Globe and Cloud Base (Using Vector Preshapes) 
This tutorial was created by Shezzy© exclusively for SisterzPSPTreasures. (Any similarities to any other tutorials are purely coincidental and unintentional). You may save or print the tutorial for your personal use only. It is not to be sent through email nor printed for any groups/forums/websites. This tutorial may not be downloaded on to a CD. You may not sell this tutorial. and it may NOT be displayed ANYWHERE except in SisterzPSPTreasures Forum site . The image you create by following this tutorial belongs to you and you may do whatever you want with it. Please give credit on your tags/groups/forums/websites of SPSPT. All SisterzPSPTreasures TOU's apply.
Thank you & Have fun!
For this tutorial you will need to have basic knowledge of Paint Shop Pro. (My illustrations and instructions are written using version 7, but you should be able to comprehend with any version).
SAVE YOUR WORK OFTEN!
BEFORE WE BEGIN:
Information you'll need to know before starting:
1. Animation Shop has a "fit" when a picture with a transparent background has any drop shadows, blurs and/or lower opacities in colors. It will become more dense when you save it and will not have the same effect, so with this tutorial, it is a must to have a colored background OR a colored background only INSIDE your globe.
2. We will NOT be using Selections, Float in the GLOBE tutorial. BUT...we WILL be using Selections, Float in the BASE tutorial.
3. In Cutouts, "Fill interior with color" box will ALWAYS remain UNChecked!
**4. For this tutorial the GLOBE outline and fill color will be the same: #C0C0C0. For this tutorial the CLOUD BASE outline will be #C1EBFF and fill will be #FFFFFF (White).
**5. For this tutorial GLOBE, in 'Cutouts', Shadow color will always be #C0C0C0. For this tutorial, the CLOUD BASE, in 'Cutouts', Shadow color will be #C1EBFF.
6. We will be creating these images in many layers. You will need to have your Layer Palette showing. If your layer pallette is not showing on your PSP, you will need to click on this icon:
If you don't see this icon, it means you don't have all your tool bars showing. For that, click on "View", then click on "Toolbars". Make sure everything is checked like this illustration:
7. Brush settings will always be the same. See illustration for settings:
8. On your color pallette, your background will always be Null
.
9. For easy viewing, zoom in 200% (or more or less...whatever suits you)
** For illustration purposes only, I am using the light gray (#C0C0C0) for this globe tutorial, however, you may opt to make it another color of your choice.
The setting for your Vector Shapes (Preshapes) will always be the same. (See illustration below for settings) Make SURE your "Retain style" and "Antialias" boxes are UNCHECKED and your "Create as vector" box is CHECKED. To select the circle shape, click on the small down arrow and select ellipse. Line width will always be 1 and Line Style will always be "Line Solid #1".
There are a couple of ways to do this tutorial, but I chose to have you fill the inside of your outline, deselect and then reactivate your magic wand to include the outline. Your other option is NOT to fill, activate the outline(s) by using your magic wand and click anywhere outside of outline. Click Select, Invert, THEN go into Cutout and complete the instructions.
Let's Begin!
Globe
Open up a 100 X 100 canvas with a transparent background.
Open a New Raster Layer, name it 'Background' and
Flood fill with any dark (or light) color. (This is for ease in seeing your pixels). (I'm using white in my illustrations.)
Activate your Preshape Tool
. Make sure your settings are set to 'Ellipse'. 'Anitalias' and 'Retain Style' boxes UNCHECKED and 'Vector shape' box CHECKED. Line width 1.
On your color pallette, make sure your background is NUL
and your Foreground color is the color you have chosen for your globe (for my illustrations, I will be using the light gray #C0C0C0). Starting at your upper right hand corner of your canvas, click and hold down on your mouse, press down your shift key and "drag" your circle across the canvas. (Make sure it's not too big... save room for your base at the bottom). With that layer being active, on your layer pallette, right click and "Convert to Raster Layer". And now you have a pixeled circle! *S* If your circle is too off centered, activate your mover tool
, click on a pixel and move it to top center without going over your canvas. (See Illustrations).
Activate your magic wand , click inside of circle. (Marching ants will be inside outline. Floodfill with the same color as your outline.
Deselect (Ctrl D) or ('Selections", 'Select None') and save.
With your magic wand again, click inside of filled circle. (Marching ants will be on the outside of the circle).
Click on 'Effects', '3D Effects', 'Cutout' using these settings: Vertical 0, Horizontal 0, Opacity 100, Blur 40, Shadow color (same as your outline and fill). Click OK.
DO NOT DESELECT.
Click on Layers, Add new Raster layer. On your color pallette, select the color white (#FFFFFF). With your brush set at size 5, draw a light spot inside your globe. (See illustration) (You may draw this anywhere you choose a "reflection" to be, but keep in mind to keep it away from your graphic that will be "inside" your globe).
Click on Effects, Blur, Gaussian Blur, setting: 4.00
Deselect (Ctrl D). Hide your bottom background layer by clicking on the eyeglasses to put a red X on that layer. Right click on either the globe or reflection layer. Click on 'Merge', 'Merge Visible'. Rename that merged layer as Globe. Save.
At this point, it will be your decision on whether you want a colored (or a white or black) background or a transparent background. If you want a transparent background, it's a MUST to have a colored background INSIDE your globe. This next step shows you how to do that.
Click on 'Layers', 'Add New Raster Layer'. Name it Globe background.
Flood fill with a background color of your choice. (For this tutorial, I am using black (#000000)). Don't worry that you don't see your globe. We'll be moving this layer BELOW the globe layer so the globe is showing again! On your layer pallette, with your Globe Background layer active, click on that layer and "pull" down below your globe layer. Once you've done that, it will look like the following illustration:
Now highlight (activate) your globe layer. With your magic wand, click anywhere OUTSIDE your globe. (The marching ants will be both around the globe AND the outer edge of your canvas.) Click on 'Selections', 'Modify', 'Expand' 1 pixel. Now highlight (activate) your globe background layer. Press your delete key on your keyboard. Deselect (Ctrl D) and Save. (DO NOT MERGE LAYERS as you will be adding your graphic BETWEEN your globe background layer and your globe layer!)
Ok! Your globe is complete! Next step is the Cloud Base!
Cloud Base
For the base, the layer must be above your globe. Highlight your top layer (Your globe layer).
On your color pallette, make sure your background is NUL and your Foreground color is Light Blue (#C1EBFF). Now activate your preshape tool and make sure Ellipse is selected. (Same Preshape settings as above).
Make an oval shape at the bottom of your globe overlapping the globe just a bit. Continue making oval shapes until you are satisfied with the base cloud shape. Right click on that layer and Convert to Raster Layer. Rename layer to "Cloud Base". With your eraser brush, start erasing inside of "cloud", leaving some lines inside to show dimension to your cloud. (See illustrations)
You now have a cloud outline! *S*
With your Cloud Base layer active, activate your magic wand and click inside your cloud. (Make sure the marching ants are INSIDE cloud and NOT outside...if they are, you have a gap somewhere and will need to fill that in first). Floodfill with white (#FFFFFF). Click on Selections, Float. Click on Effects, 3D Effects, Cutouts, using these settings:
Vertical 0, Horizontal 0, Opacity 100, blur 10 , Shadow color (Same as your outline color) For this illustration it is the Light Blue (#C1EBFF). Click ok, Deselect and Save.
Now it's time to add your graphic INSIDE the globe!
In order to put your graphic BETWEEN your Globe background and your Globe, you will need to highlight your Globe background layer. (Any layers added will be above that layer). Make sure your graphic is smaller than your globe. Copy your graphic as a new Layer and paste as a new layer on your globe and base canvas. It should be under your globe layer and above your globe background layer. If you need to move your graphic around, you will need to hide your globe layer by clicking on the little eyeglasses for the red X. Once you have your graphic where you want it, unhide your globe. Now you can delete your original canvas background layer (NOT the Globe background layer). Then Merge, Merge visible and you are finished!
The nice thing about Vectors is that you don't have to stop at just making circle shaped globes, you can make heart shapes, oval shapes, egg shapes and even dome shapes! Vectors are great for making all kinds of bases too! Would love to see what you come up with!
I hope you enjoyed the tutorial!
~Tutorial created on 08/06/05~
