SWING SET
For PI 8+
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Software: Ulead PhotoImpact 8
Author: Claudia Conover A.K.A. Dia
Homepage: Dia's Dimensions
Terms Of Use: Please Read
Title: Swing Set
Skill Level: Beginner-Intermediate
Featured Tools:
Path Tool - Stamp Tool
Transform Tools - Paint Brush
Eraser Tool - Clone Tool
Bend Tool - Hue & Saturation.
Additional Files:
TriSquare Shape & Oval Chain Links Stamp
Description: Create a realistic Swing Set with Perspective.
Import my TriSquare Shape.ufo to your Path Shape Library.
Save my Oval Chain Links.ufo to your Stamps folder.
Swing A Frame (Back side)
Open a New White Image, 600x500px set up like this:
With the Path tool, Rectangle, 2D White, and draw a Vertical Rectangle 25x300px long. Open the Material Attributes Gallery, Metallic and click on the Copper1 preset in your EP (Easy Pallet, further known as EP). Set the Border/Depth at 13x30 (or as high as the preset will let you go for the Border). Duplicate and Hide the bottom leg (with the Eye on the object in Layer Manager).
Click on the Transform Tool, Slant, to the Right giving it 120 on the 'Width of Transform Handle' in the dimensions box above.
Rclick, Convert Object Type, From Text/Path to Image.
Click on the Clone Tool, Settings: 20, 0, 50. Hold the Shift key down while you click just above the place you need to clone in the center of the leg. Let up on the Shift key, and following in line with the center of the leg smooth the bottom of the swing leg like so.
Click on the Eye to bring the other leg into view and give that one 120 degrees to the Left with the Slant Tool.
Rclick Arrange, and bring to top. Convert Object Type, and Clone the bottom like you just did for the other leg. Be careful you don't get into the dark shadowed area above (where my red arrow is pointing to) on the leg. Set your clone pattern low on this leg.
(You have to do these separate or the lighting will be backwards for the second leg.)
Move them over to the center of your canvas and move the tops together until the tops of the legs just touch. Press Enter or click on the white background to deselect your leg.
Save As a .ufo with Options: JPG compression and give it a name. Remember to save often :)
Swing Connecting Joint
Path Tool, find my TriSquare shape you imported to your Shapes Gallery and draw one 69x129px. Move it over to the top of the legs so that just a bit of the bottom (1px) of the square extends beyond the legs on both sides. With the Transform Tool unlocked, shorten the Trisquare to 69x44px.
With the Transform Tool, Perspective, Grab the top left or right handle and bring the top in so that the lines are straight with the legs like this. Save.
Nuts & Washers
Click on the Path tool, find the Decagon shape and draw a tiny one 10x10px. It may be good to Zoom in for this. In the "Material" Gallery (Not Material Attributes Gallery) click on M17. This is your washer.
Click on the Square shape and draw one 8x8px. Center the square on top of the circle like so. These are your nuts & washers for the swing.
In the Layer Manager (hold Ctrl key) select the two parts and Rclick, Group. Arrange them like you see here.
Stabilizer Bar/Bolt Head
Path Tool, Rectangle, 3D, draw one 120x8px and click on your Copper1 preset back in the Material Attributes Gallery. It will be too flat, so open the Material box. On the Border tab mine will only go to 4, and that's good to round the bar.
Rclick, Arrange, Send to Back. Deselect.
Path Tool, Decagon shape, make a round bolt head 6x6px. Move it to one end of the bar and Duplicate. Send this one to the other end of the bar.
Center both in the middle of the bar and the middle of the leg like so. Save.
Colorize Frame
If you want a different color for your swing set now would be a good time to do so. Select a leg or the bar and use the Format, Hue & Saturation set on "Colorize" to do so. Remember your settings for the first coloring as you'll need them for all 3 parts, (horizontal bars and legs). The number for my color is 86 in the top box, if you want it this color. For the bar the colors are 86 and 25 in the bottom box. :)
Front A Frame
In the Layer Manager hold down the Ctrl key and click on these parts: horizontal bar, legs, trisquare, and the two bolts on the horizontal bar.
Duplicate and move to the left.
Bring the Horizontal bar up in front of the legs, but behind the bolts. Group and Deselect.
Click on the eye on one of the objects (layers) and make them disappear for now.
Again in the Layer Manager, click on all the visible parts, Group and hide them for now.
Click on the eye on the "top" grouped object in the Layer Manager to bring the second (new) frame parts into view. Rclick, UnGroup.
Screw Bolt Heads
Path Tool, Decagon shape, make a bolt head 10x10px. (Click on the Copper1 preset to apply if you need to). Move it over to the top center of the trisquare. Duplicate 2 more times, bring down, and arrange like this.
On all 3 bolt heads, Convert Object Type, From Text/Path to Image one at a time. Click on your Paint Brush and set it up like this.
Make sure the Straight Line is selected for this. Zoom to 2 or 300. Select one of the heads and start in the center near the selected head and extend the straight line to beyond the head a bit to make your black screw line like this. Do this to all 3 screw bolt heads. Group these parts to the front A frame.
Perspective
Click on one of the back frame's eyes in the Layer Manager and bring into view.
Transform Tool, Resize, the back frame to 190x252px and set up approximately like this for now.
Top Bar
Path Tool, Rounded Rectangle, 3D, Copper1 preset Border as high as it will let you go, mine is 9x30, draw a Horizontal Rectangle 148x18px across the top of your two A frames.
Colorize your bar the same as your other horizontal bars for the A frame.
Click on the top layers to hide again and Grab this bar in the Layer Manager with your mouse and pull down gently until you are under the hidden objects (layers) and let go. To have it end up where you want, you have to be below the halfway point on the object "above" the layer you want or it will go one object down too many - like so.
Bring your hidden A frame back into view, and position your bar in the center of the TriSquare of the A frame closest to the left.
Now Transform, Slant the bar downward till you have 148x39px in the transform size window to reach "just below the center" of the other Trisquare of the A frame. Move the back A frame any way you need to so the bar ends up in the bottom center of the trisquare like this.
Transform Tool, Perspective, close the far end of the bar up just a little to make it look 'distant' (148x37).
Convert Object Type, From Text/Path to Image.
With the Clone Tool clone the end of the bar so it looks continuous to the end of it, like so. Use these settings. Your bar should be the same size if you have followed the dimensions of this tut. If not, adjust the size of your brush.
Path Tool, Circle, 2D, Same color as your top bar only very dark, and size 16x "the height of your bar plus 2px more". This will add reality to the bars placement in the top section of the trisquare. My bar is 14px high, plus 2 for the circle = 16x16, and place under the Top Bar in your Layer Manager like this. You want just a tiny bit to show around the end, so adjust till you get the previews below.
Chain Connectors
Path, Outline Tool, Draw a 3D Circle 29x29px. Click on the Preset Steel4 in your Metallic section in the Material Attributes Gallery.
Move the circle over to the top of the Top Bar and to the front end. Adjust so the bottom of the top of the circle is just above the bar like so.
Convert Object Type, From Text/Path to Image.
Click on the Eraser Tool set up like below, and positioned like so, to erase part of the link. Be careful to leave 1px up of the chain link on the bar.
Change to the Pick Tool and move the link down 1px so it meets the top of the bar like so and move it over like this.
In the Layer Manager click on the eye for the A frame to turn off the view and to find out where this piece belongs in the order of things. Drop it down to below the last of the A frame parts. Turn the layer for the A frame back on.
Duplicate this piece and bring this one down in the Layer Manager to under the first ring. Center it so it looks like it's on the bar like the other one and move it over a little ways.
Duplicate this ring again, use the Sharpen (focus) once.
Move it right on the top bar. Resize it to 27x27px (or so it fits on your bar) and center it so it's in the middle of the length of the bar like so. Move it down under the other rings in the Layer Manager.
Duplicate the ring again, and move it down under the last ring.
Now Duplicate this ring for your 5th chain connector link, Resize to 26x26px (or what fits for you at this end) Sharpen, and move it down to the end of the bar like so.
Duplicate this ring one last time, bring it down in the Layer Manager to under all the rest of the rings, and center it like you did with the others. Notice that this ring is closer to the other ring than the first and second sets are, which helps set the look of distance. Save :)
Ring Place Holders
Path, Outline Tool create a Circle 42x42px. Convert Object Type, and click on the Eraser tool.
Erase most of the bottom so it looks similar to this.
Move it over to the top of first ring to cover it evenly.
Erase more of it to fit the top of the ring like this.
Repeat what you did with the "rings" above so that every ring has a cover. This part is what keeps the swing rings in place on the swing set. Remember, each set of two becomes 1 or 2 pixels smaller to fit correctly. Use your Sharpen Tool on each cover when you are done.
When you are finished creating your covers move all 6 pieces down to just under the A frame and above the set of rings in your Layer Manager. Turn the A frame view back on and this is what it should look like :)
Chains
Click on the Stamp Tool. Find the file Oval Steel Chain-double_dia.ufo and bring it up to use by clicking on it. It will probably be the last item in your stamp collection.
Set your stamp up exactly like this preview.
Make a straight line of chains to the length you would like to have your swings be at. Make one side then Duplicate it. you will have to use the Effect, Sharpen, Unsharpen Mask, Options for the first strand of chains you "change the length on" (Not the duplicate).
This is how they need to be set at the top of the Rings.
Make 3 different lengths of chains for your swings.
In the Layer Manager, Select all 6 chains and move them down below the end of the A frame and above the Ring Covers. HINT: Shut the view off so you can find it or just look for the ring covers and put them above the top one.
Swing Seats
Path Tool, Rounded Rectangle, 3D, Material Attributes Gallery, Plastic, pick a color you want to use and draw a Rounded Rectangle 48x8px.
On the top menu click on the Bend Tool.
Leave all the settings as they are, but change the amount to -70 and apply.
Move it over under the first set of chains and 1px up over the end of the chains. Don't worry if the chains don't match, you can move them after the seats are all in place.
Duplicate this piece 2 more times and move to the same position under each set of chains.
On the 2nd and 3rd seats use the Resize tool to narrow the seat a bit to give it a better perspective of distance. On the 3rd seat make it 1 or 2px shorter as well.
When you are happy with their size and placement select all 3 seats and drag and drop them down to below the last chain in your Layer Manager.
Colorize your seats. The Master Channel will hold the gradient if you used one from the Plastic gallery. If you use the Colorize Channel you may be able to use your last setting, but will lose the gradient effect. You may have to hunt around for a setting that is similar to what your swing set color is.
If you have anything hidden bring it into view and check out your swing set to make sure all the objects are in the right order. It should look like this.
Guess what? You are finished creating your swing set! If you like, add shadows going to the right and down, as the light is coming from the Upper Left section of your graphic. Save :)))
To Make it a Tube
Make sure everything is the way you want it to be and R-click, Select all, Merge as Single Object.
Click on the Eye at the top of the Layer Manager to hide the background, and Save it as a .psd (PhotoShop file) This is the same type of file as a .tub/psp as it keeps the transparent background. :)
I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial.
Feel free to contact me if you get stuck and need help!
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