Adobe Photoshop CS2 On Demand [Electronic resources]

Keeping Proper Perspective with Vanishing Point

Photoshop's Vanishing Point () is what I like to call one of those why-didn't-you-think-of-this-sooner options. It gives you the ability to move and/or copy objects within the document window and maintain the same visual perspective of the original. Let's say that you shoot an image of a roadway disappearing into the distance, and along the there's a billboard. Unfortunately, you want the billboard to appear as if it is further away. With Vanishing Point you simply create a framework that identifies the depth of the image, and then move the billboard (using the Move or Stamp tools). Wherever you move the sign, it will appear within the proper perspective. Or maybe you have an image with a damaged area, and you want to fix it with a repetitive area from somewhere else in the image. That's not a problem with Vanishing Point.

Use the Vanishing Point Tool

Open an image.

Click the

Filter menu, and then click

Vanishing Point .

The following tools are available:

• Edit Plane. Adjusts the grid to match the perspective of the image.

• Create Plane. First tool to use; it creates the initial perspective grid plane.

• Marquee Tool. Makes selections in the grid and then changes their perspective as you move them to match the perspective of the grid.

• Stamp Tool. Lets you make copies of areas and then stamp them onto other areas using the perspective of the grid.

• Brush Tool. Lets you paint with color, within the grid. If you click the Heal button and then click Luminance, Vanishing Point will adapt the color to the shadows or textures of the areas being painted.

• Transform Tool. Lets you rotate, resize or flip a selection created with the Marquee tool.

  [View full size image]

• Eyedropper Tool. Click to select a specific color from the image.

• Hand Tool. Click to move the image within the Vanishing Point window.

• Zoom Tool. Click to Zoom in, or Alt+click (Win) or Option+click (Mac) to zoom out.

Select the

Create Plane tool.

Click on the image to create the first point of the perspective grid, and then click three more times to create the box shape of the grid.

Use the

Edit Plane tool to change the perspective of the plane, and to extend the plane over the area you want fix, and the area you want to fix it with.

The plane should follow the perspective of the image. The grid should be blue; however, if the grid goes red or yellow, that means Vanishing Point believes you have a bad grid.

Select the

Zoom tool, and zoom in on the working areas of the image.

Select the

Stamp tool.

Position the Stamp tool directly over the image area you want to use to fix the offending portions of the image, and then Alt+click (Win) or Option+click (Mac) to confirm the selection.

Move to the area you want to fix and then click and drag with the Stamp tool. Not only will the Stamp tool replace the original information; the perspective will change to match the grid (bigger or smaller).

Click

OK .