[madjason12]

Hi all, I just wanted to post this tutorial on how to create heat haze behind the engines of aircraft in X-Plane screenshots. This will work in most versions of Photoshop. I will be using Photoshop cs4 in this tutorial... Now, to begin.

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Part 1

Step 1: First, find the image in which you want to add haze, right click it, select open with --> adobe photoshop xx. There will be a photo following. (NOTE: Although these pictures are taken off of a mac, this tutorial should still be affective on other operating systems)


Step 2: Now you should have the photoshop window open with the image you selected open. On the left tool panel, you should see what looks like a raindrop, this is the "blur" tool. Click it, then select the size you feel appropriate for the engine. Once this is done, click and drag a number of times, if you want, you can also set the "blur" intensity. Here is an image of the tool panel and what you should click.


When this is done, you should have a fairly nice looking image. Here is an example.


(Extra) Step 3: If you wish to exaggerate or "skew" the haze, you can use the smudge tool after you have blurred the area. To do this, right click on the "blur" icon, then select smudge. Again, set the brush size, and intensity first. Here is an image of what you should be clicking.


Once you have clicked the "smudge" tool, the former "teardrop icon should change to a finger like this.


Once you are finished, the haze should be skewed in the direction you have clicked and dragged in. Here is an example of my simple one. (Yes, I know, I over exaggerated a bit! )


You can now save the image as whatever format you want, and do whatever you please with it!


(Ps: If you have any questions, feel free to ask me in this topic. If you don't have photoshop, you can download the demo here --> http://www.adobe.com/downloads/ )

Part 2

Part 2 indicates another way of creating exhaust haze. This way uses the ocean ripple and gaussian blur tool.
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Step 1: See step 1 on post above.

Step 2: In order to add ocean ripple, you need to select the area in which you want to blur. To do this, select the lasso tool shown in the following picture.



Step 3: With the lasso tool, click and "draw" (sort of like a pencil) the area right behind the engines, zooming in will help you allot with accuracy. THe zoom button is located at the bottom of the Ps toolbar. It is indicated with a magnifying glass. Once you have selected the area that you want blurred, there should be a dotted line around the area, looking a bit like this.



Step 4: Now that the area is selected, (If you zoomed in, double click the magnifying glass to zoom out) go to the top menu bar, click on the filter button, then within that menu, click on the distort button, then within that menu, click on the ocean ripple button.



Step 5: Once you have clicked the ocean ripple button, a window should appear within photoshop, this is the window to adjust the ocean ripple. There are two sliders to the left, you can adjust them, and by watching the preview to the right, decide the right amount for your picture. Once finished, click the Ok button to the top right of your screen.



Step 6: Now, If you feel that your picture looks okay, you can save and quit, leaving it the way it is. If you would like to add gaussian blur, click on the filter button on the toolbar again. This time, within the drop-down menu, click on the blur button, a side menu should drop down. Click on the gaussian blur tool.



Step 7: After you have clicked the gaussian blur tool, a small menu should appear, here you can set how blurry you want the ocean ripple to be.



Step 8: When you are all finished, right click on the area that you previously selected with the lasso tool, click on the de-select button. The dotted line that previously surrounded your blurred area should then disappear.



Step 9: You are now finished! Here is an example done by me in about 2 minutes. Once you get the hang of this, it doesn't take long to do.





Thanks you for allowing me to share this tutorial with all of you. I hope it has helped any in need!

Happy landings - Jman

(Ps: If you have any questions, feel free to ask me in this topic. If you don't have photoshop, you can download the demo here --> http://www.adobe.com/downloads/ )

[Alex]

There are a few things to consider though that haven't been mentioned.
Heat haze influence is directly proportional to how far you're looking through it. Scenery and generally background buildings are heavily blurred. Closer objects aren't blurred to the same level. The aircraft structure if blurred at all, is very subtly so. It all has to do with optical physics. Consider that the heat blur coming from a 777 at TOGA power barely has any influence on the appearance of the aircraft itself. Careful use of the ocean ripple filter, gaussian blur and a few other techniques seem to offer, at least in my personal experience, the best results.

Happy editing

Alex

[Capitan Kevin]

I do it with the ocean ripple and blur like Alex, it gives a very nice effect. Sorry for the FS picture, but I can't find any other right now

[madjason12]

I have now added part 2 to my tutorial on how to create engine exhaust haze. Part 2 shows you how to do what Alex and Kevin suggested in the posts right above mine. Hope you enjoy!

Happy landings - Jman