[triton]

I am looking to see if any body might have any idea as to how to proceed in doing this awesome tutorial (i-mac glossy plastic) I realize that Phong's website is down so I was wondering if anybody might of placed this tutorial on thier site or if anybody uses enough to post the process in which it takes to make this text effect. Phong had the only realistic glossy plastic effect that I have seen.

Thanks

[chrisk82]

I have it printed on paper. I'll type it up for you tomarrow though, I mean, later today around 10am probably (my time - it's 12:30 now). Anyway, you won't get the pictures, just the text.

[triton]

thanks I could really use it...

[daz199]

alexdg.com has exactly what you're looking for..

[chrisk82]

okay, sorry I hadn't posted this sooner. I've been kinda busy - and right now I'm pretty sick and can't sleep. Anyway, here is phongs tutorial.

Oh, I looked at alexdg.com and that tutorial sucks for plastic, the final product is so herendus (spelling?) I don't know what to call it.

Okay here we go:
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Step 1:
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Create a new image, about 800x600 pixels large. Select the blue RGB(26,104,175) as the foreground color. Use the type tool to creat an e, and resize it to fill most of the image. Working bigger is better.

This e(which I have no pic for) is created with Times New Roman Bold + Italic

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Step 2:
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Holding down CTRL, click on the layer e, in the layers window, to select its transparency. Next, creat a new layer, contract the selecti0on by about 16 pixels.

select > Modify > Contract... 16 pixels

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Step 3:
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Select Whiet as the foreground color, and fill the selection. ALT + BACKSPACE

Remove the selection CTRL + D, and Gaussian Blur the layer by 16 pixels

Filter > Blue > Gausian Blur... 16 pixels

Then, Gaussian Blur it again by 8 pixels, and then by 4 pixels.

Set the Layer's Opacity to 52%, and the blending mode to Color Dodge.

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Step 4:
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Now, hold down CTRL, and in the Layers window, click on the layer e, to select it's transparency.

In the Channels window, press the Save Selection as channel button. Now, click on thenew Channel it created.

Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur... 16 pixels

Then, Gaussian Blur it again by 8 pixels, 4 pixels, and then 2 pixels.

Invert the selection CTRL + SHIFT + I, clear the selection with black DEL, and finally DESELECT.

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Step 5:
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Go back to the Layers window, Hold done CTRL, and lcick on the e layer, again, select it's transparency.

Create a new layer, and drag it above the Inner Glow Layer.

Select the new layer, fill the selection with black, and rename the layer Highlights, Check on Preserve Transparency and set the blending mode to Screen.

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Step 6:
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With the Highlights layer selected, go:

Filter > Render > Lighting Effects...

Click here to see the lighting effects window.

Set the material properties to:
GLOSS: 79
MATERIAL: -37
eXPOSURE: 56
AMBIENCE: -100

change the Tuexture Channel to Alpha 1, or the channel you were working on before, and it's height to 100. Creat a directional light, Intensity 32, so that the lighting covers most of the e, but the brightest parts are still on the edges.

When the Lighting Effects is doen, Gaussian Blur the layer by 3 pixels, to get rid of the levels.

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Step 7:
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Now this is the step where you can use your own artistic freedom.

Image > Adjust > Curves...

(his had 2 pts, with x and y coords - (1,3.4) and (3,0))

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Step 8:
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Throw down a blue dropshadow (since the light is flowing through the clear plastic), and it's finished!!!!!!!

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Sorry for any spelling mistakes Hope it helps.