How to turn a sphere into a rectangle?

[welshmcspicy]

Hello,
I've searched the forums but haven't found any similar post.

Basically I have a sphere that I want to turn into a rectangle.

I guess the best way for me to describe it is the reverse of taking the left and right sides of a landscape photo and bending them up and around to form a sphere.

I'm loath to mess with tools that tend to liquify or smudge since I want to retain the clarity of the original content as much as possible.

Hope that makes sense. Appreciate any recommendations.
Thanks
Tony.

 

[Argos]

Maybe i don't understand entirely the problem without the image, but not will be easier to create the rectangle directly?

 

[welshmcspicy]

Let me explain further.
For example, take an image of an iris (of the eye). I want to turn that into a rectangular representation. So my starting point is a spherical shape, no way around that unfortunately.

 

[welshmcspicy]

Here's mock-up example:

 

[Argos]

Why no cut the eye with a rectangle selection?
But i think my inglish is not good enought and i can't understand the problem, so lets see what other members say XD

Cheers!

 

[dv8_fx]

This work of mine is nutz.....lol.

Had to try the Puppet Warp on it.... may need a bit of trial and error where to add the anchor points and a whole lot of wrestling to straighten the edges..... but it just might work....





Someone here may have something else.....

 

[Eggy]

Is it this you had in mind:

into


In this case I used the 'smudge tool'

 

[Tom Mann]

Have u considered the polar to rectangular conversion tool?

Tom M

 

[Hoogle]

Oh tom already suggested my solution take your image go to filter > Distort > Polar Coordinates then check the box at the bottom that states rectangular. using Eggys image this is what you get



Becomes

 

[Paul]

Try the shear tool mate