| Because we are going to build up
our panorama by adding further images to the right of the first we will alter the
horizontal size of our canvas to accommodate this. From the CANVAS ACTIONS PALETTE click
CHANGE SIZE and in the field CHANGE CANVAS SIZE X replace the value 1024 with 2048, check
KEEP TO ORIGINAL SIZE ON NEW CANVAS and click OK. The canvas will now be resized to the
new dimensions and an empty area will appear at the right hand side of the first bitmap. 
"Before resizing"
"After resizing"
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In order to add our second image
we will return to the LOAD TO LAYER dialogue (accessed from the FILE menu OPEN option or
by clicking the appropriate icon on the FILE TOOLBAR) and, once again accepting all the
defaults, we will select the new image which will open into a second layer. Although this
second image has opened into a new layer we see that it obscures the first image and will
require to be moved to its new, correct position. From the LAYER ACTIONS PALETTE click
MOVE LAYER. You will see that the cursor changes and that by a simple click and drag you
can move the new layer over to the right. You will find that temporarily setting the new
layer’s opacity to 50% allows you to position the layer more accurately with respect
to the one below (you will find the LAYER OPACITY slider at the top of the LAYER LIST
palette). Also useful at this stage is a ZOOM VIEW
(use the ZOOM palette controls or the MAGNIFIER icon from the SHORTCUTS TOOLBAR and press
Hi-Rez to resolve the appropriate level of detail for the zoom view selected). Once you
have created a ZOOM VIEW try using the keyboard CURSOR KEYS for layer move offsets of 1
pixel in the direction selected for greatest accuracy. You will need to find a reference
point that is common between the two images (such as a branch of a tree or the edge of a
building) and use this common feature as a registration mark to ensure the correct
placement of the second layer.
Once we have positioned the two layers correctly and reset
the layer opacity to 100% we notice that, although the layers are now correctly positioned
with respect to each other we can still clearly "see the join" due to other
factors such as lighting. There are an almost infinite number of ways of producing a
smooth transition from one image (layer) to the next and use of COLOR CORRECTION, LIGHTEN,
DARKEN and other tools will prove effective as will applying a soft-edged AIRBRUSH into a
USER MASK. |