Home |Tutorials |Transparent spheres

By jamesvalue

Transparent spheres

thanks to Miss B to JimL to Juli to Fred for their languages corrections !

If you feel unfamiliar with terms like color palette , layers palette , tools toolbar , tool options menu , please visit this page.
Building "transparent style" spheres in paint shop pro8 is quite easy .


Here's a finished sphere


Download the script for this tutorial HERE! (only for psp8 owners).

To download the script , just right click on it and choose "save target as"(if you have a Microsoft O.S. and Browser), now rename the script from sphereJamesvalue.txt , to sphereJamesvalue.PspScript , then browse for the "script restricted" folder created by Paint shop pro 8 , and save the script into it.
Start by making a new image 260X200 pixel , 24bit , transparent , vector background.

We now start with a vector canvas rather than a raster one .

Pick the vector shape tool , and in the tools option menu use these settings:

preset:ellipse , create as a vector=yes , antialias=yes , retain style=no , line style=solid , width=14




Create two new gradient one for the sphere and one for the frame.

The 2colors sphere gradient is:


Color1= HTMLcode= #9BAFF9 , RGB 155.175.249
Color2= HTMLcode=#1840D6 , RGB 24.64.214
name=sphere



The 3colors frame gradient:
Color1= HTMLcode= #00024C, RGB 0.2.76
Color2= white
Color3= HTMLcode= #00024C, RGB 0.2.76
name=frameSpheredarkblue

Location color1=14
Location color2=50
Location color3=86


Now set the materials palette

stroke style=gradient , gradient name=frameSpheredarkblue (repeats=1), textures=none
fill style=gradient , gradient name=sphereGradientblue , textures=none

Don't forget to click on the frame/gradient preview little window and set the number of repetition to from 0 to 1.


Draw an ellipse on the canvas , but smaller than the canvas itself
and then center it
object>align>center in canvas



Now we add a raster highlight to the ellipse , but we position it on a different layer .
We have to create a raster selection from the ellipse.

Execute selections>from vector object (a raster selection will be created)


then create a new layer for the highlight

layer>new raster layer and name it "highlight"

Modifying the current selection
Selection>modify>contract by 19 pixels (and the save to alpha channel)
selection>load / save selection>save selection to alpha channel

selection>modify>feather by 12 pixel

We now create a new gradient for the highlight but the gradient should be partly transparent , and white to white 2colors.
here are the settings

COLOR SETTINGS
color1=white
color2=white

OPACITY SETTINGS
location color1=4 , opacity1=100
location color2=39 , opacity2=0


NAME
name=reflexSphere

You can of course copy from the image

Pick the flood fill tool ,
In the materials palette set the "reflexSphere" gradient as the foreground style



click inside the selection



deselect selection>select none

Now we add a cutout effect to give the sphere a more-convincing looking.
Create a new layer for the cutout and name it "cutoutSphere"

layer>new raster layer name=cutoutSphere

Load the selection you saved before on the alpha channel
selection>load / save selection>load selection from alpha channel

The selection is too small for the cutout , so enlarge it a bit.
selection> modify> expand by 5pixel

Now the cutout
effects>3d effects>cutout (the shadow color is a dark blue RGB=20.35.92)





This is the final result.


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