The Easy Button

[toe_head2001]

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

 

 

This is an updated/revamped/improved version of the original 'The Easy Button Tutorial' by 'Gamer_World14'.

Please feel free to play with the settings in Shape3D; I'm sure some of you could get better depth and lighting that I did.



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You'll need to install a few plugins, if you don't have them already:

• Shape3D
• Advanced Rotate
• Bevel Selection
• Drop Shadow

Now that you got the plugin installed, let's begin.

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1) Resize your canvas ( ) to 800px x 800px

2) Set your primary color to red

3) Use the Paint Bucket tool ( ) to fill the canvas



4) Add a new layer ( )

5) Set your primary color to white

6) Use the text tool ( ) to type "easy" - Arial font, 200pt, bold

7) Center the text in the middle of the layer. I do NOT recommend using an alignment plugin to vertically align the text, because the bottom half of the "y" will cause the text to be too high. Measure manually... the space above and below "eas" should be equal.



😎 Duplicate layer ( )

9) Of the two duplicate layers, select the bottom one.

10) Invert Colors ( )

11) Use 'Rotate/Zoom' ( ) to change the Zoom to 0.99 and Pan on y-axis to 0.01





12) Use the Line tool ( ) to manually connect the vertices of the white letters to the vertices of the black letters, as highlighted in blue. (don't draw the blue circles)

--->



13) Set the layer opacity to 75 ( )





14) Flatten image ( )

15) Use the 'Shape3D' () plugin. Too many parameters to type, and would be too confusing in just words... See image....





16) Add a new layer ( ) and move it down below the other

17) Set your primary color to dark gray

18) Use the Paint Bucket tool ( ) to fill the canvas



19) Use the 'Shape3D' () plugin again. Keep the settings from before that are outlined in red, but now also change the three green ones too.





20) Use the Drop Shadow () plugin with the color black and Shadow Opacity of 30, other parameters stay at default values





21) Add a new layer ( ) and move it down to the bottom of the stack

22) Set your primary color to light gray

23) Use the Paint Bucket tool ( ) to fill the canvas



24) Use the 'Shape3D' () plugin again. Keep the settings from before that are outlined in red & and the one in green, but now change the three blue ones.





25) Use the Magic Wand ( ) tool to select the transparent area

26) Invert the Selection ( )

27) Add a new layer ( ) and move it right above the layer with the light gray outline

28) Use the 'Bevel Selection' () plugin with default values



29) Deselect ( )

30) Use the Advanced Rotate () plugin with a rotation of -130 degrees



31) Use the Move ( ) tool to carefully adjust the bevel so that it lines up on the dark light gray outline perfectly



32) Select the light gray outline layer again

33) Use the Drop Shadow () plugin with the color black and Shadow Opacity of 30, other parameters stay at default values (same as before)





Done!

 

 

 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

 

Edited October 14, 2020 by toe_head2001

[Ego Eram Reputo]

Excellent rewrite!  Thanks toe-y.  +1

 

When using Shape3D to make buttons I like to reduce the Depth Radius.  This flattens out the  spherical appearance, making the button appear more realistic IMHO.

 

REF: http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/17692-how-to-draw-pips-with-a-concave-appearance/?hl=%2Bdished+%2Bbutton#entry304988

[toe_head2001]

When using Shape3D to make buttons I like to reduce the Depth Radius.  This flattens out the  spherical appearance, making the button appear more realistic IMHO.

Thanks, I'm slightly a noob when it comes to using Shape3D. I think it was Its default settings that originally turned me off to it. "How ugly, why would I use that!"  

 

I may have to make some amendments to the tutorial.

[toe_head2001]

I just revised the tutorial so that the resulting graphic has better visual quality. If for some reason you liked the previous iteration, I'm sorry.

 

- @Red ochre wanted numbered steps, so we've got those now

- Better lighting

- Lighter shades of the color gray

- Less spherical red button. Still slightly convex (sorry EER); comparable to a M&M's piece of candy

 

For people that saw this tutorial before the revision, you may need to clear the cache in your browser. The file names of the images stayed the same, and you could be see the old ones.

[Seerose]

12) Use the Line tool ( ) to manually connect the vertices, as highlighted

 

 

I have a question: I did not understand. What do i have to do?

[toe_head2001]

I have a question: I did not understand. What do i have to do?

As you can see there's a gap between some the white and black vertices. You just need to fill in the space; I found the line tool to be the easiest solution. Don't draw the blue circles, as they're just guides to illustrate where the vertices are.

 

I've highlighted one of the vertices here, and zoomed in for comparison.

 

.

If you have any suggestions on how make this easier, or how to word the step better, let me know.

[Seerose]

As you can see there's a gap between some the white and black vertices. You just need to fill in the space; I found the line tool to be the easiest solution. Don't draw the blue circles, as they're just guides to illustrate where the vertices are.

I've highlighted one of the vertices here, and zoomed in for comparison.

If you have any suggestions on how make this easier, or how to word the step better, let me know.

 

@ Thank you for the answer. I'll start over again. 

[Ego Eram Reputo]

Added PDF link

[Sakana Oji]

I made a Korean version:

As you may have noticed, I didn't do steps 25 to 31 because I didn't know how to align the bevel shading. Some help would be appreciated.

Edited April 22, 2019 by Sakana Oji
Spelling error

[toe_head2001]

On 4/22/2019 at 2:39 PM, Sakana Oji said:

... I didn't know how to align the bevel shading ...

 

You need to move the contents of that layer so that the Beveling aligns with the base of the button.

Just keep moving it until it looks correct or looks like the example image from Step #31.