Creating control panel backgrounds

[striplar]

I'm trying to create a variation on the attached screen and I can see how to create layers, round cornered boxes and even fill them with a gradient. I can't seem to find a way of creating that raised centre panel effect that also appears to have an engraved border.

It's easier to look at the attached image than to explain in words.

Can someone tell me the sequence I'd need to use to create that effect?

I'm a new user just finding my feet so please assume that I know virtually nothing!

Thanks.

 

 

Edited June 14, 2014 by striplar

[skullbonz]

Here is a way to get that effect that is fairly easy.  It is not exactly like your image but is to show you the technique to get that look. 

 

I chose to open with a plain white background and add a layer. On the new layer I made a Rounded Rectangle with Draw Filled Shape selected and made a black rounded rectangle. Then used Object Align and selected Center Both. I added another layer and on it I selected white as the primary color and used the Rounded rectangle with the Draw Shape Outline selected this time and set at 4 Brush width.

 

       

 

Now select inside the white rounded rectangle and add a new layer. Use the Linear Gradient tool to apply gradient to the selection to your desired angles. 

 

 

 

Uncheck the gradient layer for now. Merge the white line layer with the black layer and in this case I selected outside the black rounded rectangle with the Magic Wand and Edit/ Invert Selection (Cntrl I ).

 

 

Now use Emboss at about these settings or on yours until you can see the indented line.

 

 

Check the gradient layer and double click that layer in the layer window to bring up the properties. In blending modes select Overlay and reduce the Opacity to your liking and merge it down.

 

 

For the button holes make another layer and use the Rounded Rectangle or other shaped tools to to layout your buttons.

 

 

Select outside the button layout with the Magic Wand, then Edit/Invert Selection and then uncheck that layer so that your embossed layer is highlighted and hit Delete.

 

 

On the button layout layer select outside the buttons again and on the emboss layer use Bevel Selection at about these settings.

 

 

Now you have a template all ready for buttons.  

 

I also used AA's Assistant to clean it up after i was done.

 

 

I hope this helps you out, I'm not that good at explaining things but I will be willing to answer anymore questions.  

Edited June 15, 2014 by skullbonz

[striplar]

Thanks for that, it looks pretty good. That would certainly be an acceptable solution.

I really appreciate you taking the time to do that.

[striplar]

Ok, I'm trying to replicate what you're doing, but I'm stuck at the bit where you manage to select just the black area inside the while rounded box. I cant see how to only select a rounded area when all I have is a rectangle select tool? I'm sure this is really obvious to a regular user but I can't see how that selection process works.

Doh, I've figured out that the Magic Wand tool is the think I need.

Edited June 15, 2014 by striplar

[Pixey]

Hi @Striplar   ...... sometimes the term 'select' is ambiguous when explaining how to do things in Paint.NET.  I think what @skull means in the step that you are having trouble with, is just to 'click on the inside of the box with your cursor' - this also means to 'select' = makes it active and ready to go to the next step.  Hope this helps and I hope @skull doesn't mind me jumping in here .

[striplar]

Thanks Manx Pixey, what a pretty place that is to live, if a bit wet and cold at times.

I'm slowly getting to grips with the selection business and I can see what you mean. I'm finding that for what I'm doing it's easiest to create a new layer for every new panel on the layout and to turn off all the other layers then use the magic wand to select. That's not very subtle but it works. I just need a bullet proof method that I'm documenting as I go along because I'm unlikely to use the program again for months if not years and I'll never remember what I've done and how to do anything by the time I return to it.

Is it just my ignorance, or is it impossible to come back at a later time and just resize these panels? It seems that you get one go to create something and then it's just pixels. There doesn't appear to be any intelligence embedded in the layers just dumb pixels. That's a pity if I'm right because it makes life unnecessarily hard.

Another question for you, is there a way to just type the cursor positions when you're trying to set something to an exact size? At the moment I'm having to use a steady hand and watch the coordinates on the bottom of the screen like a hawk.

I'm making a document that contains the corner coordinates of the panels in case I need to create them again or relative to their current positions.

Cheers,

Roger

[Pixey]

Hi Roger - Yup ..... get's a tad soggy at times over here ..... but in the summer it's beautiful .

 

Why don't you take a look at this tutorial here which may be of help to you.

 

You can save your work in the PDN format, to come back at a later date and change anything you want.  The layers will be preserved but, alas, the History of what you did will not.  I always save my work to PDN format - which is found when you choose 'Save As' and a drop down box appears. 

 

As for moving around and doing layers, etc., here is another tutorial - you can use a Rectangle instead of the circle used in the example.

 

Hope this helps

 

 

 

 

[striplar]

Thanks Pixey, I'll certainly do that.

That's very nice work you're doing by the way.

[skullbonz]

No problem Pixey,glad you jumped in. It's hard for me to explain what i do in a way that others understand. 

 

Happy to hear that this helped you out some striplar.  

[Cc4FuzzyHuggles]

For trying to help with learning engraving techneques, you might like this tutorial.

http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/28378-sand-text-how-to-write-on-sand/