Search...

Create
Psdtuts+ a Shiny Earth with
Advertise WritePhotoshop
for Us 3D Layers | Psdtuts+
About Tuts+ Network
Usage Here Updates

us
emium

Twitter

Facebook

Flickr Tutorials\3D

Create a Shiny
Earth with
Photoshop 3D
Layers
Eren Goksel on Oct 5th 2009 with 141 comments

Advertise
Download Source Files Plus Icon Premium
Membership
Here
● Source files for this tutorial are available
Share
to Premium members. Source Files, Bonus Tutorials & More for all
Get a Premium Membership relevant Tuts+ sites in one subscription

Learn MoreLogin
Photoshop to
In this tutorial I’ll show you how to create a shiny planet icon using the 3D features of Photoshop CS4
HTML
Take your Photoshop skills to the next level
Extended. This will cover basic information about 3D layers and texture maps. Let’s get started!
by learning how to slice up a PSD into a
working standards driven HTML website.

Find Out More

Final Image Preview
Take a look at the image we’ll be creating. Want access to the full PSD files and downloadable copies of
every tutorial, including this one? Join Psd Plus for just $9/month. You can view the final image preview
below.

http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/3d/create-a-shiny-earth-with-photoshop-3d-layers/ (1 of 25) [13-08-2010 14:14:09]

Create a Shiny Earth with Photoshop 3D Layers | Psdtuts+

Do Not Retreat in Disgrace - More

Subscribers Followers RSS

Follow Psdtuts+ and Tuts+ on Twitter
101,000 31,481
Updates
Email
Posts
Updates
1124 @abduzeedo / Awesome!
● i(Pad) of the Tiger http://bit.ly/aQxi8O via
Twitter
Facebook
● The Real Secret to Freelance Success http://enva.to/
ctfCvu via @freelancesw

Video Tutorial ● On Assignment: Photographing the Pope in Italy http://

enva.to/dhfaUQ /great post @phototuts
Our video editor Gavin Steele has created this video tutorial to compliment this text + image tutorial.
● ☆ Create Brilliant Glossy Typography in Photoshop –
Psdtuts Premium Tutorial http://enva.to/bOPp4Y

Photoshop Basix
Basix
Just getting started? Start with our basix
tutorials on the fundamentals. View All Basix
Tutorials

Other Plus Sites ...

aetuts+ audiotuts+ vectortuts+ tuts+
phototuts+ cgtuts+ nettuts+ psdtuts+
activetuts+ mobiletuts+

Create a Tutorial, Get Paid!

Have something to teach the world? Want to earn money doing it? Tutorials,
http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/3d/create-a-shiny-earth-with-photoshop-3d-layers/ (2 of 25) [13-08-2010 14:14:09]
Create a Shiny Earth with Photoshop 3D Layers | Psdtuts+

screencasts, and articles published here on Psdtuts+ are largely contributed

by readers just like you! We'll pay you great money for good content. Find
Out More

Step 1
Create a new document which is 1000 pixels wide and 500 pixels high at a resolution of 300 pixels/inch, with
a name of "Home."

http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/3d/create-a-shiny-earth-with-photoshop-3d-layers/ (3 of 25) [13-08-2010 14:14:09]

Create a Shiny Earth with Photoshop 3D Layers | Psdtuts+

Step 2
We’ll be using some texture for our planet. You can get the diffuse texture from planetpixelemporium.com.
Download the "color map" image from the site and place it as a new layer into your document. Rename this
layer as "Earth."

http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/3d/create-a-shiny-earth-with-photoshop-3d-layers/ (4 of 25) [13-08-2010 14:14:09]

Create a Shiny Earth with Photoshop 3D Layers | Psdtuts+

Step 3
Now go to 3D > New Shape From Layer > Sphere. This will wrap the layer around a sphere and this is going
to be the base layer of our planet illustration.

Step 4
The "Earth" layer is now a 3D layer and a cube icon is displayed in the Layers Palette. You can interact with
a 3D model in a 3D layer in Photoshop. You can rotate and move the model or change the position of the
camera in 3D space using the 3D tools in the Toolbox.

http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/3d/create-a-shiny-earth-with-photoshop-3d-layers/ (5 of 25) [13-08-2010 14:14:09]

Create a Shiny Earth with Photoshop 3D Layers | Psdtuts+

Step 5
Grab the 3D Rotation Tool, click on the canvas, hold and drag to rotate the sphere and adjust it as you wish.
Holding down the Alt or Shift keys will restrict the rotation axis.

http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/3d/create-a-shiny-earth-with-photoshop-3d-layers/ (6 of 25) [13-08-2010 14:14:09]

Create a Shiny Earth with Photoshop 3D Layers | Psdtuts+

Step 6
The edges of the sphere look aliased at the moment. First we’re going to fix it. Go to the Layers palette and
double-click the little cube icon in the "Earth" layer to bring up the 3D Palette. Here you can make several
adjustments to the 3D layer. Make sure the "Scene" is selected in the upper list and set Anti-Alias to Best.
This will fix the edges.

Step 7
Now click on the Global Ambient Color box and set the color to R:100, G:100, B:100 and hit OK. This will
change the ambient color to a brighter one.

http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/3d/create-a-shiny-earth-with-photoshop-3d-layers/ (7 of 25) [13-08-2010 14:14:09]

Create a Shiny Earth with Photoshop 3D Layers | Psdtuts+

Step 8
We’ll now add a bump map to our planet. First download the "bump map" from planetpixelemporium.com and
save the image to your desktop. Now go to the 3D Palette. Go to Sphere_Material and click the Edit the
Bump Texture button and chose Load Texture. Select the file you have just downloaded. The "earthbump1k.
jpg" file is a grayscale file and the lighter areas in this image will be bumped in our 3D sphere. We also want
our planet to be glossy, so set the Glossiness to 100%.

http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/3d/create-a-shiny-earth-with-photoshop-3d-layers/ (8 of 25) [13-08-2010 14:14:09]

Create a Shiny Earth with Photoshop 3D Layers | Psdtuts+

Step 9
In the 3D Palette you’ll see that there are three lights. These are the default Photoshop scene lights. Now
we’ll change their types, colors and positions. First select the "Infinite Light 1" and change it’s Color to R:150,
G:150, and B:150. Now select the "Infinite Light 2" and set it’s type to Point so that we can change it’s
position. Change it’s Color to r:180, G:180, and B:180.

You can change the position of the light in the 3D scene using the Slide the Light and Drag the Light Tools in
the 3D Palette. Position the gloss effect on the sphere using these tools. Now select "Infinite Light 3," set it’s
type to Point as well and set it’s Color to R:130, G:130, and B:130.

http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/3d/create-a-shiny-earth-with-photoshop-3d-layers/ (9 of 25) [13-08-2010 14:14:09]

Create a Shiny Earth with Photoshop 3D Layers | Psdtuts+

Step 10
"Infinite Light 3" is placed somewhere under the sphere. Since we’re going to put the sphere on a surface
and add some drop shadow later on, we just don’t want any lights below it. So place the light above the
sphere using the Slide and Drag Tools.

http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/3d/create-a-shiny-earth-with-photoshop-3d-layers/ (10 of 25) [13-08-2010 14:14:09]

Create a Shiny Earth with Photoshop 3D Layers | Psdtuts+

Step 11
Now we’ll make the clouds around the planet. Go to the Layers Palette, duplicate the "Earth" layer and name
it "Clouds." Open the 3D properties panel for the "Clouds" layer. Select Sphere_Material in the upper list.
Click the Edit the Diffuse Texture button and select Remove Texture. This will unload the existing texture
map, and the Diffuse Color will determine how it is going to look. Set the Diffuse Color to white.

Click the Edit the Bump Texture button and choose Remove Texture to unload the bump map. Now we have
a white sphere. We’ll use another texture map for the clouds. Actually we’ll use the white color of the Diffuse
for the clouds and this texture map for the opacity. You can download the "clouds transparency" image from
planetpixelemporium.com. Click the Edit the Opacity Texture button and choose Load Texture. Locate the
"earthcloudmaptrans.jpg" file you have just downloaded.

The opacity texture made some parts of the sphere invisible, but obviously the wrong parts. Click the Edit the
Opacity Texture button again and this time choose Open Texture. This will open the texture in a new
document window. Go to Image > Adjustments > Invert. Save and close the document. Go back to the
"Home.PSD" document, you’ll see the opacity map is updated.

The weather seems to be too cloudy, because we can see the clouds that are on the other side through the
transparent areas. Making the material one sided will fix that problem. Uncheck Two Sided. To make the
clouds a little bit whiter, set Ambient and Specular colors to white. You can get the 3D Rotate Tool from the
Toolbox and adjust the orientation of the clouds if you want.

http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/3d/create-a-shiny-earth-with-photoshop-3d-layers/ (11 of 25) [13-08-2010 14:14:09]

Create a Shiny Earth with Photoshop 3D Layers | Psdtuts+

Step 12
To make the clouds pop out a little more set the Color of the three light to white.

Step 13
http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/3d/create-a-shiny-earth-with-photoshop-3d-layers/ (12 of 25) [13-08-2010 14:14:09]
Create a Shiny Earth with Photoshop 3D Layers | Psdtuts+

Apply a Drop Shadow Layer Style to the "Clouds" layer and use these settings: Blend Mode set to Multiply,
Color set to black, Opacity set at 75%, Distance set to 1px and Size set to 3px.

http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/3d/create-a-shiny-earth-with-photoshop-3d-layers/ (13 of 25) [13-08-2010 14:14:09]

Create a Shiny Earth with Photoshop 3D Layers | Psdtuts+
Step 14
Now we have our planet done. Since we’re going to merge our two 3D layers before we move on, this might
be your last chance to change the rotation of the earth and the clouds. Drag one horizontal and one vertical
Guide and snap them to the center of the earth. Go to the Layers Palette, select both the "Earth" and
"Clouds" layers, merge them by going to Layer > Merge Layers. Name the merged layer "Earth".

Now grab the Elliptical Marque Tool, Hold Alt + Shift and make a circular selection starting from the center of
the earth where the two guides intersect. Make a selection as shown below, which is about one pixel smaller
than the earth. Go to Select > Inverse and hit Delete to clear. This will clear the drop shadow of the clouds
and make the edges smoother. Hit Command + D to deselect.

http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/3d/create-a-shiny-earth-with-photoshop-3d-layers/ (14 of 25) [13-08-2010 14:14:09]

Create a Shiny Earth with Photoshop 3D Layers | Psdtuts+

Step 15
Use the Move Tool to move the earth up to make room for the shadow and the reflection. Apply an Inner
Shadow layer style using these settings: Blend Mode set to Multiply, Color set to black, Opacity set at 100%,
Angle set to -90 degrees, Distance set to 25px and Size set to 46px. This will make the bottom part darker.

Step 16
http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/3d/create-a-shiny-earth-with-photoshop-3d-layers/ (15 of 25) [13-08-2010 14:14:09]
Create a Shiny Earth with Photoshop 3D Layers | Psdtuts+

Create a new layer named "Shadow" above the "Background" layer. Grab the Elliptical Marquee Tool and
make a selection as shown in the image below. Fill the selection with black and deselect. Go to Filter > Blur >
Gaussian Blur and apply with a Radius of 7px. Go to Filter > Blur > Motion Blur, set the Angle to 0 and
Distance to 150 px and apply.

Step 17
Duplicate the "Shadow" layer. Hit Command + T, set both the Vertical and Horizontal Scale to 60% and
apply. This will make a darker shadow where the sphere touches the ground.

http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/3d/create-a-shiny-earth-with-photoshop-3d-layers/ (16 of 25) [13-08-2010 14:14:09]

Create a Shiny Earth with Photoshop 3D Layers | Psdtuts+

Step 18
Go to the "Earth" layer in the Layers Palette, duplicate it and name it "Reflection." Delete the Inner Shadow
layer style by dragging the Effects to the Trash. Go to Edit > Transform > Flip Vertical to mirror the image.
Grab the "Reflection" layer below the "Shadow" layer and position it as shown below.

http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/3d/create-a-shiny-earth-with-photoshop-3d-layers/ (17 of 25) [13-08-2010 14:14:09]

Create a Shiny Earth with Photoshop 3D Layers | Psdtuts+

Step 19
Go to the Layers Palette and add a Layer Mask to the "Reflection" layer. Get the Gradient Tool, open the
Gradient picker and select Black, White. Draw a gradient on the layer mask as shown below. This will make
the reflection fade.

http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/3d/create-a-shiny-earth-with-photoshop-3d-layers/ (18 of 25) [13-08-2010 14:14:09]

Create a Shiny Earth with Photoshop 3D Layers | Psdtuts+

Conclusion
In the Layers Palette click on the "Reflection" Layer Thumbnail to select the layer itself. Go to Filter > Blur >
Gaussian Blur and apply with a Radius of 2 pixels. Set the Layer Opacity at 75%. Grab the Gradient Tool and
fill the "Background" layer with a light blue to white gradient.

Well that’s it! I hope you enjoyed and learn something new about the 3D possibilities of Photoshop!

http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/3d/create-a-shiny-earth-with-photoshop-3d-layers/ (19 of 25) [13-08-2010 14:14:09]

Create a Shiny Earth with Photoshop 3D Layers | Psdtuts+

Subscribe to the Psdtuts+ RSS Feed for the best Photoshop tuts and articles on the web.

http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/3d/create-a-shiny-earth-with-photoshop-3d-layers/ (20 of 25) [13-08-2010 14:14:09]