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Create a Waving Flag Using Displacement!


drew

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This tutorial is available as a PDF. Click here to view or download it

 

Today, we are going to take an ordinary, "flat" flag and add some waves to it. We're also going to add some shadows to make it look realistic! Don't worry though, this is pretty easy.

I did not "invent" this tutorial. I "translated" it from Ps language to PdN language. The video I used is here:

https://archive.org/details/pixelperfect/pixelperfect--0017--displacement--hd720p30.h264.mp4

 

Result:

1.png

Required Plug-ins:

Bleek II's Displacement and Alpha Mask

Optional Plug-ins:

KrisVDM's Drop Shadow

 

STEP 1

Find a flat (non-waving) flag. I suggest use Google images and type in "[your country] flag". When finding a flag, make sure that the flag takes up the whole picture and that there aren't any extra items.

2.png

 

STEP 2

Paste your flag into PdN. Lower the "Transparency" of your secondary color until it is completely transparent. Now change the canvas size under "Image -> Canvas Size". Make sure the anchor is in the middle. Change the canvas size by percentage. Change it to about 150%. (You can make this smaller at the end, but we need some room for the waves.)

3.png

4.png

 

STEP 3

Fill a new layer with a gray (#808080). On a layer above that, take a big black brush and make some strokes. On that same layer, make some white strokes next to your black strokes. Blur this layer with Gaussian blur very well. (I did about a 50px blur, but it'll be different for different sized flags.) Now combine the gray layer with the blurred layer. Press Ctl+A to select all. Press Ctl+C to copy. And paste this layer into a new image (Ctl+Alt+V). Save this image as "displacement_map.png" or something similar.

5.png

 

STEP 4

In your flag picture, hide your top layer. (There should only be two layers.) Make sure your flag layer (the bottom layer) is selected. Now use the "Alpha-Displacement" plug-in. Find your displacement map image. See the screenshot for the settings.

6.png

 

STEP 5

Now you have a wavy flag! But it just looks like a distorted flag, I know. So now we're going to make it look real with shadows!! WOOT! This is why we saved that top layer. Now make that layer visible. On the layer properties, change the blending mode to "Multiply" and lower the opacity until it looks good to you.

7.jpg

 

STEP 6

Add any last-minute effects now. (Such as a drop shadow.)

Using the magic wand at 0% tolerance, click on the outside of the flag (on the bottom layer). Press Ctl+I to invert the selection. Now press Ctl+Shift+X to crop the image to the selection. (I used a somewhat advanced Alpha Mask technique [using the same plug-in!] to cut this image out cleanly, but the magic wand works moderately well.)

8.jpg

 

TA DA! WE'RE DONE!

Here's the final result again with an added drop shadow and layer rotation.

1.png

I hope you all enjoyed it. Did you use the effect on something else other than the flag? Let's see what you did. Post a reply with your unique creation.

Notice any typos? Is something I wrote unclear? Let me know.

 

  • Upvote 1
drew-10.png
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Very cool -- though I suggest users use the alpha mask plugin (or the alpha mask version of the displacement plugin - when cutting out the flag, or whatever it is. (In this case a rectangle, so not too bad, but if it were a different shape - definite jagged edges would show up after displacement).

Cool effect - and I hadn't thought of enlarging the canvas like that---

8)

Nab

"pyrochild, you're my favorite person ever. We should go snowboarding some time."~ 007 Nab. Ish.

PDN Gallery | I Made a Deviant Art!

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...

Wow, that was way easier than the flag we did 2 years ago in the photoshop beginners' course! I just remember that I had a hard time getting the job done - but then: I can't remember if we used displacement there. Whatsoever - first I thought I wouldn't want to do this tut (remembering how difficult I found it in PS), but then, reading it, I thought I might give it a try.

I didn't add drop shadow nor alpha mask because I still fell too much a beginner, and I haven't learned yet to use them properly. (Just one step after the other, and pls bear with my pic without the "last refinement" - leaving my piece of work with "unclean" edges. Oh well...) :)

2s9wvns.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

Sucking at graphics as I do, but needing something specific in a pinch I googled and came across this tutorial for paint.net, which I already love and use everyday, was amazed to find it without including paint.net in the google search terms. Anyways, wanted a american waving flag inside the shape of my upper peninsual of Michigan shape. Here's what I got, and better then I wanted, considering I admit to sucking so badly with graphics, lol.

american_flag_up_shape_final.gif

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  • 6 months later...

Thanks for a simple and very useful tutorial!

My try:

flagtut.png

(yeah... I go overboard with effects)

When computers become self-aware and take over the world, the porn bots will get much, MUCH worse.

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  • 2 years later...

Sorry for the necromancy, but I'm relatively new to paint.net and really appreciate all the tutorials.

Anyway, here's my attempt at an overhead shot of water going up a sandy beach. It's totally WiP because I'm still trying to figure things out, but, I think the displacement I used for the sandy bottom turned out well (think I'll try a different color other than black for the shadow...)

pic1027885_md.jpg

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Don't worry about the age of the previous post. That rule is not applicable to tutorials, so you're welcome to chime in anytime.

If we think that a tutorial has had it's day, then we'll close or delete it. That way we keep the forum pure.

Like your posted image! It's a great idea to apply this tutorial to create a water effect. Good thinking!

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Don't worry about the age of the previous post. That rule is not applicable to tutorials, so you're welcome to chime in anytime.

If we think that a tutorial has had it's day, then we'll close or delete it. That way we keep the forum pure.

Like your posted image! It's a great idea to apply this tutorial to create a water effect. Good thinking!

Thank you for the encouragement!

I can't seem to bend the software to my will yet. And, when I do hit upon something, it seems that I do by accident (and then I can't seem to repeat it!). I suppose I should take notes!

Anyway, here's progress:

pic1027915_md.jpg

pic1028678.jpg

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  • 4 months later...

I created this using this tutorial as an example for another forum visitor in regards to a question he had (this picture is also found in my gallery):

FordMustangWCurtains2.png

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  • 2 years later...

I tried this myself (I know, it's been years since last post) and I got good results!

post-117642-0-64933700-1401502383_thumb.

All in all, you're just another brick in the wall.



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  • 10 months later...

Hi. I'm having (for a long time) troubles with this.

I just don't know what to do.

 it doesn't wave or anything. Just messes up the flagpost-141018-0-58895600-1428707193_thumb.

 

(sorry for the s*** filename)

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