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Creating The Initial Landscape Using Auto Align Layers
In this chapter, we’re going to explore two different approaches to integrate 3D objects into your Photoshop environment. First, we’ll use the new 3D layers and then progress toward using bitmaps in the next exercise. We will not go into great depth as to all of the capabilities and features of 3D layers in this chapter primarily so that we can just have fun creating. We will cover those features in greater depth in Chapter 6.

You’ll start with a panoramic-formatted image consisting of three images, and you’ll apply Auto-Align Layers and Auto-Blend Layers to create a landscape.

This landscape will be the backdrop for a futuristic scene where you will create an underground city within a desert-like landscape. After creating the city, you will then apply the light source emanating from beneath and provide ambient lighting derived from the sunset.

You will also learn about the wonderful new Photoshop CS4 Extended feature called 3D layers. The new 3D layers allow you to import 3D objects created from third-party programs into Photoshop to integrate into your digital workflow.

[Figure 5.1] View of the 8.5×15 inch format.

1. Create a new file that is 8.5×15 inches wide (see Figure 5.1). We will place the end result of the merged panoramic landscape into this file.

[Figure 5.2] Place the three desert images into the new file.

2. Access the Tutorials/ch 5 folder and open desert1.jpg, desert2.jpg, and desert3.jpg. Place these three images into your new file (see Figure 5.2).

3. These three images show a desert expanse taken in three separate shots. They are basically the left side, the midsection, and the right side of the composition. These images were not shot with a tripod but rather a handheld to test how well the new Auto-Align Layers feature worked in Photoshop CS4. Auto-Align Layers is basically Photomerge, and it allows you to merge images on selected layers.

[Figure 5.3] Apply the Auto-Align Layers command.

4. Select the three desert layers and go to the Auto-Align Layers command (Edit > Auto-Align Layers). A dialog box appears with six options for you to choose how you would like your layers to be aligned (see Figure 5.3). They are the following:

Auto. Tells a program to make all of the important decisions for you and give you the best results. The Warp Transform command will be utilized as needed here.

Perspective. Applies the Perspective transform techniques toward the end of the merged image. This is a good one to use when the perspective causes the imagery to shorten toward the end of the image. Distortion of this type is a common problem with wide-angle lenses.

Collage. Allows the user to manually position the images.