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 Post subject: Chrome Techniques - Metal Wurx - Part XIII
PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 1:16 pm  (#1) 
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Chrome Techniques


From the very first time I opened GIMP, I have been fascinated with making metal. I gorged myself on watching tutorials and learning the fundamentals of GIMP so that someday I could make metal like the pros. Although I would not call myself a pro, I have assembled an assortment of methods for achieving a shiny metallic look to whatever you create with GIMP.

Applying metallic gradients as we learned in our last Metal Wurx segment, is just one way to get a cool metallic effect. The one that really gets me going is Chrome. If you know how to create a good Chrome effect, it’s a very easy transition to making any type of metal you want, or any color you want. This tutorial is quite long because it is actually several short tutorials combined into one so that you can see how these methods compare.

I have also included a set of Curves presets that you will need later on, so download them now and place them in your Gimp “user” Curves folder, then restart GIMP. We will use these presets for many of the steps that follow.

In addition to the curve settings, there is another folder containing Environment Maps which will be discussed toward the end of this tutorial. Download and save them all.

You will need G’MIC for some of these techniques, and you will also need Python installed to use the Selection Bevel script for others. If you do not have the Selection Bevel script, you can download it here: http://registry.gimp.org/node/25199


Method #1 - Bevel Method
Step 1.
Open a new image and let’s use the 640x480 template, and create a transparent layer above it called Object.

Step 2.
Select the Ellipse tool, tick the boxes for Expand from center and Fixed, and make a good sized selection starting at the center of your image and dragging outward. Set your FG color to CACACA and fill the selection with the light gray or silver color. Go to Select>Shrink and shrink the selection by about 50 and hit the delete key to cut out the middle area of our circle.

Image

Step 3.
Right click on the Object layer in the layers dialog and select Alpha to Selection. Go to Filters>Distorts>Bevel (this is the Selection Bevel script I mentioned above) and enter the settings shown below.

Image

The filter will create a new “bevel” layer for you above the Object layer.

Image

Simply by using the Selection Bevel filter with the right settings we can simulate a polished chrome effect except for the large flat areas. For this, we need something else.

Step 4.
With the selection still active, create a new layer above the bevel layer and name it Gradient. Use the Blend tool and select the Metallic_23 (copper) gradient supplied with Metal Wurx - Part XII. Keeping in mind the light source angle, apply the gradient diagonally in a similar fashion. Set the layer mode to Hard light and go to Select>None to turn of the selection. Let’s also use the Bucket Fill tool to change our background layer to black.

Image

As you can see, it is a very simple task to change this object to any type of metal you want simply by changing the gradient selection. Another option is to duplicate the object layer, add a little noise and bump the original Object layer for a little added texture.

There are several other techniques for creating chrome from scratch, all of which require “shaping” the image in some manner so a curve setting can be applied. Keep in mind that curves can only be applied to images that are grayscale or in shades of gray. Only after the curves application should you apply colors. Let’s start with the simplest.


Method #2 - Blur/Bump/Curve Method with Gradient Mapping

This method is perhaps the simplest method used for creating depth or “shape”. It is this shape, like in the bevel method above, that allows us to create that reflective metal look.

Step 1.
Create a black background layer 640 x 480 and make sure your Foreground color is set to CACACA.

Step 2.
Create some text sized to 180 pixels, using a rounded, fat font like Anja Elaine Accent available from sites like Dafont .com. Your text should appear with the CACACA color.

Step 3.
Center the text layer using the Alignment tool, right click and select Layer to Image Size, and duplicate the layer. Name the top layer Blur and the bottom layer Bump. Select the Blur layer and apply a Gaussian Blur of about 25.

Your layers should look like this so far

Image

Step 4.
Turn off the visibility of the Blur layer and select the Bump layer to make it the active layer. Go to Filters>Map>Bump Map and when the dialog pops up make sure the Blur layer is selected in the drop down menu at the top of the dialog. Set the Map type to Spherical and Crank up the Depth all the way. Set the Ambient at 100 and click OK.

Image

Once you have completed the bump map process, you can delete the Blur layer. If you zoom in 200 % on the Bump layer, you can see (like in the image below) we have a lot of distortion left over from the bump mapping process.

Image

To remove the artifacts or distortions, check the little box at the top of the layers dialog to lock the alpha channel, and go to Filters>Blur>Gaussian Blur. Use a setting of about 5 for both amounts to smooth out the distortions, click OK, then uncheck the little box to unlock the alpha channel.

Step 4.
Go to Colors>Curves and select the Medium Chrome setting from the Curve settings in the zip file provided with this tutorial, and click OK. Your Curve dialog should look like this one.

Image

And the result should have a sort of soft chrome look something like this.

Image

Step 5.
Select the Blend tool and select the Metallic 23 gradient (brass). Now go to Colors>Map>Gradient Map to apply the gradient.

Image

Try different gradients or fonts for different effects. Note: Narrower fonts require less blurring and different curve settings will yield even more variations in the results.


Method 3 – Clouds Method

This method combines the Bump/Blur/Curves method with a Cloud layer or Solid Noise layer where you have little shape to work with, like we did in the Bevel Method above, and need to transform some large flat areas. I’ll use a really large flat rectangle to illustrate this technique. This also works well as an additional enhancement to other techniques.

Step 1.
Create a black background layer 640 x 480, then create a transparent layer above it and name it Brick.

Step 2.
Select the Rectangle Select tool and make a sizeable selection in the middle somewhere.

Image

Step 3.
Set your Foreground color to CACACA and fill the selection with the light gray color. Go to Filters>Select>None, then duplicate this layer and name the duplicate Blur.

Step 4.
Go to Filters>Blur>Gaussian Blur and use 12 for both settings, then turn off the visibility for the Blur layer.

Step 5.
Select the Brick layer to make it active, and go to Filters>Map>Bump Map and use these settings.

Image

Your brick should now have a nice beveled look like this. This step is not really necessary but I included it to show how to achieve a metallic look with both beveled edges and flat areas. You could also use the Selection Bevel script to create your bevel.

Image

Step 6.
Delete the Blur layer, duplicate the Brick layer, and name the duplicate Clouds. Check the little box at the top of the layers dialog to lock the alpha channel and go to Filters>Render>Clouds>Solid Noise and use these settings. Play with these settings for different results, but in this case, less is more and will give you a more realistic effect.

Image

Set the layer mode to Grain Merge and then right click on the Clouds layer in the layers dialog, and select Merge Down.

Image

Step 7.
Next, we go to Colors>Curves and when the dialog pops up we select the Intermediate Chrome setting from the drop down menu. The Curves setting dialog should look like this one.

Image

Once the curve settings have been applied, your image should already have a chrome metal appearance and is ready for a metallic color application.

Image

Step 8.
Create a new transparent layer above the Brick layer and set your Foreground color to FDD017. Right click on the brick layer and select Alpha to Selection. Select the new transparent layer and fill the selection with the gold color. Go to Select>None to turn off the selection, set the layer mode to Multiply, the Opacity to about 50%, and you have yourself some gold bullion! (You wish!)

Image


Method #3 – Gradient Method

This technique is similar to the Blur /Bump method but we apply the gradient first, then the curves. This is another way to address the large flat areas like in the center of each letter of this text we’re going to make.

Step 1.
Create a new image, 640 x 480 pixels, and drag the Foreground color over to the image to fill it with black.

Step 2.
Reverse the FG/BG colors, so that white is your FG color, and select the Text tool. Select the Times Roman Bold font and type some white text at 180 pixels, then use the Alignment tool to center it.

Step 3.
Go to Filters>Blur>Gaussian Blur and apply a blur using 7 for both settings, then right click in the layers dialog and select Merge Down. Rename this layer Text.

Image

Step 4.
Create a new transparent layer above the text layer and name it Gradient. Select the Select by Color tool and select the text layer to make it the active layer. Click on the black area and go to Select>Invert to invert the selection.

Image

Now select the gradient tool and set the Foreground color to a light gray (DCDCDC) and the Background color to a dark gray (3D3D3D). With the inverted selection still active, select the Gradient layer and stroke down from the top of the text to the bottom using the control key to make it perfectly vertical. Go to Select>None to turn off the selection.

Image

Step 5.
With the Gradient layer still selected as the active layer, go to Filters>Map>Bump map and make sure the text layer is selected as the bumpmap. Use the following settings.

Image

Your text should now look something like this.

Image

Step 6.
Go to Colors>Curves and select the Middle Chrome setting and click OK. The curve setting should look like this one.

Image

Now our text has been transformed into some really nice looking chrome! You might also try some of the other curve settings I provided to see the different effects.

Image

Now let’s do the same thing as in Step 8 when we made the gold brick.

Step 7.
Create a transparent layer above your Gradient layer (the chrome text) and right click on the text layer and select Alpha to Selection. Now click on the transparent layer in the layers dialog to make it the active layer and fill it with which ever Metallic color you like, and set the layer Mode to Overlay or Grain Merge. Personally I prefer Grain Merge.

If you haven’t already saved those colors, go back and take a look at the ones listed in the Metal Wurx – Part XII tutorial that covers Metallic Gradients, to find the list of metal colors. Here’s the link to that tutorial:

viewtopic.php?f=23&t=4097&p=50500#p50500

Step 8.
I’m going to use a completely different color here just for kicks. Create a new transparent layer above the Gradient layer, and set your FG color to a medium blue (706DFF). Now drag the FG color over to the selection to fill it. Set the layer Mode to Grain Merge and you get a beautiful Blue/Chrome finish. Choose your own color and Mode.

Image

For an even more dramatic effect, I used the Brass color (B5A642) and set the layer Mode to Burn, and the Opacity to 75%. This is one of my favorites!

Image


Other Methods

OK, I’ve shown you how to make chrome three different ways, so by now you should start to see that blurring, bump mapping and using curves come into play quite often. There are several other ways to create some incredible looking chrome effects, like using shaped gradients and others, but I’m not going to reinvent the wheel here as this tutorial is already getting really long. Instead, I have assembled what I think is the “best of the best” with regard to tutorials done by others that cover some of these additional methods.

The first method uses “Environment Maps” in conjunction with Filters>Light and Shadow>Lighting Effects. If you downloaded the zip file, you will find a folder with several environment maps for you to download and use. Here’s a couple of links to some great tutorials utilizing this technique.

http://silent9.com/blog/archiv ... -Gimp.html

http://www.gimp.org/tutorials/Golden_Text/

The second method uses G’MIC which has an incredible array of filters including Tom Keil’s “Metallic Look”. You can download G’MIC here:

http://registry.gimp.org/node/13469

Once you have a shaped layer (blurred and bumped, beveled or applied gradient) G’MIC Tom Keil’s “Metallic Look” applies a curve to the selection, similar to my Intermediate Chrome curve, and then applies the user selected color making short work of making fabulous metallic finishes. Here’s an excellent example of utilizing this technique by Nixnine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrGRjUXa8UM

This is yet another method using a different type of environment map, like the spiral looking one I included in the zip file, and is done by Jolie at Gimp Tricks based on the original tutorial by Oregonian at Gimp Chat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MBk8G3L ... ature=plcp

This last method is a bit older (2010) but is still one of the best around by Monsoonami. This technique uses a Python script called Layer Effects to provide the bevel shape, then uses a gradient layer and curves to get the chrome effect. G’MIC comes into play again as he uses an enhancement feature to really make it look crisp with edge smoothing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=en ... VVlItASBoM

You should be well equipped by now with several techniques for making metallic finishes and effects.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and the ones I included by others as well. Metal Wurx – Part XIV will show you how to make a distressed metal effect like this.

Image


Attachments:
Chrome Resources.7z [828.21 KiB]
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Last edited by Draconian on Tue May 22, 2012 8:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
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 Post subject: Re: Chrome Techniques - Metal Wurx - Part XIII
PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 1:35 pm  (#2) 
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Thanks Draconian. Keep em coming!


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 Post subject: Re: Chrome Techniques - Metal Wurx - Part XIII
PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 1:53 pm  (#3) 
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Draconian, Your a tutorial machine!

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 Post subject: Re: Chrome Techniques - Metal Wurx - Part XIII
PostPosted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 1:58 pm  (#4) 
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LOL! Not really. Just a lot of information about metal I've learned, scrounged and found over the last year and a half. Like I've said before, I just wanted to get it all in one place and eventually as a single published unit. Besides....being retired, it gives me something to occupy my time when the honeydos temporarily run out.

Enjoy!

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 Post subject: Re: Chrome Techniques - Metal Wurx - Part XIII
PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 2:05 pm  (#5) 
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Would you have any idea why only four of the Curves presets are showing up?

Edit: Actually none of them are showing up. I had four of the presets saved from previous tutorials but I deleted them from the Curves dialog before putting your presets in the curves folder. Now the old ones came back somehow and none of your presets are showing up. I'm not really sure what's going on.


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 Post subject: Re: Chrome Techniques - Metal Wurx - Part XIII
PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 3:06 pm  (#6) 
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Nevermind. I had to delete the curves settings file from the tool options folder. Then I had to import the settings one by one. Here's the settings file with the presets already imported in case anybody else has this problem.


Attachments:
gimp-curves-tool.settings.7z [9.56 KiB]
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