There are several very basic parts that show up in every successful interface. Elements such as wires, screws, and metallic tubes and plates are absolutely necessary to mimic technology. In this tutorial I have gathered together a compilation of the techniques used to create these various parts. Make no mistake, most of the material here is not terribly original. You'll find half a dozen Photoshop and PSP tutorials on creating screwheads, plates, and wires. But these are the methods that I use to create these parts, as done with PSP 7.
 

Metal Bars
Metal bars are among the easiest things to create.All they require is a simple Linear Gradient - black to white to black. Start by opening a new file ( File > New) with a white (or transparent) background and 16 million colors. Use your Selection tool to create a rectangular selection. Make sure that Feather is set to 0 and that the Antialias box is checked.
 
 

Now choose the Flood Fill tool from the Tool Bar. Then click on the Foreground Style box and hold down your mouse button. Select the Gradient style from the popup (it's the second one in the list.) A gradient will appear as your Foreground Style. Click on the style box once to open the Gradient dialogue box. In the Dialogue, click on the small arrow next to the gradient image, and select the Black-White gradient from the list. Next, choose the Linear Gradient Style (the first one in the list), set the angle to 0 (90 if your bar is going to run vertically), repeats to 1, and make sure that the Invert Gradient box is Unchecked. Now go to your Tool Options palette. make sure that your Blend mode is set to Normal, your Match Mode is set to None, and your Opacity to 100. Click once inside your selection. Hit Ctrl + D to release the selection.

 

To make ridged or striped metal bars, first create a bar with the gradient as noted above. Don't release the selection at the end. Now open a new file, 4 x 4 pixels, with a transparent background color and 16.7 million colors. Zoom in tight on this window. Set your foreground color to black then choose the Paint Brush tool. Set the Size to 1 pixel, the Step to 1, and the Hardness, Opacity, and Density to 100. Draw a line, pixel by pixel along the right or left edge (or the top/bottom edge if your bar runs vertically.) Be sure to note the name of this file.
 
 

Click on the Foreground Style box again and hold the button. This time, choose the Pattern fill from the popup. It looks like a square made up of nine spots. A pattern will now appear as your Foreground fill style. Click the box once to open the Pattern dialogue box. Click the little arrow next to the pattern image and scroll to the top of the list. Look for the file that you created with the 1 pixel line, and choose that for the fill (it will actually appear as an image with a series of parallel lines in the list.) Set the Scale to 100 and the Angle to 0. Click the OK button to exit the Dialogue box, and then click once on your selection.
 
 

If you want to give your bar a "threaded" look, set the angle in the Pattern dialogue box to about 352 degrees (for a horizontal bar.) and then Flood Fill your bar.
 
 
 

A wide variety of results can be obtained by using different patterns, such as a transparent/white/black pattern.
 
 
 


 

Below are just a few of the possible effects.
 


 
 

If you want to add a "wheel" to the end of a bar, make a second rectangular selection at one end, making it wider than the original bar. Try to center the selection on the earlier bar.
 
 

Flood Fill the new selection with the same Black/White/Black linear gradient.
 
 

Choose the Draw tool and set the Line Type to Single Line,  the Width to 1, and leave all the boxes unchecked. Set the Foreground color to Black and the Background Style to Null. Draw a black line between the wheel and the bar to delineate the two.  Holding down the Shift key while you draw the line will help keep the line vertical (or horizontal.) Add another at the other end of the wheel.
 
 


 
Fusing Gradient Parts
Sometimes it can be convenient to have a way to fuse parts seamlessly into complicated structures. This can be done with a simple layers trick. Start by opening a new file (Layers > New) with a transparent background and 16.7 million colors. Paste in or create a new part with a metallic gradient on this first layer. Now create a new layer (Layers > New) above the first one. On this second layer paste the part that you want to fuse with the one you placed on the botton layer. Two such parts are shown below.
 
 
 
Select the second (top) layer in the Layers Menu. Next go to Layers > Properties. In the Layer Properties dialogue box,  set the Blend Mode to Lighten. The two gradient parts will appear to merge. To make the bond permanent, go to Layers > Merge > Merge Visible. The new interface part can now be copied and moved as a single piece.

 
Metal Plates
Start by opening a new file (File > New), with a transparent background and 16.7 million colors. Choose the Selection tool and create a rectangular selection. Make sure that the Antialias box is checked and that Feather is set to 0.
 
 
Next go to the Style palette and set your Foreground color to light gray (RGB 192/192/192) and your Background color to White. Click on the Foreground Style box and hold down the mouse key. Choose the Gradient style from the popup. In the Gradient dialogue, choose the Linear Gradient, set the angle to 315 degrees, the Repeats to 1, and make sure that the Invert Gradient box is UNchecked. Click once inside your selection.

 
 
To give a 3-D look, add an inner bevel (Effects > 3D Effects > Inner Bevel.) Use the Metallic preset.

 
 
 

To give a more metallic look to the plate, adjust the contrast a bit. Go to Colors > Adjust > Brightness/Contrast. Set the Brightness to -61 and the Contrast to  52
 
 
 
 

To finish, release the selection by typing Ctrl + D.
 

 
 
Some monitors show banding with gradients, so it doesn't hurt to add 3% Uniform Noise (Effects > Noise > Add.)
 
 
 

One final note: Sometimes the look of a metal plate can be vastly improved by applying what's called a "Pool Shadow" filter. This was done in the title graphic. Both Greg's Factory Output Vol II and Filter Factory Gallery A contain Pool Shadow filters
 

Spheres and Spherically Curved Parts
Start by creating a new file with a white background and 16.7 million colors. Next, create a new layer above the background (Layers > New.) Now choose the Preset Shapes tool and set the Shape Type to Ellipse, the Line Style to #1 Solid, and make sure that only the Antialias box is checked. To create a sphere, set your Foreground Style to Null, and your Background color to Black. To create a circular ring, set the Foreground to Black, the Background to Null, and the Line width to a high setting (10-30) While drawing the circle, you must hold down your Shift key and click with the right mouse button to create the shape from the center.
 
 
 
Switch to the Selection tool and in the Tool Options palette, set the Selection Type to Rectangle, Feather to 0, and check the Antialias box. Draw a reactangular selection around your circle. Now click once on the circle to float it. The marqee should contract to outline your circle

 

Select the Flood Fill tool. In the Style palette, set the Foreground Style to Gradient (Click and hold on the Foreground swatch and select the gradient icon from the popup. Click on the style box once to open the Gradient dialogue box. In the Dialogue, click on the small arrow next to the gradient image, and select the Black-White gradient from the list. Next, choose the Sunburst Gradient Style (the third one down in the list), set the Vertical and Horizontal offsets to 25,  and make sure that the Invert Gradient box is checked. Set the Repeats to 0 or 1.  Now go to your Tool Options palette. Make sure that your Blend mode is set to Normal, your Match Mode is set to None, and your Opacity to 100. Click once inside your selection. Hit Ctrl + D to release the selection.

If you had the Repeats set to 0, you should get a soft rounded look.
 
 

If you set the Repeats to 1, the shape will seem more dramatically lit.
 
 

Cutting Through Metal Sheets
There are two basic ways to create an opening through one of your interface parts, to pass through tubes, wires, etc. One way is to actually make a hole through the part, so that the layers below show through. This can be convenient if you have some details on lower layers that you want to show. The other way is the just make it seem like a hole is present, creating a pseudo-opening so to speak.
 

To create a real opening, start by opening a new file (File > New) with 16.7 million colors and a white or transparent background. Create a new layer (Layers > New) and either create or paste in a  "metallic" part. The metal plate below was created using a slightly modified Black-White gradient.


 
 

Create a selection on the plate, representing the holes that you want to cut. This selection can be simple or complicated.  Extremely complicated selections may be created in another window and then stored (Selections > Save to Alpha Channel) and reloaded from the Alpha channel (Selections > Load from Alpha Channel.)
 
 
 

3) Hit the Delete key to remove the selected portions.
 
 
 
 


 
 
 

Leaving the selection active, switch to the background layer by selecting it in the Layers menu. Now create a new layer above the background (Layers > New.) Invert your current selection (Selections > Invert) and switch to the Airbrush tool. Color in the edges around your hole with a medium to dark gray. Choose the Selections tool now and while holding down the Shift key, use the arrow pad on your keyboard to move your selection up two pixels and to the left two pixels. Release your selection (Ctrl + D.) The metal plate now has an inner edge at the holes.
 
 


 

5) Return to the background layer and use the airbush to color the region behind the holes a deep black
 
 
 

Objects beneath the plate can be added by creating a layer just above the background (Layers > New) and placing them on the layer. Remember, objects will become darker the lower they are beneath the plate. A drop shadow (created after merging the plate with the inside edge highlight) can also add to the illusion of depth.
 
 

Pseudo-holes

Begin again with a metal gradient plate of some kind (preferably on its own layer above the background.)
 
 
 
 

Create a new layer above your plate (Layers > New.) Now select the Preset Shapes tool and set your Background color to Black and your Foreground Style to Null. In the Tool Options palette, set the Shape Type to Circle, and make sure that the Retain Style and Create as Vector boxes are Unchecked, and that the Antialias box is checked. Create a circle in black  Position it where you want the hole.
 
 

Duplicate the layer with the circle (Layers > Duplicate) and convert the circle color to white by inverting the color (Colors > Negative Image.)
 
 

Go to the Selection menu and choose Select All.  Now hold down the Shift key and use the arrows on the cursor pad to move the selection down two pixels and to the right two pixels. Release your selection by hitting Ctrl + D
 
 

Open the Layers Property box (Layers > Properties) and change the Blend Mode to Soft Light. The hole will now appear with a highlight along the inner edge.
 
 

Create a new layer on top and you can add wires, tubes, etc. to pass into the opening.
 
 

Inset Lines
Inset lines can be used to create grills, speakers, or other bits of detail on the surface of an interface. The general procedure for creating such lines can also be applied to text.
Begin by selecting the surface you wish to incise. A medium dark colored surface works best. Too dark or too light and the effect won't be seen. Here we start with a bevelled gray plate.
 

 

Create a new Raster layer above your surface (Layers > New) and add some black lines and/or shapes.
 
 

Duplicate the layer with the black lines (Layers > Duplicate) and invert the color (Colors > Negative Image.) The lines should now appear white.These white lines will become the highlight of the inset.
 
 

Use the Selection tool to draw a selection around the white lines. Hold down the Shift key and use the cursor arrows on your keyboard to move the selection down two pixels and to the right two pixels.Now open up the Layer Properties box (Layers > Properties.) Set the Blend mode to Soft Light to complete the effect.
 
 
 
 

If you wish to have a particular color inset into your surface, follow the same procedure as above. When you are done, return to the layer with the black lines by selecting it in the Layers menu or palette. Duplicate this layer (Layers > Duplicate.) Use the Selection tool to create a selection around the black lines on this new layer, and then click on the lines to float the selection. Flood Fill with the color of your choice or use the Air Brush tool to provide color. Return to the layer with the black lines, select them, and move the selection up one pixel and to the left 1 pixel. The result of such a procedure (using blue for the inset) is shown below.
 
 
 
 
 


 
 
Fasteners: Rivets and Screws
Screws and other fasteners add important detail to an interface, details which can make all the difference in the world. Use them in empty places, at the edges between interface parts, or to give a one piece casing the look of having been assembled from parts.
 
Choose the surface on which to create your screw.Here we've used the same plate as for the inset lines.

 
 

Create a new raster layer above the surface (Layers > New.) Now select the Preset Shapes tool and set your Background color to Black and your Foreground Style to Null. In the Tool Options palette, set the Shape Type to Circle, and make sure that the Retain Style and Create as Vector boxes are Unchecked, and that the Antialias box is checked. Create a small black circle. This will be the size of your screw head.

Duplicate the layer with your black circle twice (Layers > Duplicate, times two.) You shouldn't see much change to your image.
 
 
 

On the uppermost circle layer, use the selection tool to draw a selection around the circle. Click the selection once to float it.. Set your foreground color to white and your background color to dark gray (RGB 64, 64, 64.) Now, in the Style palette, set the Foreground Style to Gradient (Click and hold on the Foreground swatch and select the gradient icon from the popup.) Click on the style box once to open the Gradient dialogue box. In the Dialogue, click on the small arrow next to the gradient image, and select the Foreground - Background gradient from the list. Next, choose the Sunburst Gradient Style (the third one down in the list), set the Vertical and Horizontal offsets to 25,  and make sure that the Invert Gradient box is Unchecked. Set the Repeats to 0 or 1.  Now go to your Tool Options palette. Make sure that your Blend mode is set to Normal, your Match Mode is set to None, and your Opacity to 100.  Click on your selection to create the screw head.  Release your selection by hitting Ctrl + D.
 

Now return to the layer just above your surface, the one containing the first black circle. Use the Selection tool to create a selection around the circle. Hold down the Shift key and use the cursor arrows to move the circle up one pixel and left one pixel. Again release your selection.
 
 


 

Move up one layer and invert the color to create a white circle (Colors > Negative Image.) Select this circle and move it down one pixel and right one pixel.
 
 

Move back to your uppermost layer by selecting it in the Layer palette. Now create a new layer above it (Layers > New.) Zoom in on your screw and select the Draw tool. Set your Foreground Style back to Solid color and set the color to Black. Set the Background Style to Null. On the Tool Options Palette, set the Line Type to Single Line, the Width to 1 pixel, the Line Style to #1 Solid, and make sure that Antialias is the only box checked.  Now use the tool to create a single straight black line across the surface of the screw.
 
 

Duplicate your layer with the line (Layers > Duplicate.) First invert the color (Colors > Negative Image) to create a white line. Use the Selection tool to draw a selection around the white line. Hold down the Shift key and use the cursor arrows on your keyboard to move the selection down one pixel and to the right one pixel.Now open up the Layer Properties box (Layers > Properties.) Set the Blend mode to Soft Light to complete the effect. The completed screw will appear as shown below.
 
 
 

If you have access to Blade Pro or Super Blade Pro, a nice metallic preset can add some nice color and shine to your screws. Here I've used a preset called Brass Knocker, created by Tony Cheroke. You can get it at the Cheroke Family Homepage, in the Graphics section (it's in Set # 10.)
 
 

To create a rivet rather than a screw, complete the above steps through creating the rounded head.  Make a new layer above all the others (Layers > New) and use the preset Shaped tool to add a small filled black circle. Be sure that Antialias is checked while creating the circle and that Create as Vector is unchecked.
 
 

Use the Selection tool to create a selection around the circle and click on it once to float it. Be sure that you have Antialias checked. Now choose the Flood Fill tool from the Tool palette. Then click on the Foreground Style box and hold down your mouse button. Select the Gradient style from the popup (it's the second one in the list.) A gradient will appear as your Foreground Style. Click on the style box once to open the Gradient dialogue box. In the Dialogue, click on the small arrow next to the gradient image, and select the Black-White gradient from the list. Next, choose the Linear Gradient Style (the first one in the list), set the angle to 135, repeats to 0, and make sure that the Invert Gradient box is Unchecked. Now go to your Tool Options palette. make sure that your Blend mode is set to Normal, your Match Mode is set to None, and your Opacity to 100. Click once inside your selection. Hit Ctrl + D to release the selection.
 
 

Wires
Wires are used to give your interface that electronic look, and to link various parts that would otherwise seem unconnected. Getting that rounded look is actually quite easy by using PSP's Inner Bevel effect. For this part, you will need to download the wires inner bevel preset
Start by creating a Bezier curve. Select the Draw tool and set the Line Type to Bezier Curve, the Line Style to #1 Solid, the Width to 5 or so, and check the Antialias and Create as Vector boxes. Draw a line that appeals to you.
 
 
 
You may wish to alter your line in Node Editing mode, either to make it more complicated or to make it better fit your interface. This is the purpose of starting with a Vector object. A line altered in such a way is shown below. For more on Node Editing see the tutorials here or here.

 
 

When you are happy with the shape of your line, convert the Vector layer to Raster (Layers > Convert to raster.) Now we add our bevel. If you have not already done so, download the wires preset and unzip it to your PSP presets folder. Go to Image > Effects > Inner Bevel. Select the wires preset from the dropdown menu and then hit OK.
 
 


 

Now just add a drop shadow (Effects > 3D Effects > Drop Shadow) to create additional depth.
 
 
 


 
A Final Note on Interfaces.
Don't underestimate the power of a simple drop shadow to create depth in an image. As you add each piece to your interface, ask yourself how far the piece is above the parts below it. Create the drop shadow accordingly.
Also, don't hesitate to use a lot of layers. It's probably best if each detail is on its own layer. This facilitates corrections and modifications later. Sometimes it's even a good idea to put shadows on their own layers, so as not to alter a carefully created part.
Finally, make use of the Alpha Channel. It's a great way to save selections for later use. It might bloat the size of your .PSP file, but it will make it much easier to add shadows and other effects as your design matures. I frequently find myself adding a part to it's own layer, saving the selection to the alpha channel, and then recalling the selection on another layer and using it to create a drop shadow.