 100%.

Now, go to the Art Materials palette and open up Patterns. Hit the bumpy bar with the down triangle if you can't see the full library and pick an evironmental/reflection map. Should be one there (it looks like a shiny metal ball), but if you don't have one in sight, click on the white text bar below the pattern samples and choose Load Library. Try and find the eMaps 1 Pattern.ptl (pattern library) in the Extra Art Materials folder or on CD. Find one of those shiny balls someplace.

Back in the Apply Surface Texture pop-up window you should have a pretty good looking metal effect on your text in the Preview box. Time to tweek/experiment/play with the Softness, Amount, Shine, Reflection, and Light Control sliders to get the effect you like. If your Preview shows a lot of jaggies, back in Patterns, slide the Scale bar , at the bottom, to the teens or 20's. While your there, pick some other Patterns and see what shows up.

Don't forget a drop shadow (Menu/Effects/Objects/Create Drop Shadow) for extra added depth and definition.

Experiment! Have fun! Enjoy!

Bru

[This message was edited by BR on September 11, 2000 at 04:15 PM.]

xxx

[This message was edited by rosebytes on October 12, 2000 at 04:52 PM.]

Looks good, and glad I could be of help.
Will try and keep posting them as time allows [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

Br........

Bruce,

Thank you so much for that fabulous tutorial. You didn't miss a thing! You consisely told us every step. Everything worked the way you said it would. It was well written and tremendous fun to follow! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

I didn't get to try it until now.

Thank you so much for sharing that tutorial and thank you so much for donating the time it took to create it.

Athena