Sheet Metal?

[DominatorX]

How can i make sheet metal with photo shop. You know the metal with dimonds on it, seen on fire trucks, etc. PLz help.

 

[ToXin]

Hi, like most things there are too many different techniques to describe them all so I'll ask a couple of questions to focus what exactly you're looking for...

What kind of scale and size are we considering?
Do you want it to tile?

oh, do you want it 'clean and shiny' like aluminium, or 'rusty and distressed' likw this:

(this one uses an alpha channel and lighting effects to simulate a bump map, since the end use had bump mapping capability)

 

[DominatorX]

I want it shiny, I dunno about the scale the thing i wanna do is make text out of this so ya.

 

[ToXin]

So, something like this one perhaps?

It's a bit rough

 

[DominatorX]

Yeah that's awsome, but I do I make text out of it?

 

[ToXin]

Say something like this?

Or bigger / smaller text? Th reason I ask is that it makes a difference to how the ckecker plate is made so that it doesn't blur into a mess.

The basic Checkerplate is a pattern, which is then applied as a fill to enhance a simple texture - this way keeps maximum fiddleability to fine tune the appearance. (I'm only using PS5, I think 7 & CS have the ability to paint with a pattern using brush dynamics which could be even more useful)

 

[DominatorX]

Yeah, how canc I do that?

 

[ToXin]

Ok, I've made a set of illustrations so hopefully you'll understand my steps ;\

A couple of things first to explain why I've used specific sizes etc.

As the checkerplate needs to be reasonably small to be seen inside text, I started out with a 64 sq pixel doc. This is going to end up at 32.

Since the clouds filter produces a seamless tile in 64,128,256,512 etc I did this to make sure my little plate unit tiles at these sizes too.

Rather than creating a specific size plate and cutting text out of it, I made what I'll call a 'simple pattern tile unit', or unit. This means any size can be quickly and uniformally filled, save the pattern and you're good to go...


The first bit - make the 'unit'. [excited]

Step1: new doc @ 64 pixels square, guides put in at positions shown.

Step2: Background filled with 50% grey (more about that choice later).
Duplicate Background and rename this layer Top
Edit > Transform > Distort 'Top' and pull corners to guides...

Step3: Edit > Transform > Scale 'Top' to fit in middle...

Step4: Making the sides of the 'diamond'
Create another layer between Background and Top
Use the Polygon Lasso Tool to pick up the guides and fill triangles with shades as shown ( pick any shades you like, I found these to give a reasonable result)

Intermission: should have something similar to this -

 

[ToXin]

aahhhh, back with a coffee


ok then, Step6:

Merge Down 'Top' to 'Sides' so that the diamond is all on one layer, the break out the Edit > Transform > Scale tool to halve it's size into the top right...

Step7: Duplicate this scaled diamond layer, then use Filter > Other > Offset (-32,32) to put it into the bottom left

So, this is our 'unit' in realsize:

Select all and use Edit > Define Pattern to turn the unit into a pattern

One last thing, create a new document, with a larger size and fill it with the unit to check it tiles properly and doesn't have any 'artifacts'...

uhuh... pretty dull you may be thinking ' I'm underwhelmed'...well it only took 10 mins, whaddya expect!?!

Don't panic, that was just making a unit for a pattern.

 

[ToXin]

Apologies for the image heavy posts, if someone can tell me how to make thumbs I'll happily edit the pics down in size.

 

[DominatorX]

Thx dude it looks awsome but I still don't know how to put it on text.
BTW I have ps7

 

[DominatorX]

LOL I didn't read your last post carefully thx I got it now.THX a lot!

 

[Squeeze]

great work toxin!!! :}

 

[ToXin]

For the metal bit, take a look in the Tutorial Forum at Mark's Grunge Wall, or any one of all those 'metallic' tutorials dotted around the web.

Here's just 2 ways of doing the text thing..

The above composite shows 2 possible alternatives, each has the layer stack shown under it so you can see what I'm talking about.

Left: The Text is simply a typography layer, which remains editable if it isn't rendered (remember I'm in PS5 so 7 could be much better), above that are the metal base and then the pattern, both constrained to appear only where there is information in the underlying layer (the TEXT). You do this by holding down Alt and clicking n the line between the two layers if you don't know.

Right: A selection made from Text, filled with a metal texture and a layer above, using the same active selection, filled with the unit pattern. (layer3 is just a block fill so you can see what's happening)


Now, remember the 50% grey background to the unit pattern?
The layer stack on the right gives it away if you use the Hard Light blending mode for that layer, the underlying ones are lightened or darkened respectively with 50% grey having no effect.

Having made both, I preferred the method on the left because it retains maximum fiddleability. The text can be edited (or the font changed) The metal can be independently adjusted for colour, saturation, brightness or anything else and the pattern can be positioned by using the move tool to get the diamonds where they look best within the text. All non-destructive, completely reversible alterations.

 

[ToXin]

And finally for completeness...

The other way - Alpha channel & Filter > Render > Lighting Effects

Same setup as before for the size and guides, just so it's easy

now instead of making the diamond, use Diamond Gradient Tool to get this...

and the same transformations to get this

Now instead of applying this 'unit' to a layer, apply it to a new Channel in a larger document that you're goping to make the metal in...

Now the fun bit is rendering lighting using this channel as the heightmap(I think that's what it's called) in the Texture Channel dialogue box within render lighting...

I used a Directional light, turned down a bit on a plastic surface...

add variations etc. to taste. 'Ow I cut my finger'.

So much more fun than rust

I think I'm done \:]

 

[Tron]

Great tutorial Toxin that's the stuff this forum is made of

 

[DominatorX]

Awsome I wasn't even expecting it to be so good. :}

 

[DominatorX]

Now I want to know how to make barbed wire around the text. Thx again.

 

[ToXin]

;\ that was the simple version, we're in the new user area after all [slick]


Since you're in PS7 that should be quite striaght forward - using brush dynamics and a path or two

 

[luxuspunk]

Hi, like most things there are too many different techniques to describe them all so I'll ask a couple of questions to focus what exactly you're looking for...

What kind of scale and size are we considering?
Do you want it to tile?

oh, do you want it 'clean and shiny' like aluminium, or 'rusty and distressed' likw this:

SWEEEET!!!! This "rusty and distressed look" is awsome!!! nice work!!!

I were searching for at sheet metal look like on a military truck, tank or airplane, but this is useable too... I do wraps on cars, and want to wrap my car in something like this...

You say that the way to do it depend on the final sizing... I would be doing a whole car in one window, 150dpi 100%... So the "studs" should be about 1" wide each...

Do you know of a tutorial or could you give me a quick walkthrough on how to do this??? There's gonna be some kinda 3D-ish text and sculls and stuff on top, so if i ever get it done, it will be the sweetest ride =;o)

Thanks so far...