Page 128 - Enhancing CAD Drawings with Photoshop

4386.book Page 111 Monday, November 15, 2004 3:27 PM
EXTRACTING ENTOURAGE 111

Figure 4.14
The final version:
the woman saved
as entourage

6. The last step is to save the file in a format that supports an alpha channel. Choose File Save
As. Select TIFF from the Format menu and be sure Alpha Channels is checked in the Save Options
group. Save the file as WomanStanding.tif (also provided on the CD). In the TIFF Options
Dialog box, select LZW in the Compression Group, and for the byte order, select the platform
on which you are working. You can close the file when you’re finished.

TIP The Targa (*.tga) and TIFF (*.tif) formats support alpha channels, and both are commonly
used in 3D programs such as Autodesk VIZ and Discreet 3ds max. You will use the file you save here
later in this chapter, in the “Entourage in Autodesk VIZ” section. Alpha channels are preserved
when files are saved in TGA, PSD, PDF, PICT, PIXAR, TIFF, or RAW formats.

Extracting Objects from Photos
You can create entourage from numerous objects that you photograph. Road signs, lampposts,
benches, fountains, trees, flowers, cars, and building facades are just a few examples. Small-scale
objects are easier to work with if you can bring them into a studio space where you can control the
background. Neutral backgrounds without much texture are best because they are easier to select and
extract from.