366
W
E LOOKED AT VANISHING POINT
earlier in this book, and we saw how
it could be used to clone and paste artwork in
perspective within a scene.
But there’s another side to Vanishing Point,
and that’s its ability to create a 3D model using
the grid we define. The system isn’t perfect,
and it certainly works best with rectangular,
boxy objects; but it’s fun to play around with,
and could have some serious uses.
In this example we’ll use this photograph of
an old leather-bound book, above, and turn it
into a model.
6
We can rotate the book by dragging with the Move Tool (CS6) or the 3D Tool
(CS5 and earlier), moving it into just about any position that shows the three
faces – the cover and the two cut paper sides – that were present in the original
photograph. As long as we make relatively minor changes from the original
viewpoint, the book will rotate smoothly and will still look like a real book.
1
Use COv LAv to enter
the Vanishing Point dialog. Begin
by clicking the four corners of the front
cover of the book, as this is the clearest
rectangle in the photograph.
3D layers with Vanishing Point
2
Click and drag on the center right
handle to ‘tear off’ a new plane.
Drag until this fills the tall cut page side
of the book. You may need to adjust the
corners to fit perfectly.
12
The third dimension
SHORTCUTS
MAC WIN BOTH
367
HOT TIP
Even though this
book is basically a
rectangular box,
its irregularities
still mean it
doesn’t make
a perfect 3D
model. The best
images to work
with are of true,
squared-up boxes,
such as software
boxes and other
packaging: try it
with a photograph
of a carton of
washing powder,
for instance,
and you’ll be
impressed by the
results.
8
When we turn the book around,
we can see what a sham it really
is. Like a stage prop, all we have is the
three sides we started with: inside, it’s
just hollow.
7
When we place the book onto a background, though, we can see the first
problem: because the edges of the original weren’t perfectly squared up, some
of the white background has been included in the model. One way to get rid of this
would be to rasterize the model after it has been rotated to the angle we want it,
then select the white and delete it; or use Advanced Blending to hide the white.
3
Tear off another plane by dragging
on the top center handle of this
new side, to match the top of the book.
Drag until it meets the corner at the
back of the book.
4
From the tiny pop-up menu at
the top left of the dialog window,
choose Return 3D Layer to Photoshop.
Now hit OK to leave the Vanishing Point
dialog.
5
The result is a new layer that looks
almost exactly like the photograph
of the book we started with. When we
switch to the 3D Tool k, we can see it’s
really a 3D object.
How to Cheat in Photoshop CC
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