How to Make a Virtual Cardboard Cutout
Virtual imaging (also known as 3D or CGI) is everywhere these days. You see virtual images being used in video games, print media, motion pictures and television. One interesting effect that is sometimes seen is turning a photograph of someone into a 2D "cardboard" cutout that can be rotated in a scene. At one time, creating such cutouts required hiring a professional who had years of experience in the field and who had access to the complex and expensive programs needed. However, in recent years programs have come onto the market that make the process much easier, so that all you need to do it is Photoshop (or GIMP) and a 3D program like Vue Infinite.
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Instructions
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Load the image you want to use as the basis of your cardboard cutout into your computer either by connecting your digital camera to the computer via the USB port or by scanning in the image.
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Open Photoshop. Select "File" and click "Open." In the dialog that pops up, browse to the image you saved and open it.
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Click on the "Quick Mask" tool at the bottom of the toolbar. Use the brush to paint over the person in the image. Click on the "Quick Mask" tool again, and the area around the painted area has been turned into a selection.
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Change the "Foreground" color in the toolbar to black and use the "Paint Bucket" tool to fill the selection with color. Now click "Select" in the menu and choose "Inverse." This selects the person. Change the "Foreground" color to white and fill the selection. Select "File" and click "Save." Save the image as a JPEG, naming it "Cutout Mask."
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Open Vue Infinite. In the toolbar on the left, go to the primitives and select the "Alpha Plane." In the dialog that opens, click on the "Load" icon under the "Color Picture" panel. Browse to the original image you loaded and select it. Now click on the "Load" icon under the "Alpha Picture" panel and browse to the "Cutout Mask" JPEG. If it is not showing properly in the preview, click on the color switch icon in the upper-right corner above "Alpha Picture." Click "OK." You now have a 2D cutout that can be rotated in the scene and rendered.
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