This tutorial assumes familiarity with the various tools and menu bars in PhotoImpact. These objects, once finished, can be resized in PhotoImpact using the transform tool. But if you want to learn how to make your own film reel, let's begin!

Preparations:

Press F6 to open Preferences.
Select guidelines and grid.

Enter 15 in horizontal and vertical spacing, and be sure that the unit is pixels.

1. New File. 400x400, white.

2. Ctrl - Shift-R to put grid on your image. (if this brings up an ICQ reminder box, select guidelines and grid, then the Grid option).

3. Select path tool, 3D round, border 1. Select round shape from attributes toolbar. Be sure even-odd fill is checked in options menu on attributes toolbar.

In easy palette, select material gallery/metallic/
steel 2.

4. Draw a path circle from A to B, using the grid. The circle should have a diameter of 22 grids. Ctrl D to duplicate the image, then minimize the image. We'll need that later. Switch to your original image.

5. Select continue draw from the mode selection on the attributes toolbar.

6. Draw a circle from C to D. You should have a doughnut shape like this.

7. Click on the shape button in the attributes toolbar and select custom. Click on the scroll bar and select round edges 3.

8. Draw the shape from point E to point F.

Your result should look like this.

Note: Step nine will be repeated 5 times to make the additional holes. If you aren't happy with a result, use the undo button.

9A. With the path still selected, click the transform tool and then click rotate by degree. - left. Change degree to 60.

9B. Select path tool, click on continue draw.
9C. Draw the same custom shape from E to F as per step 8.

9D. Repeat steps 9A - 9C.

10. Turn off grid lines.

11. R/C on the reel and select duplicate. Ctrl Shift A to select all objects and then right click, select align, align both. Click on base image to deselect, then click on the top path. Change mode to 3d pipe, border 4.

12. Ctrl Shift A to select all objects, then R/C and duplicate. Select all and drag to your easy palette.

13. In the other image, put the grid lines back in. R/C on the image, then select properties. Click on position and size and change unit to percent, then change width and height to 90 percent.

14. Change mode to continue draw, and draw a 4 grid circle in the middle of the big circle, (same as step 6). Then change back to 3d round. Drag the path to the reel image.

15. R/C on the color box, and select gradient fill.Select fill type - contour, and multiple colors. When the color palette editor opens, select number 60. Click on OK.

16. Your wheel will be filled with a basic gradient. Click on Object, convert to image.

17. Select the colorizer tool, and select a very dark brown color. I chose hex #550B00. Completely colorize the gradient, then switch to the burn tool. At this point, it will still look pretty light tan.

18. Select the burn tool, level 100, size about 35. Sweep the tool back and forth, in varying motions, the idea is to make many different shades and reflections...Don't stay in one place too long.

20. Select the pick tool, and move the tape layer between the two reels. (ALT+down arrow twice)

You are done...unless you want to try my filmstrip tutorial.