I came across this tutorial link on another site and though it was quite an interesting technique.

http://jagweb.puyallup.k12.wa.us/~tutorials03/photoshop/tutorials/raylight.htm

Christine

No problem. Fine to post, Christine. Thx for sharing your find. Looks very interesting.

I changed to title of the thread so it would be easier for folks to read it and understand the content.

~Danny~

Christine, have you tried it. It didn't come out properly for me. Don't know what I'm doin wrong.

Cheers
Dave

Came out OK for me - did you remember to do the 90deg rotate? the first time I tried it I didn't do that and got a strange result.

Christine

I can't even get that far. What is at the end of the first part. "Select all, copy merged and pa"? Does the text have to be precisely placed somewhere on the black background? When I hit Polar to Rect, my text ends up all over the place, left side, right side and part of it upside down. Can you send me a sample of what you have done?

Cheers
Dave

Instructions in a more idiot-proof* format:

1. Make a new image
2. Make the background black
3. Make a new layer and type your text in white, as near as possible to the middle of the image.
4. Either (Select -> All, then Edit -> Copy Merged, then Edit -> Paste) or (Layer -> New -> Layer, then hold down ALT while doing Layer -> Merge Visible)
5. Filter -> Distort -> Polar Coordinantes -> Polar to Rectangular.
6. Image -> Rotate Canvas -> 90° CW
7. Filter -> Stylize -> Wind -> Method: Wind, Direction: From the Right (do this step three times)
8. Image -> Rotate Canvas -> 90° CCW
9. Filter -> Distort -> Polar Coordinantes -> Rectangular to Polar.
10. Activate the text layer and hold SHIFT + CTRL and hit Backspace (this changes the text colour to black so you can do it another way if you prefer).
11. Move the text layer to the top of the stack. You might also have to move it around a bit to make sure it lines up.
12. Add a new layer set to Color blending mood and filled with a colour of your choice.

* I am not implying anyone is an idiot, I just can't think of a better phrase :)

Thanks Leah

Duv - it should look like that - it goes back with the next polar cordinates.

Christine

Duv - it should look like that - it goes back with the next polar cordinates.
After doing some more experimenting, I think he may have had his text well off-centre. If you do that the text does some very weird things - i.e much more "all over the place" than when you do it properly - and while it does go back with the next polar coordinates you don't get the effect working properly - you get gaps and things where the edge of the image got in the way.

Thanks for the info guys. I'll give it another try. By the way, my wife calls me an idiot all the time. Maybe there's something to it.

Cheers
Dave