This glass texture is slightly smoky, and uses an environment map to give the impression of a polished surface in a real world environment.

Load up the file 'ringmaskglass.psd'. This file contains the ring from which the selection set to create the material samples was generated. This version of the file contains a small image (the same one used to generate the preset) and a layer containing the ring mask itself.

If you loaded the ringmaskglass file, you can Ctrl/Cmd-Click the layer with the ring to select it. If you didn't, create a new selection for the bevel.

This time, make sure you make the Background layer active before you launch ShapeShifter. In order for the glass to refract anything, you need to be on a layer that has something in it. If you don't want to edit the background, duplicate that layer and select the duplicate. Either way, make sure there is an image on the layer you are editing.

When you launch ShapeShifter, you will be presented with either the default settings or the settings you had loaded last. The image on the layer you selected will appear in the preview. If it does not, leave the filter and make sure you have a layer with an image in it selected. If you wish, you can load in the 'Smoked Glass' preset at this point to see the finished result.

Note: Depending on the selection you have when launching, you may need to adjust the Bevel Scale in the Main Shape panel to prevent it bevelling too far. Ideally, you want a bevel that looks like a rounded shape and does not 'meet' in the centre causing sharp ridges.

This glass is a simple material that relies for much of its detail on an environment map. Let's load that one first.

• Click the Environment Preview in the Environment panel. When the file loader appears, select the environment map 'glassenv.jpg' that came with this tutorial.
• Set the Mix Environment slider to 17%.

This environment map gives us a nice general detail over the surface of the object. The low Environment Mix prevents the environment map completely dominating the image, while still giving us a hint of detail.

We now need to make sure the glass is transparent, and tint it slightly to give it a smoky look.

• Using the Tint Color thumbnail, click and drag to select White as a colour.
• Make sure the surface type is Plastic by clicking the Plastic/Metal button until it reads 'Plastic'.
• Set the Mix Tinting Color slider to 50%.

Finally, let's set the refraction of the glass to make it bend the image underneath.

• Set the Glass Refraction slider to 16%.

The environment map has given us some basic lighting, but we want to boost it by adding some highlights. The amount of light you add may have to vary depending on how bright the underlying image is, but follow these steps as a general guideline.

The first thing to do is delete all of the existing lights.

• Select a light and press the Delete key. This deletes the light.
• When the light is deleted, another one is selected, so keep pressing Delete until they are all gone.
• Make sure the Ambient Glow slider is set to 0%.

The object should now be completely black, and it's time to add some new lights in. First, we'll add a generic light that will apply some light to the entire object.

• Add a new light using the Add Light button.
• Set the Light Brightness to 55%, and the Highlight Sheen to 0%.
• Place this light over the centre of the lighting preview.

This casts a slight glow over the entire object. If you need to boost the brightness of the material consider changing this light first, adding on to its Brightness.

Next, let's add a couple of specific highlight lights.

• Add a new light using the Add Light button.
• Set the Light Brightness to 50%, the Highlight Sheen to 50%, and the Highlight Spread to 87%. This gives us a bright and large highlighting light to create a nice sharp highlight.
• Make sure that the Highlight Type is Sharp by clicking on the Sharp/Diffuse button.
• Move this light to the top left of the lighting preview.
• With this light selected, add a new light using the Add Light button. The new light is a clone of the one that was selected.
• Set the Light Brightness to 56%, Highlight Sheen to 85%, and the Highlight Spread to 58%.
• Move this light to the bottom right of the lighting preview.

This has given us a set of interesting highlights, a smaller one at the bottom right and a larger one at the top left. These highlights should not be overpowering the colour of the image beneath.

Because we applied this to a layer that already had something in it, we might want to cut it out if it needs to be on its own layer. To do this, make sure that the Shadow panel's Shadow Icon is set to Off (an empty eye) so that the selection set we used does not have a black halo after apply.

Once this is done, Apply the filter and you are returned to Photoshop where you can simply cut (or copy), as the selection set is still active, and paste to a new layer.

As we did with the Chrome materials, we're using the environment map to light the object to some extent. By adjusting how much of the environment is mixed in, and changing the light settings, you can create glass that has a much more reflective material. Remember that the environment map has colour, so tints the underlying image to some extent.