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Start from where we had made the image square, and add 2 new layers. |
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Select the Background layer. Select the Rectangular Marquee tool (hotkey
M). Draw out a rectangular selection like this one at the far left side
of your image. Make sure you the selection covers both the top-most and
bottom-most pixels, as well as the last fifty or so pixel columns from the
left. |
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Go to the menu Edit-Copy or hit CTRL + C to copy your selection. |
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Select Layer 1. Edit-Paste or CTRL + V your selection into Layer 1. CTRL + Left click on Layer 1 to select it. Right click on the selected area and choose Free Transform or hit CTRL + T. |
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Right click again and select Flip Horizontal. Hit RETURN to finalize the changes. Hit CTRL + D to deselect the selection. |
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Hit V to select the Move tool or click on it on the tool bar. |
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Make sure you have Document Bounds switched on under Snap To in the View menu. Then switch on Snap just above it. Then move the pixels on Layer 1 to the right edge, making sure the three edges of the little strip of concrete aligns up perfectly with the edges of the document over on the right hand side. Now the pixels in the first column from the left and the first from the right are exactly the same. |
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We just need to smooth out the transition between the Background layer and Layer 1. This is done by selecting the Eraser tool (Hot key "E"). Since it is a fairly large image we are working on, I go for a nice big brush of 100 pixels in diameter with a soft edge. Lower the opacity to around 30%. |
Then you start erasing on the visible border between Layer 1 and
the Background layer, making sure you don't erase the last few vertical columns
of pixels. Since the eraser only takes off 30% you need to go over it 3-4 times
before you have completely erased the unneccessary pixels. However just use
the eraser till the seam is gone.
Now we need to repeat this operation on either the top and bottom
side of the image. Obviously with the slight difference that the selection will
not be flipped horizontally but vertically instead. I am sure you get the picture.
Summary
Let's take a moment to reflect on what it was we did here, besides pushing buttons and changing parametres.
In order for a texture or an image to be able to tile seamlessly we need to make sure that pixels on its four outer edges are all more or less similar,
or at least don't stand out when put next to each one another. Or else a seam will be generated.
We did that first, by cutting up the image in four equal chunks, and then rearranging them,
so the outer edges were forced next to the corresponding edges they would sit next to when tiled. This of course immediately
exposed the seams which would be generated.
Those seams we painted over with slightly transparent samples of the original image, untill they were completely blended away.
Which in turn means that if they can't be distinguished from the rest of the image now, neither will they generate seams when
we rearrange our image back to how it was, and tile it a number of times.
Secondly, we just simply copied the pixels on the outer edges, and pasted them on top of the edges they would correspond with when tiled.
That way you are certain your edges will match each other. Of course, you can't just have the very last column or row of pixels copied over,
but you need to blend the two parts of the image together. A smooth transition can be attained by using an erasing with low opacity to gradually
rub out one layer to gradually expose the one below.
But there is still much we can do to improve the look of this texture, when it is tiled a number of times. Skip ahead to
Seamlessly Tilable Textures - Part 2