--Problem with aligning lens-flare effect--

[Happy2bMe]

Nice forums you lot got here! Well done to all who created this site! I wish I had found this place sooner! I have a question for all you PhotoShopperz!

I created an image of a cartoon character holding a torch (thats a flashlight for all our American friends on here!). Well I decided that I wanted a beam of light coming out of the torch so I decided to use the "Lens Flare" effect from the KPT plug-in. The effect is awesome but Im having trouble with alighning the beam of light.

The problem is that the torch thats in the picture is tilted down at an angle so of course the light beam has to come out at that same angle!

The problem I'm having is adjusting the ANGLE of the lens-flare light beam in KPT with the angle of the torch.

In a nutshell: The torch and lens-flare have to be in one straight line but the lens-flare is coming out crooked (like a straight peice of wire with a bend in the middle).

Is it possible to manipulate the *angle* of the lens-flare in KPT?

Because now my torch is pointed straight down but its beam is going a little sideways!

Thanx for reading this and I hope you can help

 

[dv8_fx]

I can't picture how your image is but I can suggest something....

I don't know with you but I never liked the KPT glare. Use the Photoshop's glare on a layer mask in screen mode for better control of the layer. This way you don't destroy the original image.

Create a new layer above the torch or image layer and fill with black.

Add layer mask ( MENU>LAYER>ADD LAYER MASK>REVEAL ALL ).

Select and make active the mask (not image) icon in the layer pallete.

Create the glare. Tip: For more effects, apply the filter twice using different settings for the second apply. Don't move the crosshairs when doing this.

Set the layer properties to screen and lower opacity ( experiment with other properties for an effect you like )

You can now move the glare around and even rotate it.

Come to think about it, Ive never tried this with the KPT filter . If you still prefer the effect of KPT, try this and tell me how it goes.

Hope this helps.

vee

 

[dv8_fx]

Oh yeah, Welcome to boards , Happy2bMe 8} .

vee

 

[Happy2bMe]

Yay

Nice one Vee! Thanx for all the info! I shall print out what you told me and have a go at it and then post back on 'ere.

Im new at PhotoShop so on a scale of 0-10 (where 10=expert) Im @ 1.2 heh heh. Long way to go. So bear with me if I seem a little slow at times!

Incidentally I came to PhotoShop on the suggestion of a good friend. In the past I always worked on (dont laugh) MS Paint. So the switch to PhotoShop is the software equivalent of going from a horse-drawn carriage to a Lexus...heh heh.

Oh yeh and thanx 4 the welcome

 

[MindBender]

The KPT lens flare does a lot of things that the built in lens flare SHOULD have done. Like bein able to draw the flare in multiple colors and on a transparent layer (very convenient). No need for all the blending mode tricks and such. If you're using the KPT flare, you could make a new layer for the flare and just use the good 'ol free transform to move it around, rotate, and generally tweak it to taste.

I'm also having issues picturing what you'd want to use the flare for in your image though, it doesn't quite seem like the right effect, but it's not my piece, so have at it. hehe

Welcome to the wonderful world of photoshop. Check your sanity at the door

 

[wbiss]

Welcome to the party Happy2bMe! 8}

 

[Happy2bMe]

Wbiss & MindBender

Wbiss:
-------
Thanx! Partaaay!

Mindbender:
-------------

I'm also having issues picturing what you'd want to use the flare for in your image though, it doesn't quite seem like the right effect, but it's not my piece, so have at it. hehe

Yeh its hard to describe a picture in words. lets say you draw a flashlight in PhotoShop. Now say you want to create a beam of light comin' out of it...but with that camera-like reflection going on...thats the effect Im looking for.

One of the tabs in KPT is the Reflection tab. The "Type" drop-down menu includes "flashlight" - exactly wot I was looking for hee hee. Same for the "Streaks" tab which also has a flashlight-type streak-selection under its drop-menu. It looks well nice when this KPT lens-flare is applied to a light-source in your image (car headlights, aircraft landing lights, flashlights etc etc )

You made a good point about using the free transform to fiddle with the light-beam! I had a feeling the solution was staring me in the face all the time. I'll 'ave a go at it now then...

Thanx!

 

[Geoff]

heya Happy2bMe its great to have you here i know you'll fit in quit nicely here in our little photoshop world 8} 8} Welcome aboard B7 B7

 

[Sanby]

Welcome Happy2bMe Great to have you along 8} 8}

Lol, everyone's going crazy with the party animal smilie 8} 8}

Sanby

 

[Erik]

Don't click on the "new layer" icon at the bottom of the layers palette, but go to the Layer menu.

Choose New Layer, set Mode to Hard light and check the neutral color checkbox.

Keep this layer-filled-with-50%grey active and use your Lensflare powertool to your liking.
When done, click ok.

Hard light will ignore the 50%gray and you can now move your flare as you fancy without affecting your image.

Have fun!

 

[Happy2bMe]

Yayayaya

Geoff & Sanby:
-----------------
Thanx 4 the welcome! Yeh Im sure Im gonna enjoy myself on 'ere a lot. I got bitten by the PhotoShop bug big-time. Put it this way if I had a gf I woulda been dumped a long time ago cuz if she wanted to to go the movies I would have insisted we stay home and rasterize something instead.

Ok Im not that bad bahahaha, time to partayyyy

Erik:
-----
Cheers for u're input! Im making some more images and I shall apply the technique u suggested! Its very interesting to see everyone replying to this thread giving different ways to do the same thing, thats wot I like about PShop! Wicked!

 

[Geoff]

one day that lucky girl will come by and sweep you off your pixels

 

[dv8_fx]

Say erik. That's something new. I'll give that a shot.

vee

 

[Erik]

Yup...nother one: if you Alt-Click on the centre of Photoshop's own Lensflare, you get a dialog box in which you can fill in the exact coords. If you have noted them before applying the filter, you just have to fill 'em in.

 

[Squeeze]

thanks erik, 2 exellent little tips!

edit: also found that if you ALT click the new layer icon (bottom of thelayer palette) you get the same new layer menu, saves a few clicks !

 

[Erik]

And this is one I didn't know...isn't it great to always discover new shortcuts and hidden features in PS?

 

[wbiss]

B7 Erik & Squeeze!

Yep, I love "discovering" stuff like this. And it takes a forum like this to pool knowledge and share these kinds of things! 8)

 

[sfm]

Welcome aboard Happy2bMe.......... don't forget to show us your pic when your done he he he
sfm

 

[Guest]

Welcome to the board Happy2bMe and Squeeze

 

[AppleCider]

Welcome to the boards, Happy! Looks like you've gotten some great advice and tips.

As for being new, all of us were new to Photoshop once. And it's a flexible program with many ways of doing things, so we're still learning!