Futuristic Navigation

Posted on January 19th, 2008.

8 Votes, Rating: 4.75

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Learn how to create a futuristic type navigation.

Create a new document 800×230 pixels with any color background i find a light colored background works best. Now theres 2 ways you can rough out the main shape, one is using a rectangle and using the warp tool and the other is the pen tool, for this tutorial il use the pen tool due to the fact that not all versions of photoshop have the warp tool. So using the pen tool create this shape.

Now duplicate this layer, flip it and place it the other side, this way both sides are the same. (merge both layers when done).

Now add these layer styles to your main shape, also label your layer “main shape”.

You should end up with this.

Now dudplicate your main shape then drag the duplicated layer under your original layer, rename layer to “shape2″ remove all layer styles apart from the gradient overlay and the drop shadow, leave the drop shadow settings as they are but change the gradient overlay to the settings below.

Now select the move tool and using the keyboard arrow keys press down arrow 17 - 20 times, now press ctrl + T and move the sides only inwards reducing the length, you should end up with this.

Create a new layer inbetween your shape layer and shape 2 layer, name this layer “blue neon” with the pen tool or polygon lasso tool create this shape, (please note some of my layers are hidden to show you the shape)

Now add this layer style to your blue neon layer.

You should end up with this. (no hidden layers)

Now duplicate your main shape layer (keep on top of other layers), delete all layer styles and make sure it is the color white, set layer opacity to 50% and blending mode to soft light, press ctrl + T to transform the shape, just reduce the size and move up to create a highlight.

Now using two 1 pixel lines and the colors shown below create a divider.

Add a outglow using the default settings, you should end up with this.

Now create a new layer and create a black circle like the image below.

Add these layer styles to your orb.

Now add a small highlight using the elliptical marquee tool. You should have something like this.

Repeat the steps listed above to create more buttons.

Now add your button text and logo’s

With abit more inspiration you could even animate the glow

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Tags: futuristic, nav, navigation, shiney

14 responses so far!

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• 1 Helpfull hand ~ Jan 20, 2008 at 2:21 pm

  Nice result, but, when you show the layer styles of the buttons, you forgot the gradient overlay, so the button will remain black.
  And i can’t get the colors from the PSD file.
  So would you plz post the gradient overlay settings?

• 2 Helpfull hand ~ Jan 20, 2008 at 3:01 pm

  This is what i found:

  Normal
  Opacity 100%
  Colors: bcc4c9 to FFFFFF
  Reverse checked
  Radial
  Align with layer checked
  Angle: 90 degrees
  Scale: 100%

  And my result (Image if working):

  Or the link (Copy it):
  http://www.imgdumper.nl/uploads/47936025d81d1/Result.png

• 3 ADMIN ~ Feb 1, 2008 at 8:50 pm

  oppps sorry my bad

  i no i used a radial gradient, with the same colors as the main shape

• 4 silver ~ Feb 3, 2008 at 3:31 am

  When you say add a small highlight using the marquee tool, how do you do that?

  Great tut btw

• 5 ADMIN ~ Feb 3, 2008 at 8:45 am

  just basically a white rectangle over a specific object, then add a layer mask to blend it in

• 6 Photoshop Tutorials ~ Feb 13, 2008 at 1:50 pm

  Wow such an awesome tutorial, you can’t find much high quality tutorials online.

• 7 TuanAnh ~ Mar 2, 2008 at 10:56 am

  Really awesome !!! Thank for your tuts.

• 8 Vanqy ~ Mar 9, 2008 at 2:06 am

  Nice work!I have been transshipped it to my forum and translated it into Chinese!Thanks!

• 9 Photoshop Tutorial Directory ~ Mar 19, 2008 at 7:01 am

  The animated glow looks really cool. And it could be better if the buttons had that kind of animation when hover. Nice tut

• 10 HV-DESIGNS.CO.UK | Be . Creative | Version 21 ~ Mar 30, 2008 at 5:29 pm

  [...] Futuristic Navigation [...]

• 11 Raul ~ Apr 2, 2008 at 10:53 am

  wow! that was cool

• 12 Likenota.com | Photoshop Tutorials ~ May 5, 2008 at 4:29 pm

  very nice.

• 13 Ovais ~ May 14, 2008 at 9:44 am

  nice one once again thanks for shring…thanks..

• 14 SaungHnget ~ Aug 2, 2008 at 2:43 am

  Very nice.Thanks a million