Expert: LizaL - 11/12/2004

Question
Hello there, I would first like to take the time for acknowledging my question. I am trying to duplicate an effect that was shown on a CD cover shown here: http://www.50-cent-get-rich-or-die-tryin-trying-rapper-cd-album.com/img/17.jpg

What I would like to know is, how do I go about getting a cracked glass image that I can layer over the original? any other suggestions you have for me in completing my objective would be appreciated.

Answer
Hi Greg,

I've never had to do this, so right offhand I don't have a good answer. But I did some research, and have a couple of suggestions. The first is a tutorial:

1. http://www.good-tutorials.com/track/1951
This one needs a couple of clarifications. First, when he says go to Distort>Displace, he means go to the Filter pulldown menu, select Distort, and then Displace.

Also, it's kind of hard to see, but he refers to "their" displacement map. You can download it if you click on the word 'ours' that appears in the sentence right below the picture of the girl. Then when the Displace filter prompts you to load a Displacement Map, go to where you stored that download and load that map. Or, as the tutorial suggests, you can always create your own Displacement Map.

What this would entail is creating an image to be used with the Distort filter that would actually create the shape for your shattered effect. In other words, in this file, you'd draw the lines that you want your glass crack to follow. Save it as a PSD -- also, it's OK to do it in black and white, since it doesn't appear in the file. It's only used as a guide for the filter.

If you choose to download the Displacement Map offered in the tutorials, you can alter it by selecting sections of it with the Magic Wand, and changing their shape via Free Transform.


2. If you feel like springing for a plug-in, here's one:
http://xenofex.com/xx2/xx2_main.html

Note that they also offer a demo. Here's what this filter will do:
http://www.designer-info.com/master.htm?http://www.designer-info.com/Writing/xen...


Hope this helps! And thanks for uploading a sample. That's always helpful to me. Also, if I find any other tutorials that would apply to what you want to do, I'll post them.


Lisa