Computer Graphics with Photoshop

Author

airplane window

Michael Sgier

2007-02-04, 6:14 pm

Hi
on an image I want to cut out the interior of an airplane window and
have a small black contour around. ( should be plastic )
How should I do that? How do I get a sharp contour of the windows?
Many thanks
Michael

ronviers@gmail.com

2007-02-04, 6:14 pm

On Feb 4, 12:05 pm, Michael Sgier <s...@nospam.com> wrote:
> Hi
> on an image I want to cut out the interior of an airplane window and
> have a small black contour around. ( should be plastic )
> How should I do that? How do I get a sharp contour of the windows?
> Many thanks
> Michael

Hi Michael,
If you can post a link to the image you will be more likely to get a
response that is suited to your application.

Thanks,
Ron

Michael Sgier

2007-02-05, 6:14 pm

Hi again Ron
luckily I found such a proficient ps person.
The image is here. Well one of many but the task is about the same for
all. So I should be able to reproduce it on other images.

http://free.pages.at/sgier/pc-12.png

I want to cut out ( transparent background ) in the cockpit region.
There should be a small and smooth/sharp black line around simulating
the black plastic on the real thing. Probably you could have a look here:
http://www.airliners.net/search/pho...&keywords=pc-12
My biggest problem is getting a nice, smooth transition from the
transparent to the black (plastic) frame. You can cut out anything (
also the white box and the black shadows ) and have only a small line
around the virtual glass. (everywhere the same thickness)
Many thanks in advance.
Regards
Michael

Michael Sgier

2007-02-05, 6:14 pm

Ahmm i forgot. The same for all the other windows. They are used later
in x-plane so you can look out through the transparent section, but from
the outside it should look as real as possible.

Michael Sgier

2007-02-05, 6:14 pm

and also look from the outside into the cockpit/pilot etc.

Tom Nelson

2007-02-06, 3:14 am

Michael,

If I understand you correctly you want a perfect rounded shape with a
black outline, through which you can see the background or cockpit
interior.

The Pen tool produces such shapes with full control over their
contours. It is somewhat difficult to master but worth the time you
spend on it.

Once you have a path with the Pen tool you can stroke it with a hard-
or soft-edged brush of any width and color, producing the black window
edge you seek.

You can make a selection from the path and Edit>Paste Into to have
another image seem to be inside the selection. You can move the image
around and still have it "clipped" by the selection.

You can duplicate a path and move it to produce a row of windows, all
alike.

Tom Nelson
Tom Nelson Photography

ronviers@gmail.com

2007-02-06, 6:14 am

On Feb 5, 2:59 pm, Michael Sgier <s...@nospam.com> wrote:
> and also look from the outside into the cockpit/pilot etc.

I agree with Tom.
Path
Duplicate path
Selection from path
Clear selection
Select duplicate
Stroke path

There are just not enough pixels to get fancy with.
Good luck,
Ron

Michael Sgier

2007-02-08, 6:14 am

Hi
should I use for cutting out to transparent also the pen tool?
Thanks
Michael

ronviers@gmail.com

2007-02-08, 6:14 pm

On Feb 8, 4:59 am, Michael Sgier <s...@nospam.com> wrote:
> Hi
> should I use for cutting out to transparent also the pen tool?
> Thanks
> Michael

Hi Michael,
As is usual with Photoshop, you have options. In this case though I
think the Pen Tool would be best because you will need the path anyway
for the stroke. The non-destructive alternatives; using masks,
clipping paths (not to be confused with clipping masks, which as Tom
mentioned would be useful for this project) or advanced blending are
more flexible but also more complicated.
The way it could work is use the Pen Tool to lay down a path along the
edge of what needs to be deleted, duplicated that path (this can be
done either with copy/paste or with the buttons at the bottom of the
Paths palette), then use the 'Path to selection' button in the paths
palette, and hit delete. This gets rid of the fill pixels inside the
marquee. BTW, the Marquee (selection) can be Feathered for a smoother
transition. Then make the remaining path active by selecting it in the
Paths palette and click the 'Stroke' button. This will stroke the path
with whatever settings you have configured the Brush with.
I am sure you are aware that since you are using destructive editing
techniques that it is all the more important to make backups of your
images and work on copies - just a reminder.
The Clipping Masks will be a good opportunity for you to expand your
ability to work with layers and masks. Adobe calls them Clipping Masks
but for me that name is confusing; they could also be called Layer
Fill Reveal Masks or Transparency Knockout Masks - either would be a
better choice in my opinion.

Have fun,
Ron

ronviers@gmail.com

2007-02-08, 10:14 pm

On Feb 8, 4:41 pm, "ronvi...@XXXXXXXXXX" <ronvi...@XXXXXXXXXX> wrote:
> On Feb 8, 4:59 am, Michael Sgier <s...@nospam.com> wrote:
>
>
> Hi Michael,
> As is usual with Photoshop, you have options. In this case though I
> think the Pen Tool would be best because you will need the path anyway
> for the stroke. The non-destructive alternatives; using masks,
> clipping paths (not to be confused with clipping masks, which as Tom
> mentioned would be useful for this project) or advanced blending are
> more flexible but also more complicated.
> The way it could work is use the Pen Tool to lay down a path along the
> edge of what needs to be deleted, duplicated that path (this can be
> done either with copy/paste or with the buttons at the bottom of the
> Paths palette), then use the 'Path to selection' button in the paths
> palette, and hit delete. This gets rid of the fill pixels inside the
> marquee. BTW, the Marquee (selection) can be Feathered for a smoother
> transition. Then make the remaining path active by selecting it in the
> Paths palette and click the 'Stroke' button. This will stroke the path
> with whatever settings you have configured the Brush with.
> I am sure you are aware that since you are using destructive editing
> techniques that it is all the more important to make backups of your
> images and work on copies - just a reminder.
> The Clipping Masks will be a good opportunity for you to expand your
> ability to work with layers and masks. Adobe calls them Clipping Masks
> but for me that name is confusing; they could also be called Layer
> Fill Reveal Masks or Transparency Knockout Masks - either would be a
> better choice in my opinion.
>
> Have fun,
> Ron

I just realized, while working on my buttons, that you can change a
path to selection by cntl+click on the path layer in the Paths
palette. This should save us both a lot of time.