Photoshop creates a real 3D Earth-PS tutorial

This article is applicable to PhotoshopCS4 and CS5. if you like it, you can learn the final preview:

Step 1: Create a new document with a size of 1000 pixels multiplied by 500 pixels, a resolution of Pix/inche, and the name is "Home ".

Step 2: We will use the map of the earth next. You can download the image "color map" from planetpixelemporium.com and put it in your document as a new layer. Rename this layer to "Earth".

Step 3: Select 3D> New Shape From Layer> Sphere. This will convert the texture into a sphere, which is also the basis for our next work.

Step 4: Now the earth layer is a 3D layer, and you will see a small sign of a cube in the layer panel. In PS, you can operate on 3D models in 3D layers. You can use 3D tools to move or rotate 3D objects.

Step 5: Select the 3D rotation tool in the toolbar to rotate the Earth to the desired position and angle. Press and hold the alt or shift key to keep the axis unchanged during rotation.

Step 6: The Edge of the Earth looks rough now. double-click the cube icon on the layer panel to create a 3D panel. here you can make many adjustments to the 3D layer. Make sure that "Scene" is selected in the above list, and set anti-aliasing to the best. In this way, the Edge will become smooth.

Step 7: select Global Ambient Color, set the Color to R: 100, G: 100, B: 100, and then confirm. This will make the colors around the Earth brighter.

Step 8: Now we need to add a concave and convex texture to the Earth's surface. Download "bump map" from planetpixelemporium.com and save it on the desktop. on the 3D panel, click Sphere_Material, edit the convex map, and select read texture. Select the image you just downloaded. We also want to make our Earth shine, so we need to adjust Glossiness to 100%.

Step 9: you can see that there are three light sources in the 3D panel, which are the default PS scene light sources. Now let's change their style, color, and position. Select "Infinite Light 1" and adjust its Color to R: 150, G: 150, and B: 150. Select "Infinite Light 2" and adjust its style to point so that we can change its position. Adjust the Color to r: 180, G: 180, and B: 180. Select "Infinite Light 3" and change its style to point. set the color to R: 130, G: 130, and B: 130.

Step 10: "Infinite Light 3" is placed somewhere under the sphere, because we need to place the sphere on a surface and add a projection, therefore, we do not want any light source to be below the sphere, so we use 3D tools to place the light source above the sphere.

Step 2: Now we want to create a cloud layer on the earth surface. copy the earth layer in the layer panel and name it "Clouds". open the 3D attribute panel of the "Clouds" layer, select Sphere_Material from the list above, click the edit Diffuse Texture button, and select remove Texture. This will remove the existing map maps. How the image looks depends on Diffuse Color and sets Diffuse Color to white.
Click edit Bump Texture, and select Remove Layer to remove the concave and convex Texture. now we have a white sphere. We will use another map for the cloud layer. We actually use a white Diffuse Color for the cloud layer and use its map texture for opacity. Download the "clouds transparency" image from planetpixelemporium.com. Click edit Opacity Texture, select read Texture, and select the file "earthcloudmaptrans.jpg" you just downloaded.
Opacity maps make some parts of the sphere invisible, but are clearly incorrect. Click edit Opacity Texture again and select open Texture. This will open the texture in a new window. Select Image> Adjustments> Invert. Save and close. Go back to the "Home. psd" document and you will see that the opacity Paster has been updated.
It looks cloudy now. Because we can see the clouds on the back of the sphere from the transparent part. To solve this problem, cancel the dual-sided selection to make our materials single-sided. Set the surrounding color and reflection color to white.

Step 2: to make the color more prominent, set the color of the three light sources to white.

Part 1: Use the projection effect on the "Clouds" layer, and set the following settings: Set the hybrid mode to Mutiply, set the color to black, set the opacity to 13th, and set the distance to 1px, the size is set to 3px.

Step 2: Now our planet is complete, because before we continue, we will merge our two layers. now is your last chance to adjust the angle of the Earth and the clouds. Draw two horizontal and vertical reference lines so that they are at the center of the Earth. On the layers panel, select both the earth and clouds layers, and combine them. the names are named "earth.

Step 2: use a mobile tool to move the Earth up and leave space for projection and reflection. Use an internal shadow layer effect on the layer, and use the following settings: the layer blending mode is Multiply, the color is set to black, the opacity is 100%, the angle is-90 degrees, the distance is 25px, the size is 46px, which darkens the lower part of the sphere.

Part 1: Create a new layer named "shadow" on the background layer, use the elliptical selection tool to select a selection area, fill the selection area with black, and then cancel the selection. Select Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur, set the radius to 7px, select Filter> Blur> Motion Blur, set the angle to 0 degrees, and set the distance to 250px.

Step 2: copy the "shadow" layer, press ctrl + T, and set the length and width to 17th.

Step 2: Select the earth layer in the layer panel and copy a layer named "Reflection". delete the internal shadow and select Edit> Transform> Flip Vertical to create an image for the image. Place the "Reflection" layer under the "shadow" layer and place it as shown in.

Step 2: Add a layer mask for the Reflection layer, select the gradient tool, and set the gradient method to black and white. Fill the layers panel with a gradient, which fades the reflection.

Conclusion: in the layers panel, select "Reflection" for the entire layer, select Filter> Blur> Gaussian Blur, set the radius to 2 PX, and set the opacity to 75%, select the gradient tool to fill the background layer with a light blue to white gradient
In this way, the success is achieved ~~