PSP X9 Drop Shadow For One Edge

[JustinPBrown]

I am a complete newbie to working with graphics layering software & finding it very difficult to adjust to the concept having used only Lightroom for the last few years.

I am trying to create a simple shadow beneath photographic images of a product box, but I can't find the parameter controls for the 'Drop Shadow' function in PSP X9.

I have aligned the shadow, using the drag-line function in the side window of the 'Drop Shadow' module (from the 'Effects' drop-down menu), to 6 o'clock, but instead of providing only a shadow directly downwards (as I expected, as though a light is shining from above) I get shadows also extending to the left & right of the subject, creating an unreal relief effect with shadows on three sides.

Why are the extra unwanted shadows appearing & how do I get rid of them? Are there any other controls besides those in the module window?

How can I create a drop shadow directly below a subject that does not also add shadows to the left & right of the subject. Are there controls that I cannot find? I drag the line to 6 o'clock, but the effect also creates shadows to the left & right, though I cannot figure out why?

I am trying to set a shadow directly below an image of a box, as though it is hovering slightly above an unseen surface.


Thank you.

[LeviFiction]

You need to have a small blur, horizontal offset of 0, and a small vertical offset, also you need to make sure that "Shadow on new layer" is checked.

This effect is a rather generic one. It creates a shape that matches the object you're applying it to, places it underneath your current object and then applies a blur and an offset. This means it's not following the shape and building a shadow, it's actually copying the entire shape and putting it on its own layer. It then blurs the shape and offsets it from the original. So you have to contend with the fact that the shadow is the exact same shape as your object and the blur makes it larger than the original.

When you make the horizontal offset zero, you make sure that the shadow isn't drifting right or left. The larger the vertical offset, the more of the original shape will start to show through as it is no longer being covered by the original shape. And the larger the blur, the more excess pixels you have to deal with.

Placing the shadow on its own layer allows you to go in with an eraser later and clean up anything that extends to the sides if you want to.

[JustinPBrown]

LeviFiction thank you very much for the explanation & instructions. I am having difficulty with the eraser. I have the shadow created on it's own layer but when I take the eraser tool to it to remove the areas of shadow I don't want it has no effect. I have read the manual & searched online but can find no solution.

Even with the horizontal offset at zero & the vertical 20 the shadow is present all the way around the subject, just less in the areas I don't want it. Still I need to remove about 80 percent of it.

[JustinPBrown]

After yesterday's PSP X9 update I am now able to erase unwanted shadow areas. Maybe I unknowingly altered a parameter previously which has subsequently been returned to default after the update. I still don't understand why a shadow pointed directly below the subject also projects directly above, left & right of the subject, but I can erase the 95% excess shadow created.

Again, thanks for your time LeviFiction.

[hartpaul]

Not sure if this helps but this is what I did. :
1. Used a picture tube to place a lunchbox on a transparent layer above a white background.


2. Placed a drop shadow using Effects > 3D effects > Drop Shadow and used the settings shown:



As far as I can see I am only getting a shadow below the box using the 6 o clock setting (=horizontal offset of 0)

3. This shows the three layers : box, shadow and background


4. By toggling the visibility of the box off I show the shadow and background only.


5. Choose the eraser tool (not the background eraser) and making the value shown I can then erase the parts of the shadow.





6. The eraser removes the shadow if that layer is chosen.


If you are not getting this result with your setup then there might be something wrong with your installation.

Done with PSP X9 (19.0.2.4)

[JustinPBrown]

Hi hartpaul, thanks for your response.

If you look closely at the image you posted you will see that there is shadow to the left & right of the subject when applied to 6 o'clock.

Also I cannot get a white background that will stay. It is difficult to shape the edges of the shadow with the grey & white chequered background. But when I create a white background layer to place the shadow on, when I begin to erase the shadow the white background is erased too, revealing the grey & white chequered background, even though I have no other layers beneath it highlighted (turned on) that are chequered grey & white. So where is this extra layer of grey & white chequers coming from?

I am really struggling with this software. I have been trying to create the shadow for 5 days now. The manual doesn't really explain things very well, it expects that you already know the terminology & have some experience of the layer system.

Do you change a parameter of th eraser so that it it recognises not to erase the white background layer & only the shadow layer? Is there a function that prevents erasing through all layers & only certain selected ones?

Thanks.

[hartpaul]

After more investigation , yes I can see the faint shadow to left and right. It appears that no matter what the angle it treats the object as being above the background and so the shadow is larger than the object.
Except:::
I did a new experiment:

1. Set up a white background layer. 1000 x 1000 pixels
2. new raster layer transparent above the white background layer .
3. Used the rectangular selection tool to draw a vertical rectangle.
4. Flood filled the rectangle with a faint yellow
5. Selections > Select none
6. Effect > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow with Horizontal offset at 0, Blur 0, Opacity 100.

Result no black shadow to left or right.

Now back to the images I posted
I turned off the visibility of the top object layer and selected the shadow layer .

Then selected the Pick tool (may be beneath the Move tool ) and changed the Mode to Perspective.
A box appears around the shadow with four corner nodes. Click the top left or right node and drag it slightly towards the other top node.
Click the Bottom left or right node and drag it towards the other bottom node.
This makes the shadow smaller horizontally so making the edge shadows disappear.

Re having white background stay, make sure the white background is on its own , the shadow on a transparent layer above it and that the transparent layer is chosen and highlighted.
Any erasing on that layer should not affect the white bottom layer. If I move my eraser away from the shadow and try and erase the white layer below I cannot erase any white as the bottom layer is not chosen and the eraser does not automatically deselect and choose another layer as the move tool does.

[JustinPBrown]

Hi hartpaul,

Again thanks for your efforts, but neither of them are useful for me.

The first one I need blur which then becomes shown at the sides.

The second solution: changing the perspective at the top also pulls the line at the bottom away from the subject box, especially if the box is at a 45% angle.

It seems it is impossible to create this shadow using this software. I shall have to subscribe to photoshop as I have been told it is easy to do with that software, though I have no idea.

Again many thanks for your time & energy.

Justin

[Cassel]

Justin, do you have an example of what you are trying to achieve? To me it looks like you might just want to have a shadow of a 3D object on a surface, which means you have to create the shadow either from scratch or manipulate that shadow on its own layer.

This free class (you just have to be logged in, and for another couple of weeks), will show you how to manipulate shadows to give some 3D effects. It might not be exactly what you are looking for, but might give you a hint.
http://scrapbookcampus.com/master-class ... pective-2/

[photodrawken]

It seems it is impossible to create this shadow using this software. I shall have to subscribe to photoshop as I have been told it is easy to do with that software, though I have no idea.

There are other editors which you can use and avoid the large cost of a Photoshop rental.

For example, in PhotoLine there is the 3D Shadow effect:

The shadow uses a progressive blur so that the area nearest the object is sharper, as in real life. The amount of blurring is adjustable, of course.

I read your first message again, and you mention "hovering" above a surface:

[JoeB]

As Cassel said, it would be a lot more useful if you could post an example of what you are trying to achieve.

That said, and given what Photodrawken said about you seeming to want to hover the box above the shadow, and you mentioning the box is at an angle, is my attachment similar to something you are trying to achieve?

[photodrawken]

...and an angled view:

[photodrawken]

This has become a very interesting technical question. My previous example of an angled view is utterly wrong.

Here's what the shadow should look like when projected on an "invisible" vertical wall behind the box, with the light coming from above and slightly to the left:

This required creating the upper left and bottom right corners of the shadow. The upper left corner of the shadow is cast by a completely hidden edge of the box. The bottom right corner of the shadow is cast by the upper right edge of the box, with a perspective completely different from the original edge in the image of the box.

[brucet]

If it were me I would approach a shadow from a different 'perspective'! Pun intended.

Create a new raster layer. Then use the airbrush to spray on a shadow. Tidy up with the eraser tool.

But I may be on the wrong track!

regards

[photodrawken]

If it were me I would approach a shadow from a different 'perspective'! Pun intended.

Yep.

I did that corrected angle view starting with the incorrect view, so that meant I continued using PL's 3D Shadows. I had to do some horsing around with the layers to create the missing shadow edges.

If I had to do it all over again, for such a simple shape like a rectangular box, I'd just draw the !@%$! shadow, fill it with black, add some perspective, and paint the variable Gaussian blur on the edges.