Glossy Button Help

[voltagenh]

First off wow this program rocks.

but i need some help.

im trying to basically add a finish of shiny clear coat to this

i followed this tutorial on how to make that..

viewtopic.php?f=34&t=27100&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=glossy+button

but other tutorials act like i should know every tool there is and im really lost.

any help would be nice.

again all i want to do is get that above super shiny.

[ZizOiz]

this should be hepful to you. It covers all the basic tools used in PDN, and the basic effects, as well.

Hope this helps!

[voltagenh]

i thank you for your reply, but it doesnt explain the HOW to. as i use this program more and more ill learn the where and whats. but right now im only working on the glossy aspects.

i have photoshop, never used and corel, could use like this.

i can do everything else but this techinque i havent learned.

[Down]

•Adjustments>Curves - Set the points above the median line till it looks right.

[voltagenh]

again, im a NOOB and a bit more advice would be nice.

[voltagenh]

ok, i did a bit of that, kinda cool.

but not what im looking for..

here is what i am trying to make.. basically

http://www.tutsbuzz.com/avatars/6259.gif

or this

http://www.paolawebdesign.it/SWISH_DB_2 ... tonPSD.jpg

[Down]

Oh. I just looked at the tutorial link you posted, so I misunderstood exactly what you were asking.

...Well, you could have one of your colors set to transparent and the other white...Then make a new layer and add your linear white gradient and use the selection to cut it off where you want, or you could draw an opaque, white shape and use the transparency gradient as mentioned in the tutorial.

Your gloss shape should be on a new layer.

[voltagenh]

i love that your helping i really do, but what you said, just flew right over my head.

let me give you my background, i do website design, hosting, and 3D art.

so if i wanted to do this i would have to do it in a 3d program, so now that im doing this in paint.net. im so so lost, like you have no idea. if it was in swift 3d, or maya. i got it.

as you can see here..

so the best way to help me is point me out on a hands on solution, so i can follow along.

[Down]

Impressive stuff. All I ever made was 1/2 of a polygonal elephant in Maya....and some kickass vases.

-=-

•Make your basic button shape on the 1st layer.

•Add a new layer, for gloss.

•On this layer use any of these: in white, to draw a shape over your button in the area you want your gloss to be and delete the parts you don't need.

•Select the gradient tool and click the color channel :AllColorChannels: button so it changes to :AlphaChannel: alpha channel.

•Draw your gradient to fade the white.

Obviously cropped down.(but still gigantic)

You may have to fix the edges of your gloss...I just Gaussian Blurred it, but it doesn't give it that 'sharp' look.

[voltagenh]

still not glossy enough.

but i do have a question.

how are you getting your fade at a different angle,

everytime i use gradiend tool it does a straight edge.

but in your image it has a curve.

http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/5342/bglowr9.png

[PyroTechniques]

Use a differently shaped gradient. The different types of gradient appear along the top when you have the gradient tool selected.

Check out this tutorial for how to make a gloss. You might have to adapt it a little to match your image, though.

[Down]

Yeah, I used an ellipse shape, but still a linear gradient.

Same method. Glossier, no?

[someone93]

Test this:

Open the image and add a new layer.

Make a white line with antialiasing disabled like this:

Fill the upper area with white. Open the "layer properties" and adjust the opacity to your liking (higher opacity=glossier, but it'll be harder to see details if you set it too high).

Apply a gaussian blur at about 3-4 pixels to make the edge a bit softer.

Hope it'll help!

This is quite similat to Down's way but I like this better (gives better control of the transparency)

[Crimson]

No need for aliasing. Do what someone93 suggests, but without disabling anti-aliasing. ( :AntiAliasingOff: :arrow: :AntiAliasingOn: ) Also, make sure the curve you draw is at least 3 pixels wide.

Then, when you fill the upper area, set the paint bucket Tolerance to 68-69%. It should work, without giving you jagged edges.

Do NOT use the whole Adjustments way to lighten the white part. Instead, go to the Gradient Tool , and switch Color Mode to Transparency Mode. ( :AllColorChannels: :arrow: :AlphaChannel: ). Then drag the gradient over your white gloss.

[someone93]

Good point(s), I'll remember that.

Edit: But if you want sharp edges in the glossy part, the transparent gradient isn't the best choice, right?

[Down]

Do NOT use the whole Adjustments way to lighten the white part.

Oh. I just looked at the tutorial link you posted, so I misunderstood exactly what you were asking.

^^

Yeah...

[voltagenh]

someone93

I LOVE YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[voltagenh]

No need for aliasing. Do what someone93 suggests, but without disabling anti-aliasing. ( :AntiAliasingOff: :arrow: :AntiAliasingOn: ) Also, make sure the curve you draw is at least 3 pixels wide.

Then, when you fill the upper area, set the paint bucket Tolerance to 68-69%. It should work, without giving you jagged edges.

Do NOT use the whole Adjustments way to lighten the white part. Instead, go to the Gradient Tool , and switch Color Mode to Transparency Mode. ( :AllColorChannels: :arrow: :AlphaChannel: ). Then drag the gradient over your white gloss.

Ok i tried your method, i did the No need for aliasing. Do what someone93 suggests, but without disabling anti-aliasing.

and

Then, when you fill the upper area, set the paint bucket Tolerance to 68-69%. It should work, without giving you jagged edges.

but when i did the gradience it didnt work well at all.

heres 2 examples.

the one is using layer properties

and the other is gradience.

what am i doing wrong in gradience?

also thank you all for all your help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i love it.

[voltagenh]

ok i am also having another issue.

when i try to fill an area, it fills the complete area,

how do i word this, im trying to fill the area up, but not the transparent area...

look at the bottom of the image, versus the top. im trying to keep a rounded edge. but the fill fills the entire image.. unless i flatten it. but then i beleive the image is unworkable..

or am i wrong?

[ZizOiz]

duplicate your bottom layer, and fill the bottom with white instead. Don't fill the top with anything.

Invert colors (control-shift-I)

use curves+, set on advanced with luminosity->alpha.

use curves+ again, this time set to luminosity, and set a straight line across the top of the box. This should make all of your pixels pure white.

Hope this helps.

[voltagenh]

duplicate your bottom layer, and fill the bottom with white instead. Don't fill the top with anything.

Invert colors (control-shift-I)

use curves+, set on advanced with luminosity->alpha.

use curves+ again, this time set to luminosity, and set a straight line across the top of the box. This should make all of your pixels pure white.

Hope this helps.

umma huh. sorry so lost me.

my bottom layer is solid black.

[ZizOiz]

that is a bit unclear.

Here, let me try again.

make a new layer, and fill it with solid black. Put this layer on top of all of your other layers.

duplicate the layer where the shape of your button is. Also make sure that your shape is solid black, as well. Place this shape above all of the layers, including the one in the previous step.

draw your line that marks the edge of the shine while you still have the top shape layer selected, and fill the shape with white. It should not fill up the transparent corners of the shape as well. If it does, set to a lower tolerance.

merge the shape layer down on the black layer(the first layer you just made)

run curves+ on advanced with luminosity input and alpha output. Keep the line running from lower left corner to upper right corner.

run curves+again, this time on luminosity instead of advanced, and make the line in the dialogue box run from top left to top right corner. This should make all of your pixels white, whereas before the ones which originally had low luminosity kept their luminosity, they just became less opaque.

was I more clear this time?

[someone93]

Kinda easy...

New layer, draw line, fill area above the line.

Background layer, select the area outside the shape (the transparent corners) with the magic wand.

Go back to the upper layer and delete the selected area.

Hope this will solve your problem!

[voltagenh]

you guys are awesome.

i took both ideas, and kinda found a way fast solution.

made a layer

drew image

duplicated image

made it top layer

drew "shine line"

filed it with white

perfect...

im still working it though, seems you guys can get the shiny glossy, covered in clear coat effect far better than i can,.

any more knowledge you wish to send at me?

if i could define the shine line a bit better i also think it would help.

[someone93]

duplicated image

made it top layer

drew "shine line"

filed it with white

That step will work only with one colored shapes.

I got another idea that might work:

I'll start with this, to show how you do with non rectangle shapes (and shapes with more than one color):

Duplicate layer, and go to Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast (Ctrl+Shift+C).

Turn the brightness all the way down and contrast all the way up.

You shold now have a black shape on the top layer (with the same shape)

Invert the layer (Ctrl+Shift+I).

Now, you'll have to select the part of the gloss you don't want.

(Draw a line on a new layer and select the area below)

On the layer that's mostly white by now, delete.

Then delete the layer you used for the selection.

The edge will be a bit jaggy, so select an area around the edge (just be careful, you don't want to have the upper corners in your selection), and blur or feather it (don't too much though, just make sure it's kind of smooth).

Then adjust the opacity.

Hope this will help you!