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Using the 3D transform tool
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Using the 3-D Transform Filter:
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1.
3D Transform is a filter that takes a 2-D image and tries to distort it as if you're using a 3-D program.
With 3D Transform, you pick one of three basic 3-D Forms, the Cube
(I made the image you see to the left from scratch in Photoshop, for a high school web site I maintain. It's pretty cool on its own albeit pretty traditional. While goofing around with the 3D Transform filter, I wanted to see if I could make this look like it was wrapped around a sphere.)
 ,, the Sphere  , or the Cylinder  and position it around your image. Then you can rotate the image with the Trackball tool  . Photoshop distorts your image as you rotate and treats it as if it is wrapped on a 3-D wireframe (based on the form you choose). |
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 2.
First, if you want to learn more about the basics of the 3D Transform Filter, read my tutorial,
Intro to the 3-D Transform Filter.
I've had the best luck using the 3D Transform Filter by putting what I want to transform on layer by itself and hiding any layers beneath it. This makes it easier to control exactly what gets transformed and makes it easy to clean up the mess 3D Transform leaves behind. Once I load a selection of the layer, I choose Filter: Render: 3D Transform and I see the dialog box pictured to the left.
Next, I used the Sphere form by dragging from the upper left to the lower right just outside the boundary of my image. Make sure the wireframe path is outside the edge of your image. It's better to have too much, rather than too little, included in the transformation.
To the left you see what my preview looked like after I used the Trackball tool to rotate the image up considerably. It really did a great job. Now the image looks like it is attached to the top of a real sphere, like a ball. Notice the junk underneath. I'll take care of it below. |
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 3.
Now you can see how the image looks after I clicked OK in the 3D Transform Dialog Box.
You get a better view of the junk I mentioned above. If you rotate your image too far, this is what you get.
It's the "back" of the sphere wireframe. Since I learned to put my image on it's own layer, it's very easy to erase to transparency and get rid of this stuff. |
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 4.
I went back a few steps and started over once I got a clearer idea of what I might be able to do with this
image. I wanted to have the school name to be visible as well as their team name so I rotated as you saw
above, only went a little farther. Now I've got the top part of a sphere with plenty of room underneath.
Then, having made a duplicate layer of the original image, I did the same thing again, but in the
opposite direction and created the bottom part of a sphere (not shown.) Now to put them together.
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 5.
Once I had both halves on their own layer with the "golf ball"-like stuff from the wireframe erased, I used a scale transformation to bring them together. Looks like a walnut, doesn't it?
While it's very cool, considering a few minutes ago this thing was a flat graphic., I'm not that fond of walnuts and I think this looks silly. Let's see some alternatives. |
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 6.
Hey this one looks a lot better.
To do this, I left the 3D Transformed pieces where they should be positioned in order to look natural on a sphere.
To make the middle section, I recreated the Blue textured area using Filter: Texture: Texturizer. I made the
type and then applied a slight arch "warp". After adding the emboss layer style, I merged the two layers and applied Filter: Distort: Spherize to make the area look rounded. |
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 7.
That was so much fun, I did it again.
Actually, while it looked okay, I thought the type was too small considering I'm going to shrink this down and possibly use it as a bouncing ball floating box on the web site. So I just settled for the school initials (HS is for High School). |
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 8.
Here's the transparent GIF version of the file. It looks decent enough. Hopefully I'll use it someday.
Kind of reminds me of a Christmas ornament, though.
Alright folks, now it's your turn. Start 3D Transforming! |
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