Create a Steam Powered Typographic Treatment – Part I
Download Source Files
Whether or not you’re a Steampunk fan, this two part tutorial is sure to test your knowledge on Illustrator, Cinema 4D and Photoshop. In the first half, we’re going to customize a Blackletter font and create 3D text with vector shapes. There’s lots to do, so let’s start with the first part of this two-part series!
Introduction
In this type treatment, I sought to bring together a Blackletter font with the alluring Steampunk Style. A quick search on the net about the movement will show a well defined style and a few dominant leitmotifs. Raging steam engines, whistling exhausts and shiny metals are the norm, so in keeping with the guidelines, I created this illustration.
Be sure to check out one of our other Steampunk tutorials on Psdtuts+, How to Create a Steampunk Style Illustration in Photoshop for great inspiration and some traditional Steampunk gadgetry!
Final Image Preview
Take a look at the image we’ll be creating. Want access to the full PSD files and downloadable copies of every tutorial, including this one? Join Psd Plus for just $19/month. You can view the final image preview below.
Here’s what we’ll achieve by the end of these two parts.
For now though, we’re going to try and get this far.
Step 1
The first program on today’s list is Illustrator. Start it up, create a new web document with standard settings and type in your word using this free font.
Step 2
As you can see when zooming in, the font has a lot of harsh edges because it’s free, and not meant to be used for display purposes. We want a clean, few-endpoints font that won’t reveal any bugs in Cinema 4D. So turn down the Opacity of the text, and create a new layer. Lock the previous layer and start to trace your own version of the first letter.
Step 3
Try to keep the lines as smooth and natural as possible. You may choose to follow the edges by the letter (pun totally intended) or create a slightly different version like I did.
Step 4
Create a new layer underneath and create two bars over the old ones. While the color has no importance, I chose different values to make the tutorial easy to follow.
Step 5
Then on a layer above, create some dots with the Ellipse Tool (E). Create a rectangle too with the Rectangle Tool (M) and rotate it by 45 degrees.
Step 6
Then trace the… swirly thing near the center. Once you’ve done that, go to Object > Path > Offset Path. Use the values shown below.
Step 7
Locate your Pathfinder (Window > Pathfinder) and click on the Trim icon.
Step 8
Select the Direct Selection Tool (A), or white arrow, and click firstly away from the object, then in the center. Delete that part.
Step 9
Now trace the rest of the word.
Step 10
Copy all the letter faces and paste them on a separate layer (Command + F).
Step 11
Go to Object > Expand Appearance.
Step 12
Go to Window > Stroke and give the text a 1 pt stroke.
Step 13
You’ll now have to click away and click back to only the top part of the text. For some reason, you can’t change the stroke alignment of all the elements at once. Anyway, change the alignment by clicking on the middle icon. Also, change the Weight to 7 points.
Step 14
Now go to Object > Expand Appearance.
Step 15
Trim it with the Pathfinder.
Step 16
Then offset it by -2.4 pt.
Step 17
Trim it again to flatten the effect.
Step 18
Now you can use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to delete the center.
Step 19
Repeat this process for all the remaining portions of the text.
Step 20
Now save it as an Illustrator 3 file. Cinema 4D won’t be able to access later formats.
Step 21
Our second software choice is Cinema 4D. Create a new Scene and go to File > Merge and locate the Illustrator 3 file. Click open to have the file placed inside the scene. Now go to your Objects panel and Shift-click on the first nine paths. Delete those. These are corner markers you get when importing the Illustrator file.
Step 22
Move paths five and six away from the group by Shift-dragging them over the group in the Object Menu. Any object that you want to extrude individually, you’ll have to separate from the group.
Step 23
Now click and drag the Add HyperNURBS button and release over Extrude NURBS.
Step 24
Shift-click on the two paths, and drag them on top of the Extrude NURBS.
Step 25
Tick the Hierarchical box. This means that the Extrusion will affect all the objects placed under the Extrude NURBS.
Step 26
Click on the Caps tab and change the settings to those shown below.
Step 27
After doing this for each part of the letters, move the Extrude NURBS back and forth until you have the paths aligned at different points in space. Also, click back to the Object tab and change the Movement to 40.
Step 28
Pick the center detail and repeat the process explained above. Just change the movement to 20 meters.
Step 29
Next up are the dot paths. You can see more tabs at once by Shift-clicking on two or more, in this case Object and Caps. Use the following settings. Notice that we’ve changed the appearance of the edges from a soft corner, to a half circle.
Step 30
Then create the same Extrusion effect for paths 1, 2 and 3, but with a 30m Movement value.
Step 31
For the diamond, use slightly different values. We’ve also constrained the effects to the original size by ticking the Constrain box for the dots and diamond. Doing that with small objects may create artifacts, or visual bugs. This happens when the constrained effect expands past the object dimensions.
Step 32
Create an Engraved effect over the rod that connects the letter.
Step 33
Use the following settings for the final dot.
Step 34
Finnish off the first letter by extruding the borders.
Step 35
Do the same for the remaining letters.
Step 36
Copy the connecting rod (Command + C) and paste it (Command + V). This will paste it in the exact same position.
Step 37
Use the move tool to reposition the rod inside the following letter.
Step 38
On the left side of the interface you have different methods of selecting an object. We want to move just the top endpoints in order to resize the rod. First though, hide the extrusion effect by clicking on the green check mark from the Objects menu. Then select the Point Tool and Move Tool (highlighted in the following screenshot) and Shift-click on the top two endpoints.
Step 39
Drag the yellow arrow down until the dots disappear inside the letter.
Step 40
Do the same for the bottom endpoints until they reach the bottom loop and bring back the Extrude NURBS.
Step 41
It’s time to add a light source to the scene. For the lighting, we’re going to rely on an HDRI map environment and one Area Light. First of all add an Area Light.
Step 42
Bring it up over the text with the Move Tool.
Step 43
Rotate it by 45 degrees with the Rotate Tool.
Step 44
Change the dimensions by dragging the endpoints with the Move Tool.
Step 45
Now add a Sky Object.
Step 46
Create a new material from the Material Menu.
Step 47
Double-click on the material icon from the menu to bring up the Material Editor. Uncheck all the boxes and activate Luminance. You’ll now need this free HDRI map collection. Remember where you place it, and don’t make it a temporary location. Try to find a safe spot because you may find yourself linking more files to these HDR files. After you press Open, you’ll be asked if you want to copy the HDR file to the root folder. You can do that, or press No if you don’t move the folder after this point.
Step 48
Click on the three dot button and find the studio number seven from the folder. Open the small version.
Step 49
Drag the material over the Sky object.
Step 50
Find an appropriate angle to view the text from and add a Camera.
Step 51
To activate the camera, click on the white icon from the Object menu.
Final Result
A quick render will reveal what we’ve done in this first part of the tutorial. In this render, I’ve duplicated the light source for more brightness. You won’t need that for Part II though. I’ll see you next time when we’ll add textures and a scene to our text!
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great tutorial
how did u create the “L” at step 6..im a bit lost from there but otherwise its cool.
that’s cool, but can you show me the other text effect,,,?? please…….
Guy this thing is great man more tut
Thanks
Its really nice tutorial.Great work.
Oh my goodness how come you all are so good in this.. Am truly truly amazed.
Thank you for the great tutorial. I have smoothly reached step 24 but then I got stuck
I am supposed to see the text transforming into 3D but it DOES NOT happen
I had initially saved the Ai file as Illustrator 3… then I read all the comments and re-saved it as Illustrator 8. In both cases I can not get the result of step 25!
Could you please help as I’m dying to continue??
Thank you
Sofia
I’ve done it
))))))))))))))))))))))))))
nice tut but cant use (stupit gimp)
wow..
this is stupid but i cant expand the appearance in Ai. its only step 11 so ive no chance of getting this right. can anyone help an newbie here, Step 11
Go to Object > Expand Appearance.
but expand appearance is in light grey and i can not select it??? well confused.
dude same here…
first go to object>expand
i cant use cinema 4d in my laptop, so ill be using 3ds max. thanx for this great tuts.
must see and try tuts
Scuse me, but where is the second part?
i like it ,but i don’t know how to us iilustartor and 3Dmax
Is it not possible to do the 3 d effect in illustrator also
The tutorial is amazing!!! Everything is so detailed! And am trying to do it now!
When I trim I see perfectly my paths and that they are separated, I can move the middle part and I can delete it, but after deleting it I get nothing, but the whole image like it was before… when I select the path of the outer part though and hit delete, then everything is nicely gone, but for middle part… I’m just beginner with Illustrator and dont know whats happening 
Can smb help me? pleeeeeeeeeeeease!!!! :_( wanna do it!!!
How embarrassing it doesnt sound, but am stuck at step 6…
The tutorial is amazing!!! Everything is so detailed! And am trying to do it now!
When I trim I see perfectly my paths and that they are separated, I can move the middle part and I can delete it, but after deleting it I get nothing, but the whole image like it was before… when I select the path of the outer part though and hit delete, then everything is nicely gone, but for middle part… I’m just beginner with Illustrator and dont know whats happening 
Can smb help me? pleeeeeeeeeeeease!!!! :_( wanna do it!!!
How embarrassing it doesnt sound, but am stuck at step 6…
Yeeeeey I did it!
)))))))))) by triming you have to pay attention that the whole object is selected not just the offsets paths… 
well, if smb needs it later 
again me… I’ve made Illustrator part already and after getting in Cinema I’ve got a problem. Watching your pics, I’ve noticed that letters dont have these inner border lines in the beginning, thats why with adding extrude nurbs everything is smooth, how so? With me border lines are there and by adding extrude nurbs its just cutting out this part, leaving the holes inside
Is there any trick to switch them off first? Or it depends on Illustrator file? I really want to know how did it look with you, when you saved the file, if it’s possible. Maybe I can fix it directly in Cinema? Then how?
Am just dying to finish this tut… Hewp!
Ehhhh… I feel like am talking here to myself… I got me Premium Membership cause of your tutorial, I compared my Illustrator file with yours, everything matches. And when I applied Extrude nurbs to your file, it also made cut outs in these inner borders. I was confused and opened your C4d file and one by one went step backwards and deleted extrude nurbs from all items. As far as I noticed your border paths are completely independent from letter itself afterwards. How so? I assume you ungrouped it somehow. But how? Am missing this step in tutorial.
I would be really really greatful if you answer my comment!!! Am struggling already few days to figure it out, cause C4d is completely new program to me.
Thank you!
And hope for your answer!
Did you ever get an answer to this question? I am having the same issue and cannot figure it out for the life of me?!?!?!?!
This has to be the longest tutorial I have ever seen, but in the same time it’s the best effect I’ve ever seen. When will you release part 2? Can’t wait
This is an awesome style!
The end result looks amazing, great job….
Looks like the title to an RPG game or something
HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPP!!!! PLEASE!
I AM TOTALLY STUCK AT STEP 11 – CAN’T EXPAND APPEARANCE! DON’T KNOW WHY THE OPTION IS GREY AND JUST CAN’T SELECT IT. I TRIED TO FIND AN ANSWER ON INTERNET, BUT SO FAR NO RESULTS. CAN ANYONE EXPLAIN TO ME HOW DID YOU DO IT? WHAT CAN BE THE POSSIBLE REASON FOR THIS?
THANKS TO ALL WILLING TO HELP.
lol sorry to seem newbie and all buuutt…..
Im stuck on steps 10/11…
When it says, “Copy all the letter faces and paste them on a separate layer (Command + F).”
I have all my letters on separate layers. i dont know if thats normal, cause i can see the whole screen on the screenshots given.
but so i take the selet tool, and select all of the typefces. Cmd + C (Copy) and then Cmd + F (Whatever you said it does. lol) It just duplicates each of the sublayers the letters are on. : / Hard to explain.
And the “Go to Object > Expand Appearance”
Not sure if this is becase of me making a earlier mistake, but it doesnt let me select “Expand Appearence”. I just took the select tool. selected all the letters (yes,at the same time) and then went to the menu to see that the action is grey (unable to be clicked, ya know?)
Im on a mac, so idk if somethings different with my computer…
if someone need my .ai file to see where i screwed up, ied happily upload it online.
Please help meh!
Okie so, i fixed my previous problem, and just got introduced to Cinema 4D. Im intrigued by the program… looks like i could make some extreme design, and depart from photoshop, lol. BUTTTTTTTTTTTTTT…..
Since im new to this, im not sure about anything really. I just want to know…
WTF Is up with my “v”? lol (My Whole text is yes, Evan)
Can someone please help me? Heres the screenshot:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_MDsqMRx4Ggk/TE5ARwEDEqI/AAAAAAAABXc/6hO6CREOReA/Picture%2017.png
paths 8, 9, and 12 were the e,a,n. layer 50 was the v for some reason. anyway, i did the same thing for each layer. i dragged all of em into the same “Extrude NURBS” layer thing. Thats when i noticed the v was screwed up. so i set it up on a separate “Extrude NURBS” layer, to see if i could ajust it somehow. maybe if it needed different prefrences. it didnt, lol. anyway, in the screenshot, all of those letters are on the same type of “Extrude NURBS” layer, just the v one is separate. (trust me, its the same.)
Anyone can help me?
Same Problem, totally screwed up Splines in Cinema 4D.
Is there any Funktion in Illustrator to check the paths in order to have them all perfectly connected or stuff like that ?
I’ll try to analize this problem by seperately exporting/importing, but maybe someone has allready the solution ?
Hey there! Awesome tut. I’ve followed everything up to the first time you instruct to use ‘Offset Paths”. I have my vector selected, yet, no change occurs when I enter the values shown. Am I missing a step?? It might help to know that I didnt use the font you suggested AND I’ve also used Filter > Warp > Arc. Expand is available, but Expand Appearance is gray and unavailable. HELP! Everything else will be cake if anyone can help me figure this out! Thanks a lot in advance!!!
Scruff
Nevermind, I figured it out.
I cannot get the lines in the letters to extrude in Cinema 4D, I think step 32?. I signed up for the premium to view your source files and pulled them directly from your illustrator file and still can’t get it done. It just keeps showing up as a hollow space. Anyone have a clue here?
The reason I joined the Premium Membership is because it said that this tutorial … Create a Steam Powered Typographic Treatment … had source files that I could download. It is not available in the Premium list.
Why was it listed as being available and yet I’m not able to click on the DOWNLOAD source files?
Everything is available in the premium area. Run a search for it. It is there.
wow it great to learn that graphic become much easier for beginners due to these kind of blog or that kind of tutors
Great step-by-step article. Very helpful. Thanks for posting!
I’m in the same boat as several other people.
I can’t seem to get the inner lines of the letters (that are supposed to be extruded separately in a later step) to STAY separate from the parent letters. They show as hollow spaces.
Help with this one step would be great!
Great tutorial!
wow this is link tremendous art of designing that really appreciable
thanks
Hi I’m from chile and I love your tutorial actually am doing it with another word but the problem I have is in step 11 I can not do the “extended appearance” for some reason I get gray please can you answer as soon as possible I want to finish it soon because it is a gift for my girlfriend
thank you
An amazing tutorial, I have to download C4D because I have to try this one. Thanks
Hey.
This is a great tutorial but I got stuck on the lighting =/ I’m so lost on how to get it to look like that.
Hard work always give success .. Thank You for sharing with screenshots
I had to give up at step 20. Maybe because I’m using the newest Cinema 4D version, or maybe something else, but no matter how I follow the instruction my words are screwy. I also have random numbers on my paths, not like in the screenshots. It’s unfortunate because I really wanted to get how to do this one.