Captain Hook Tutorial Question

[Shotster]

After looking at the Captain Hook document on the CD, I'm baffled by something. I can't figure out how the orange inner border was created for the "Captain Hook's" text and why it doesn't appear on the "Bait & Tackle" text. When I go to modify the style of that text layer, changing the drop shadow distance also moves the orange border, and the text appears red if the shadow is moved far from the text; yet if the style is removed altogether, the text is really yellow. It's as if the shadow is combining with the text via some "mode" while it's not for the lower text. I don't understand what's going on there. Can anyone help?

Thanks much,
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Steve

[Richard_Lynch]

Well, you are the first one to catch that, I think. I was experimenting with a lot of stuff while writing the book,and this seems to be one of the enhancements that didn't make it. What you see there is a colored inner shadow. I didn't include them because I felt there wasn't an easy enough way to adjust. You'll see a better version in the Hidden Power Actions III free tools (find them on hiddenelements.com).

In other words, I did the effect with a tool I didn't release.

You can easily mimick the same thing however. Try this:

1. Activate the type layer.
2. Hold down CTRL/Cmd and click the layer in layers to load it as a selection.
3. Feather the selection a few pixels (3?).
4. Invert the selection.
5. Sample the red type.
6. Create a new layer.
7. group with previous (should end up grouped with the tye layer)
8. Fill with the red.

You may need to duplicate the grouped layer to get the full effect.

All this does is add a little red glow around the yellow letters -- it blends with the yellow to look orange. As it is exactly the color of the red, it doesn't change a thing there.

That help?

Sorry for the confusion.

[Shotster]

Aha! Yes, that helps. Thanks much. I was able to reproduce the effect - well, at least visually. What I still don't understand is why there isn't any red layer grouped with the type layer in the document as it comes on the CD. The grouped layers obviously aren't merged, as the orange inner glow disappears when the type layer's styles are removed. And when I move the shadow distance of the type layer in my version, the orange remains where it is. I just can't seem to reproduce the behavior exactly, even though it does look the same. What else am I missing here?

Thanks again,
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Steve

[Shotster]

Correction: The orange inner glow doesn't disappear when the shadow is moved. It appears to actually move WITH the shadow, and the type layer appears red when the shadow is moved, while the shadow itself appears yellow where it overlaps the type. Thus, I'm still perplexed as to how this behavior is achieved.

[Richard_Lynch]

The inner glow is achieved using effects that Elements can handle but doesn't have controls for. If you change the global angle (possibly the distance, etc.) the effects might very well change. If you shut off the style, the glow should disappear.

There are no layers grouped with the image version that is on the CD. The type layer is actually a MERGED type layer showing the yellow and red type together. The effects applied will effect both the red AND yellow type.

DON'T go looking for a grouped layer, you won't find it. The inner glow in the image on the CD was, as I said, created with a tool I didn't distribute. All it would have been was a single-purpose layer style. All of the tools I provided have far more broad utility than that.

The 'behavior is achieved' by Richard's unpublished magic. Like I said, an experimental tool that didn't make the cut...I've got hundreds of tools that people have literally never seen. Most would just have added options without proving to be a real enhancement or as an aid to learning. Trust me, this is one you didn't need.

[Shotster]

Ok, thanks for the clarification!

Regards,
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Steve