Spacescape tutorial

ReMake · August 27, 2019

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

This tutorial is a reconstruction of @h3llb0yn3cr0's Spacescape tutorial.

This is the result that was announced in @h3llb0yn3cr0's tutorial:

Required plugins:

Shape3D by @MKT

Random Shape Fill by @pyrochild

Outline Object by @pyrochild

Outline Object by @BoltBait

CustomBrushesMini by @Simon Brown

AA's Assistant by @dpy

Tone Gradient Angle by @Red ochre

Brushes needed:

Nebula Brushes by @h3llb0yn3cr0 Load here Nebula Brushes.zip

Part 1: Star Background

Spoiler

1. Create () a new 800x600 px canvas (File -> New) and fill () it with black.

2. Apply Random Shape Fill effect (Effects -> Render -> Random Shape Fill) with the settings as shown below (Shape PlusSigns, Number 400, Maximum Size 2, Minimum Size 1, Outline Color Grayscale, the rest default settings):

3. Apply the Add Noise () effect (Effects -> Noise -> Add Noise) with the settings as shown below (Intensity 75, Color Saturation 0, Coverage 0.90):

Part 2: Foreground Star

Spoiler

4. Add () a new layer and fill () it with color 25A5A8.

5. Apply the Shape3D effect (Effects -> Render -> Shape3D) with the settings as shown below (Texture Map -> Full Sphere Map, Lighting -> ON - unchecked, the rest default settings):

Depending on the size of the canvas, adjust the size of the Sphere (Scaling).

6. Select the Magic Wand () tool with 0% Tolerance and click inside the circle.

7. Run the CustomBrushesMini effect (Effects -> Tools -> CustomBrushesMini). Click Add Brush button and load Nebula brushes from the folder where you unzipped them.

Click the Colour button and in the Color window that appears, set a darker color than the color of the circle (e.g., Red: 47, Green: 133, Blue: 168).

Set the Brush size of 350 and draw with brushes a pattern similar to the one shown below:

Click OK and deselect ().

EDIT: Even more options when decorating the planet will give you a Brush Factory effect by @Joshua Lamusga.

8. Add () a new layer. Your Primary color should remain 25A5A8; fix it if it's not.

Apply the Clouds () effect (Effects -> Render -> Clouds) with Scale 400 and Roughness 0.65.

9. Run the Rotate / Zoom () effect (Layers -> Rotate / Zoom) and rotate the layer with clouds as shown below:

Change the Zoom slider so that the clouds overlap the circle.

10. Go to Layer 2 and using the Magic Wand () tool, click outside the circle. Go back to Layer 3 and press DELETE button. Set () the blending mode to Overlay for this layer

and Merge Layer Down ().

11. Duplicate () the layer. Apply the Zoom Blur () effect (Effects -> Blurs -> Zoom Blur) with Zoom Amount 65.

12. Set () the layer blending mode to Lighten

and Merge Layer Down ().

13. Set the default colors (). Using the Magic Wand () tool, click outside the circle and invert (Ctrl+I) the selection. Select the Paint Bucket () tool with a Tolerance of 100%. Go to the Background layer and fill the selection with black.

This eliminates the stars that overlap the glow area.

Our star is done! Of course, a different base colors will produce a different star color.

Part 3: Planet

Spoiler

14. Add () a new layer. Set the primary color to 0094FF, and the secondary color to 00FFFF.

Apply the Clouds () effect with default settings.

15. Apply TG Angle effect (Effects -> Stylize -> TGAngle) with Light angle 0, Rake 0,75, Colouring 0,75, the rest default settings:

16. Now apply the Shape3D effect with settings:

Sphere Size -> Scaking 0,350

Texture Map -> Full Sphere Map

Anti-Alias -> ON check the box, AA-Level 2

Pan -> Move X: -1,500, Move Y: -1,000

Lighting -> ON - check the box, Strength of Light 0,90

Lighting -> Direction -> x 0,90, y 0,80, z -0,90

Lighting -> Lambert -> Ambient Lighting 0,00, Diffuse Reflection Rate 1,10

Lighting -> Specular Highlight -> ON - unchecked

Click the XML button at the bottom of the interface and save your settings to a file. You may need these settings in the future.

If using Shape3D is difficult at this stage, use a prepared XML file. Load here Shape3D_Planet.zip

17. Apply the Outline Object effect by @BoltBait (Effects -> Object -> Outline Object) with Outline Width 8 and RGBA 123, 173, 183, 8

or the Outline Object effect by @pyrochild (Effects -> Object -> Outline Object) with Width 7, Softness 255, RGB 123, 173, 183, the rest default settings.

18. Apply the Gaussian Blur () effect (Effects -> Blurs -> Gaussian Blur) with the default settings and we will get this result:

Your planet is finished!

If you want to create a planet similar to Earth, go to the next part.

Part 4: Earth-like Planet

Spoiler

19. Add () a new layer. Set the primary color to 0094FF, and the secondary color to 00FFFF.

Apply the Clouds () effect with Scale 1000 and Roughness 0.

20. Add () a new layer. Set the primary color to 4CFF00, and the secondary color to 00FF21.

Apply the Clouds () effect with Scale 100 and Roughness 0,40.

21. Add () a new layer. Apply the Clouds () effect with default settings and default colors ().

22. Apply Brightness / Contrast () adjustment (Adjustments -> Brightness / Contrast) with Contrast of 100.

23. Select the Magic Wand () tool with Global () mode and click inside the white area. Delete () this layer.

24. Cut (Ctrl+X) the selection on the current top layer and set () the blending mode for this layer to Multiply. Merge () this layer down.

25. Next apply the Shape3D effect with settings:

Sphere Size -> Scaking 0,500

Texture Map -> Full Sphere Map

Anti-Alias -> ON check the box, AA-Level 3

Pan -> Move X: 0,950, Move Y: -1,050

Lighting -> ON - check the box, Strength of Light 1,70

Lighting -> Direction -> x -0,75, y 1,00, z -1,00

Lighting -> Lambert -> Ambient Lighting 0,00, Diffuse Reflection Rate 1,00

Lighting -> Specular Highlight -> ON - unchecked

Click the XML button at the bottom of the interface and save your settings to a file. You may need these settings in the future.

If using Shape3D is difficult at this stage, use a prepared XML file. Load here Shape3D_Earth.zip

26. Apply the Outline Object effect by @pyrochild with Width 5, Softness 255, RGB 0, 255, 255, Angled check the box, Angle 135, the rest default settings.

27. Apply the Gaussian Blur () effect with the default settings.

EDIT: You can try using the Planetoid effect by @Ego Eram Reputo, @TechnoRobbo&@toe_head2001 to quickly create an Earth-like planet.

Merge all the layers and we will get this image:

On 11/13/2009 at 01:56 PM, h3llb0yn3cr0 said:

I did a bit more on this piece adding a second larger planet and a nebula behind. Excluding the earth-like planet.

and his outcome:

ReMake · August 27, 2019

I rewrote this tutorial because after 2009 there were new plugins that allow you to achieve the same result with fewer steps. For example, the Tone Gradient Angle by @Red ochre proved to be a suitable replacement for Normal Map by @stinger.

In my opinion, I was able to simplify the tutorial.