drew Posted May 21, 2008 Posted May 21, 2008 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: 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. 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.) 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. 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. 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. 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.) TA DA! WE'RE DONE! Here's the final result again with an added drop shadow and layer rotation. 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. 1 Quote
Dalton Posted May 21, 2008 Posted May 21, 2008 Woo. That's awesome! Good job. Quote MyBB Tutorials, check out my site.
oma Posted May 21, 2008 Posted May 21, 2008 thanks drew between this tut and Ash's tips and the large Oma eyes size video that Bleek pointed me to, I finally got it. excellent tut, simple and easy to follow. thanks again ciao OMA Quote My Deviant Art Gallery Oma's Paint.Net gallery
007 Nab Posted May 21, 2008 Posted May 21, 2008 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 Quote "pyrochild, you're my favorite person ever. We should go snowboarding some time."~ 007 Nab. Ish. PDN Gallery | I Made a Deviant Art!
vista? Posted May 21, 2008 Posted May 21, 2008 Awesome tutorial, good way of teaching people how to use the new Displacement plugin! Quote
simple Posted May 21, 2008 Posted May 21, 2008 Wow so simple yet i didnt think of that thats pritty neet great work drew Quote
Max Power Posted May 23, 2008 Posted May 23, 2008 A very good tutorial on how to use displacement. This thread has to be pushed Quote - My Gallery | My Deviant -
xxiboyxx Posted May 23, 2008 Posted May 23, 2008 nice tutorial im sure it will come in handy, thanks! Quote
taboo Posted May 23, 2008 Posted May 23, 2008 Beauty - nice ps translation: Quote ... I should have been a pair of ragged claws ... - T.S. Eliot Taboo Monkey Blue Blog: Writing on Writing - Sudoku Tips and Tricks - The Greatest Maze
taboo Posted May 23, 2008 Posted May 23, 2008 I also made a flag for all the unrepresented masses: Quote ... I should have been a pair of ragged claws ... - T.S. Eliot Taboo Monkey Blue Blog: Writing on Writing - Sudoku Tips and Tricks - The Greatest Maze
KonArtist Posted May 23, 2008 Posted May 23, 2008 Great tutorial also good for Memorial Day. Quote Gamertag 360: xX 8 Balll (Three L's) Free Web Hosting
Max Power Posted June 25, 2008 Posted June 25, 2008 Great Tutorial! 5/5 (I distorted the alphamask with displacement too, so I could cut it out properly in Step 6^^) Quote - My Gallery | My Deviant -
Kat Posted July 25, 2008 Posted July 25, 2008 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...) Quote
northofnowhere Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 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. Quote
Max Power Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 Feather it ...it looks almost like a shark Don't save pictures as GIF files...use PNG, there is no loss of quality. Quote - My Gallery | My Deviant -
old-scouse Posted September 5, 2008 Posted September 5, 2008 What a great tut and plugin here's my try. Quote
m2lucky Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 I am really glad you made this tut. I have been using pdn for awhile now, and I never have really sat down and learned displacemnet. thanks this tut will b rlly useful Quote Music Brings color to the world Photobucket Sucks! My Gallery|Frozen Text|Snowy Font|MSNBC Effect
atypicalcarl Posted March 30, 2009 Posted March 30, 2009 Thanks for a simple and very useful tutorial! My try: (yeah... I go overboard with effects) Quote When computers become self-aware and take over the world, the porn bots will get much, MUCH worse.
awakeneddragon Posted June 29, 2011 Posted June 29, 2011 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...) Quote
Ego Eram Reputo Posted June 29, 2011 Posted June 29, 2011 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! Quote ebook: Mastering Paint.NET | resources: Plugin Index | Stereogram Tut | proud supporter of Codelab plugins: EER's Plugin Pack | Planetoid | StickMan | WhichSymbol+ | Dr Scott's Markup Renderer | CSV Filetype | dwarf horde plugins: Plugin Browser | ShapeMaker
awakeneddragon Posted June 30, 2011 Posted June 30, 2011 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: Quote
jim100361 Posted November 23, 2011 Posted November 23, 2011 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): Quote
Kitty Soules Posted May 31, 2014 Posted May 31, 2014 I tried this myself (I know, it's been years since last post) and I got good results! Quote All in all, you're just another brick in the wall.
Saif Khattab Posted April 10, 2015 Posted April 10, 2015 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 flag (sorry for the s*** filename) Quote
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