Tools: The Perspective Correction Tool
Created by: Prof

The Deform Tools

The Deform tools (Deform, Straighten, Perspective Correction, and Mesh Warp tools) are tools that one can use to create and fix various shapes. Though most often the tools are used on photographs, one can use them on any graphics. The tools can create or fix perspective in pictures.

Purpose and Goal of this Tutorial:

Each tool is relatively easy to learn and use. However, there are some techniques that one can learn that can make using these tools to create some very interesting and unique effects and end results for pictures and graphics.

• Explore the Deform Tool and its options with examples (first lesson of this series)
• Explore the Straighten Tool (previous lesson)
• Explore the Perspective Correction Tool (this lesson)
• Explore the Mesh Warp Tool with examples (last lesson of the Deform Tools series)

The download file is a picture from the pdphoto.org a royalty-free photo web site. This picture is an 800x600 pixel photograph of a barn with windows in a perspective view.

When you unzip and then open the file in your PSP program, duplicate the original and then close the original (Window || Duplicate or Shift+D).

The Perspective Correction Tool

The Perspective Correction tool is a very easy tool to use. Its outcome is to fix the perspective of an object or shape in the original photograph.

The basic option that one can set is cropping the outcome or not cropping the outcome. Often one just needs to experiment whether or not this option produces the results wanted. One can also set grid lines (which shows a grid pattern) that may help in getting a good correction outcome.

When one clicks on the Perspective Correction tool, a square selector shape with handles on each corner will appear in the center of the picture. One then adjusts the corner handles to the shape wanted and then applies it.

Correcting the Window

In our example for this lesson I wanted to get a corrected window shape so that the window appears as if one is looking at it from directly in front of it.

In the Tool Options palette, I left the Crop option unchecked and set the Grid to 5. I also lightened the main picture to better illustrate the Perspective Correction selector with its handles.

Placing one's cursor over a handle and holding down the mouse button one then drags that handle to a corner of the object to be corrected. In this illustration I set the corrected selector to the window corners.

Notice how the grid also now takes on a perspective. One just uses the various grid lines to make sure the selector shape is what one wants. In this example I eliminated most of the shadow edges on the right of the window.

Clicking on the 'Apply' button sets the results. If you look at the size of your picture now, you will notice it has increased considerably. However, the window is square and the barn boards also are pretty much now in perspective as well.

The top illustration has Crop unchecked while the bottom illustration has Crop checked. Notice how different the two illustrations are and their respective sizes as well.

For my interests I used the top illustration as I wanted the right window in a separate canvas.

I then used the Crop tool and zoomed the picture a bit to crop out just the window. I then saved this result as a .pspimage file rather than a .jpeg file to preserve the quality. Ultimately, I will change the inside window part to become better in perspective but that set of techniques will be explored in another tutorial.

I also saved the cropped picture illustrated above as a .pspimage file as I also wanted the barn board straightened. Again, in another tutorial I will use that picture to create a new barn-window looking picture.

Final Comments

The best way to become very comfortable with this tool, as with all tools, is to just experiment with various photographs where you want to straighten out a perspective shape. The Perspective Correction tool is quite simple to use and allows one to find new ways to present photographs or parts of photographs.

In a later tutorial, I will use many of the tools covered to create a very sharp looking patriotic picture using the ship-flag picture and this barn-window picture.

– Enjoy –