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[ 91 ]› › PHOTOSHOP PROVING GROUNDthe text using the shortcuts noted
above. You can also press Com-
mand-T (PC: Ctrl-T) for Free Trans-
form to scale as needed to fit in the
box. I like to start with the bottom of
the wall, then add the other words,
working from large to small. Tip: To
hide or reveal the ruler guides, press
Command-; (PC: Ctrl-;).
and then hold down Command-Shift (PC: Ctrl-Shift) and click-and-drag the
opposite corner from the peak down to the perspective line. Holding down the
Shift key constrains the motion of the transform to horizontal or vertical. Press
Enter to commit the transformation.
Now it’s just a matter of repetition! Here’s a tip: If you want to use the same
wall over again, you have the choice of copying the smart object layer (press
Command-J [PC: Ctrl-J]) or Right-clicking on the smart object layer and choosing
New Smart Object via Copy. The difference is that the first method creates an
exact duplicate—if you modify either of the smart objects by double-clicking
to open them, all instances will be changed. Creating a new smart object via copy
lets you modify each instance individually. If you want to use some of the same
words, but change others, this is definitely the right way to go.Okay, we’re not done, yet. Once
you have a wall built, you have to
place it using your perspective guide.
The next trick is to gather your text
layers together. Use smart objects
because they retain the transform
information, and they tend to keep
the text pieces aligned more easily.
Select the top text layer in the Lay-
ers panel, hold down the Shift key,
and select the bottom text layer.
Choose Filter>Convert for Smart
Filters (I suppose you could also cre-
ate another shortcut!), and click OK
in the warning dialog.
Use the Move tool to drag the
smart object to your perspective
guide, setting one corner in line with
the peak of it (snapping helps here).
Press Command-T (PC: Ctrl-T) to
use Free Transform to scale it to fit
between the horizon and the peak,
Once you’ve built and placed all of your walls, turn off the guides and reference
layers, then crop however you like (see our final image at the start of the column).
This project uses a lot of workflow tricks to keep you from getting bogged down
in repetitive tasks. It takes a bit to set things up, and it may feel weird making
customizations that you only use briefly, but the time and movement saved will
definitely be worth the effort. When you’re all done, you can switch back to your
regular workspace (Window>Workspace) and optionally delete the temporary
one along with the project library. n