----
Addendum
Long story short: old host gone and this whole thing explained in more detail in Tech-Slop.
See: http://tech-slop.serveit.org/reflections/index.shtml
----
Over at the Asylum, someone asked about using KPT5's ShapeShifter to do a particular tutorial. He was kind of looking to do some of the stuff at Blue Sky Heart. What's about to follow is a long over-due ramble on the subject.
********
No need for KPT5 for that particular tutorial.
ShapeShifter
I do have a variation that is a bit more friendly. I'll talk about this when I get the chance. Damn kids.
********
Ramble Ahoy!
Here we go.
Reflection Map
So you want to ?make a 2d thingy shiny. One of the best tricks is to use a reflection map. I mean, you want it to look kinda real, and shiny things reflect the world around it. Toss one on and :bam: a little extra oomph.
KPT5 comes with ShapeShifter. With ShapeShifter, you can use a reflection map. The most notorious map is coolkitchen.jpg. It's a very solid picture to use as a reflection map. It's a picture taken with a fisheye lens giving it some built-in distortion, and it's got excellent contrast. I mean, that distorted white square admist all that darkness is just plain cool.
Don't have coolkitchen.jpg? Hell, make your own. Err... make your own reflection map.
I haven't tried it, but I imagine a good way of going about it is to take a picture of a mirrored ball. A decent sized ballbearing might do the trick. Or maybe you have a neighbor with a cheesy lawn ornament. Or maybe even a picture of a anti-theft mirror seen in the corner of a lot of stores. Or maybe you are really lucky and have access to a fisheye lens.
Probably a good idea to Levels or Curves or whatever the reflection map. It's a personal thing. Whatever your heart desires.
Can't find a good, curved reflective surface? Or don't have access to a fisheye lens? Don't worry: PhotoShop can accommodate.
Distortion
Gotta get some distortion in there. Curved surfaces don't reflect flat don't ya know.
Of course, I recommend Filter > Distort > Diplace. Strange love affair that filter and I have. :sigh:
For round things, it's fairly easy. Start with what I call the Zoom Cube. Toss in a Layer Mask, a circular gradient, and some Curves. I do have an easily tweakable version, but I'm going to save this for another day.
Before we go any further, I recommend making two things:
1. A mask of the target shape. This will come in handy for masking out the border and other things. Just a bunch of white in the middle, black on the outside, and perhaps a touch of Gauss to soften it up a tad - in an Alpha channel of course.
2. A height map of the shape. One of the better techniques for making this is Doc's Multi-Gauss technique. DL-44 using in Phase II. Also in an Alpha channel.
I've already quickly gone through how to make a D-Map for circular things. What about making a D-Map for irregular shapes? I live for questions like that.
Irregular D-Maps
1. Use Lighting Effects and the height map. A red light going one way and a green light going another. I talk about this in More Fakery
2. Use Emboss and the height map. Basically, cut-n-paste the height map into a new Layer. Go to the Red channel and run Emboss. Go to the Green channel and run Emboss again - same settings as Red but at a 90? angle. Personally, I like to fill the Blue channel with 50% gray.
Hopefully you have a mask for the shape laying in your Alpha palette, because you just might need it to clean the D-Map.
However you go about it, save it as a PSD and Displace away.
Finishing Touches
I hate talking about finishing touches. To me, finishing touches are a very personal thing and can't be taught. I'll give it a shot anyways.
One of my favorite tricks is to cut-n-paste the height map into the target document. Start a new Layer, fill with 50% grey, run Lighting Effects and use the height map, and set the Layer to Hard Light. Sometimes I'll copy the Layer, set one to Screen and the other to Multiply. Then use Levels or Curves to tighten things up. Maybe even toss in some HSB to add some tint.
Or maybe use Emboss and the D-Map on top of that. You know, something like Steve's Hand Made Highlight and Shadow Masks, but with Displace tossed in at the end.
Or maybe even a variation on DarkGarden's Water Droplets.
On a few rare occassions, I have opted for painting the highlights and shadows. This can really break up the sterileness of doing it by the numbers. You know, some imperfection can be a very good thing.
Too many things to do and try when it comes to finishing touches.
That's about all I have the strength for tonight.
I leave you with this:
Specularity, Reflection and Gloss by Leigh.
Geared towards 3d, but certainly applicable.
play.fiddle.learn
********
Here is the tweak friendly D-Map that I mentioned. Notice that a few things are different.
At the bottom, a Zoom Cube that is inverted. Doesn't have to be, but it helps me keep things straight in my head. Next up is a basic gradient set to Exclusion. Clipped to that is the tweak Curves Ad-Layer. Finally, on top of it all is the "mask".
The reason for Exclusion is because they changed the way Layers behave when clipped. Long story. But it is important to note that "Blend Clipped as Group" is turned on. If it's not, you'll get funkiness.
Also, I didn't feel like messing with a Layer Mask and a Layer on the bottom filled with 50% Gray. So I just tossed a makeshift "mask" on top with a slight Gauss. No big deal.
The dynamics are basically the same for an irregular shape. Make your height map, toss it in the Layer palette, and set to Exclusion. Or you could go with Lighting Effects, or the Emboss route. I'm sure you can make a height map, so doing the tweakable version is probably the easier route.
Back to the salt mine.
play.fiddle.learn
******
So I had a few minutes to play. I knocked out a quick example using an irregular shape in the tweak friendly D-Map.
D-Map is 500x500. Laid down the custom shape heart and tossed it into an Alpha. Copied and started Gaussing at 40 and worked my way down from there. I probably should have started at around 60 because I had to Curve it just a tad. Also should have done something about the top in the middle. I mean, that part is just plain pants.
Used a photo of a building, as if you couldn't tell. Then Lighting Effects and a few other quick things. Could stand some airbrushing between the red and blue. I'll prolly airbrush it later just so I can feel better about it.
I tried it on a photo of a butterfly that I have, and it was fantabulous. Seeing the shapes conform and twist around at the same was one of the spiffier things I've done in a long time.
Anyways, just a quickie to show that an irregular shape can work with the tweak friendly D-Map.
Have at it.
play.fiddle.learn
********
Addendum
Long story short: old host gone and this whole thing explained in more detail in Tech-Slop.
See: http://tech-slop.serveit.org/reflections/index.shtml
----
Over at the Asylum, someone asked about using KPT5's ShapeShifter to do a particular tutorial. He was kind of looking to do some of the stuff at Blue Sky Heart. What's about to follow is a long over-due ramble on the subject.
********
No need for KPT5 for that particular tutorial.
ShapeShifter
I do have a variation that is a bit more friendly. I'll talk about this when I get the chance. Damn kids.
********
Ramble Ahoy!
Here we go.
Reflection Map
So you want to ?make a 2d thingy shiny. One of the best tricks is to use a reflection map. I mean, you want it to look kinda real, and shiny things reflect the world around it. Toss one on and :bam: a little extra oomph.
KPT5 comes with ShapeShifter. With ShapeShifter, you can use a reflection map. The most notorious map is coolkitchen.jpg. It's a very solid picture to use as a reflection map. It's a picture taken with a fisheye lens giving it some built-in distortion, and it's got excellent contrast. I mean, that distorted white square admist all that darkness is just plain cool.
Don't have coolkitchen.jpg? Hell, make your own. Err... make your own reflection map.
I haven't tried it, but I imagine a good way of going about it is to take a picture of a mirrored ball. A decent sized ballbearing might do the trick. Or maybe you have a neighbor with a cheesy lawn ornament. Or maybe even a picture of a anti-theft mirror seen in the corner of a lot of stores. Or maybe you are really lucky and have access to a fisheye lens.
Probably a good idea to Levels or Curves or whatever the reflection map. It's a personal thing. Whatever your heart desires.
Can't find a good, curved reflective surface? Or don't have access to a fisheye lens? Don't worry: PhotoShop can accommodate.
Distortion
Gotta get some distortion in there. Curved surfaces don't reflect flat don't ya know.
Of course, I recommend Filter > Distort > Diplace. Strange love affair that filter and I have. :sigh:
For round things, it's fairly easy. Start with what I call the Zoom Cube. Toss in a Layer Mask, a circular gradient, and some Curves. I do have an easily tweakable version, but I'm going to save this for another day.
Before we go any further, I recommend making two things:
1. A mask of the target shape. This will come in handy for masking out the border and other things. Just a bunch of white in the middle, black on the outside, and perhaps a touch of Gauss to soften it up a tad - in an Alpha channel of course.
2. A height map of the shape. One of the better techniques for making this is Doc's Multi-Gauss technique. DL-44 using in Phase II. Also in an Alpha channel.
I've already quickly gone through how to make a D-Map for circular things. What about making a D-Map for irregular shapes? I live for questions like that.
Irregular D-Maps
1. Use Lighting Effects and the height map. A red light going one way and a green light going another. I talk about this in More Fakery
2. Use Emboss and the height map. Basically, cut-n-paste the height map into a new Layer. Go to the Red channel and run Emboss. Go to the Green channel and run Emboss again - same settings as Red but at a 90? angle. Personally, I like to fill the Blue channel with 50% gray.
Hopefully you have a mask for the shape laying in your Alpha palette, because you just might need it to clean the D-Map.
However you go about it, save it as a PSD and Displace away.
Finishing Touches
I hate talking about finishing touches. To me, finishing touches are a very personal thing and can't be taught. I'll give it a shot anyways.
One of my favorite tricks is to cut-n-paste the height map into the target document. Start a new Layer, fill with 50% grey, run Lighting Effects and use the height map, and set the Layer to Hard Light. Sometimes I'll copy the Layer, set one to Screen and the other to Multiply. Then use Levels or Curves to tighten things up. Maybe even toss in some HSB to add some tint.
Or maybe use Emboss and the D-Map on top of that. You know, something like Steve's Hand Made Highlight and Shadow Masks, but with Displace tossed in at the end.
Or maybe even a variation on DarkGarden's Water Droplets.
On a few rare occassions, I have opted for painting the highlights and shadows. This can really break up the sterileness of doing it by the numbers. You know, some imperfection can be a very good thing.
Too many things to do and try when it comes to finishing touches.
That's about all I have the strength for tonight.
I leave you with this:
Specularity, Reflection and Gloss by Leigh.
Geared towards 3d, but certainly applicable.
play.fiddle.learn
********
Here is the tweak friendly D-Map that I mentioned. Notice that a few things are different.
At the bottom, a Zoom Cube that is inverted. Doesn't have to be, but it helps me keep things straight in my head. Next up is a basic gradient set to Exclusion. Clipped to that is the tweak Curves Ad-Layer. Finally, on top of it all is the "mask".
The reason for Exclusion is because they changed the way Layers behave when clipped. Long story. But it is important to note that "Blend Clipped as Group" is turned on. If it's not, you'll get funkiness.
Also, I didn't feel like messing with a Layer Mask and a Layer on the bottom filled with 50% Gray. So I just tossed a makeshift "mask" on top with a slight Gauss. No big deal.
The dynamics are basically the same for an irregular shape. Make your height map, toss it in the Layer palette, and set to Exclusion. Or you could go with Lighting Effects, or the Emboss route. I'm sure you can make a height map, so doing the tweakable version is probably the easier route.
Back to the salt mine.
play.fiddle.learn
******
So I had a few minutes to play. I knocked out a quick example using an irregular shape in the tweak friendly D-Map.
D-Map is 500x500. Laid down the custom shape heart and tossed it into an Alpha. Copied and started Gaussing at 40 and worked my way down from there. I probably should have started at around 60 because I had to Curve it just a tad. Also should have done something about the top in the middle. I mean, that part is just plain pants.
Used a photo of a building, as if you couldn't tell. Then Lighting Effects and a few other quick things. Could stand some airbrushing between the red and blue. I'll prolly airbrush it later just so I can feel better about it.
I tried it on a photo of a butterfly that I have, and it was fantabulous. Seeing the shapes conform and twist around at the same was one of the spiffier things I've done in a long time.
Anyways, just a quickie to show that an irregular shape can work with the tweak friendly D-Map.
Have at it.
play.fiddle.learn
********
Thank you for taking the time to document! [excited] 
No pressure or rush, though! 
