Transforming objects in three dimensions

The 3D Transform filter lets you manipulate a flat, two-dimensional image as if it were a solid, three-dimensional object. Take, for example, a perspective photograph of a cereal box. You specify the corners of the box using a wire frame, and you can then manipulate the box as if it were a three-dimensional object. You can reposition the box, turn or rotate it, shrink or enlarge it, and change its field of view.

Transforming and manipulating objects

You can transform a two-dimensional object into a cube, sphere, or cylinder and manipulate it using wire frames based on that shape. Cylinders can include anything from simple objects, such as a can of soup, to shapes whose sides are lathed, such as a bottle or a lamp.

You can create and manipulate any grouping of cubes, spheres, and cylinders in the same image. For example, you can create and rotate a box, two balls, and a bottle together in the same image.

To add a wire frame:

Note: The anchor points should line up with the corners of the box, or the top and bottom of the sphere or cylinder you want to manipulate.

To move or reshape the wire frame:

1Select the selection tool or direct selection tool in the 3D Transform dialog box.

2Do either of the following:

•Drag an edge of the wire frame to move the entire frame.

•With the direct selection tool, drag an anchor point on the wire frame to move that anchor point.

Note: The wire frame turns red if you try to make a wire frame that would be impossible to re-create in three dimensions.

3 If you are creating a complex cylinder, do any of the following:

•To add an anchor point to a cylinder, select the add anchor point tool in the dialog box, and click the right side of the wire frame. For example, you can add an anchor point to more closely fit the cylindrical wire frame to a picture of a bottle.

•To change an added anchor point from a smooth anchor point to a corner anchor point and vice versa, select the convert anchor point tool , and click the point. A smooth anchor point creates a gentle curve when you adjust it; a corner anchor point creates a sharp corner.

•To delete an added anchor point, select the delete anchor point tool , and click the point.

4 For Field of View, enter a value between 1 and 130. Alternatively, drag the slider to the left to increase the apparent field of view, right to decrease it. This can make the wire frame fit the image better. If you know the field of view angle used to photograph the image, you can enter it here.

To delete a wire frame:

1Select the selection tool in the 3D Transform dialog box.

2Select the wire frame, and press Backspace (Windows) or Delete (Mac OS).

To manipulate the object in three dimensions:

Do any of the following in the 3D Transform dialog box:

•To move the object, click the pan camera tool in the dialog box, and drag the object.

•To rotate the object in any direction, click the trackball tool , and drag the object.

•For Dolly Camera, enter a value between 0 and 99. Alternatively, drag the slider to the left to magnify the transformed object, right to shrink it. This has the same effect as if you were dollying, or moving, the camera further from or closer to the image.

•For Field of View, enter a value between 1 and 130, or drag the slider to the left to increase the apparent field of view, right to decrease it.

The 3D Transform dialog box previews only the active layer. As you manipulate an object in three dimensions, you can align it with the contents of underlying layers.

To align an object with an underlying layer:

1Duplicate the layer with which you want to align. (See “Working with layered images” on page 287.)

2Within the existing stacking order, place this duplicate layer directly under the layer you are transforming.

3Merge the layer to be transformed with the duplicated layer.

4With the Display Background option enabled in the 3D Transform options, manipulate the object on the layer.

5When the layer is aligned, disable the Display Background option, and click OK.

Modifying the preview image

Use the zoom and hand tools in the 3D Transform dialog box to change your preview of an image. These actions do not modify the transformation itself, only your view of it.

To magnify or shrink the preview image:

1Select the zoom tool in the 3D Transform dialog box.

2Click the image to zoom in, or Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) to zoom out.

To move the view of the preview image:

Select the hand tool in the 3D Transform dialog box, and drag the preview image. This works only if you are zoomed in on the image.