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EraserX
10-16-2003, 05:18 AM
Here's a tutorial I made about displacement mapping in Photoshop. This is based on a t-shirt, but it could be done with scaled creatures, patterns, reflections in water, etc. The possibilities are endless. Anyway, let's get started. Here's the shirt image I'll be using.

http://www.pensnpixels.com/postedimages/displace1.jpg

The first step would be to paste in the pattern, logo, texture, or whatever you want displaced to the file and keep it in it's own layer.

http://www.pensnpixels.com/postedimages/displace2.jpg

After you've done that, make a duplicate file of the exact same dimensions and shade it with a soft airbrush like it's being lit by a head on flash bulb. Make sure any dead area is filled with 50% Black. Save the file as a greyscale .PSD

http://www.pensnpixels.com/postedimages/displace3.jpg

Back on your original file with the layer you plan to displace activated, choose "Displace" from the "Distort" menu under "Filter". Now you need to make an approximate guess of the angle your object is facing so Photoshop knows which direction to distort your image. Here is an example of how Photoshop's grid system works:

http://www.pensnpixels.com/postedimages/axis.jpg

http://www.pensnpixels.com/postedimages/displace4.jpg

After you click ok, Photoshop will ask which file you want to displace from. Choose the Grayscale .PSD you just saved and click ok.

Now your layer should be displaced.

http://www.pensnpixels.com/postedimages/displace5.jpg

The next step is to render it with proper lighting in a separate layer. Here's the finished product.

http://www.pensnpixels.com/postedimages/displace6.jpg
ambandos
10-16-2003, 07:06 AM
wow, this helps a lot. Thanks. :cool:
theGuest
10-16-2003, 11:42 AM
Nice tute. Well said. :thumbsup:

Russell Brown has a tute pretty much just like that: http://www.russellbrown.com/tips/pdf/waveoffuture.pdf

If you're feeling adventerous, try some of this: http://w3.chrlmi.cablespeed.com/~halmich/tech-slop/index.shtml

:wavey:
Stroker
10-16-2003, 01:15 PM
Dealing with this kind of thing is going to be one of my longer discussions. Man, I got stuff to say.

EraserX, mind if I borrow your stuff to show how I would go about it? Not for a real tutorial, but just for this thread?
EraserX
10-16-2003, 02:00 PM
Help yourself. I should've spent more time on that tut, but I was doing it in response to a question from someone and I just wanted to get it done quick. But like I said, help yourself to the image.
Stroker
10-17-2003, 05:21 PM
I'm in the middle of doing a long and involved tutorial, and I almost forgot about this. If I don't show up again after a week, PM me.

I did some fiddling and I'm attaching my fiddle. Not the greatest, but not too bad.
EraserX
10-17-2003, 06:55 PM
I went back and fixed up the tutorial and made new images. It should be a lot better now.
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