Jezelf Tut Map05

8/20/2019 Jezelf Tut Map05

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Making maps using Photoshop Author: Jeremy Elford/ jezelf.co.uk

PHOTOSHOP: MAP MAK!" : #$EA%!" %E&%'$E ()$ A (#%)!A* MAPSKILL LEVEL : !%E$ME+A%E

ABOUT: #)!#E!%$A%E, )! APP*-!" A $E*E( %E&%'$E %) %E MAP #$EA%E+ ! P$E)', %'%)$A*,0 #)E$!"%E ',E )( "$E-,#A*E E"% !()$MA%)!. % A,,'ME, -)' AE A% *EA,% *))KE+ )E$ %E )%E$ %'%)$A*,)$ AE ,)ME K!)1*E+"E )( P)%),)P A!+ A*PA MAP,.

f you2re not a complete 3eginner0 or 4ant to skim through all the detail e5planation0 26e highlighted the keyparts0 so just look out for those.

%E (!A* $E,'*%:

%his is the end result. creating a relief map to gi6e a top do4n 7+ look. %here are 6arious options and thistutorial 4ill co6er the thee sho4n a3o6e

(ree for personal use #opyright Jeremy Elford 899

http://www.jezelf.co.uk/http://www.jezelf.co.uk/


2/18

(irst0 something 4orth co6ering: 4hat is a height map;

t2s a gray scale image that uses tonal 6alues from 4hite to 3lack to determine the height of that image0 or animage the height map 4ill 3e used 4ith. (or all height maps the highest point is 4hite and the lo4est 3lack. tcan 3e used in Photoshop0 3ut also in 7+ applications like 7+s Ma5 or Maya < among others = used as a23ump map2 or 2height map2 and also a 2displacement map2.

ere2s some 6ery 3asic illustrations. All these use the first gray scale image. (irst some test in Photoshopand the t4o 6ersions in perspecti6e are in 7+ma5 rendered to sho4 the polygon density. 21hite is igh2

!o4 4hat you can do in Photoshop0 using (ilters. 1e 4ill use *ighting Effects and Em3oss in this tutorial03ut it2s encouraged that you try the others and play 4ith the settings as you might like the results and it caneffect ho4 your map turns out > you might disco6er a ne4 techni?ue@ f this is all ne4 to you0 then suggesttry playing around and e5perimenting 4ith 6arious settings



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!ote:

eight maps are also used to create 2normal maps2 4hich are used to define detail on a lo4 polygon modelfor use in 6ideo games. 4on2t go into detail in this tutorial0 3ut you can find a definition here and a tutorialhere . t2s used to large effect on most ne4 games like "ears of 1ar 0 Mass Effect0 Army of %4o and Medal ofonour0 to name a fe40 4ho all use just one application 'nreal Engine > 3ut there are may others.

-ou can get a Photoshop plugin to help create a normal map here 4hich uses grey scale information > aheight map. < though it must 3e said that not all normal maps are created from a grey scale image0 some arecreated from high polygon models =

)K@ that2s the 3asics o6er 4ith > lets mo6e on...

.9: 2m starting 4ith the result from the pre6ious tutorial. "et your coloured map > you can ha6e anything youlike0 as long as you ha6e the alpha map you made it 4ith and it2s in the Alpha #hannel as it 4ill 3e neededto use as a mask.

Also put one in your *ayers 0 3ut n6ert < #trlB = it so the land is 4hite and the sea is 3lack < you could ha6eyour alpha like this it doesn2t matter0 used 3lack for the land mass to make it easier to read as a silhouette >it2s a personal choice > 3ut height maps must conform to 4hite 3eing high0 Clack is lo4 =

.: +rag the n6erted Alpha map > 4hich is no4 a height map > to a ne4 layer. then select the top of the t4o

.8: "o (ilter D Artistic D Poster edges. 1hack all the settings up as high as they 4ill go D )K

.7: #reate a ne4 duplicate of that one0 3y dragging the layer to the ne4 *ayer icon. (ilter D Crush ,trokes D Accented Edges. put the %hickness high0 3ut the others lo4 until you get something like this..


http://developer.nvidia.com/object/photoshop_dds_plugins.htmlhttp://developer.nvidia.com/object/photoshop_dds_plugins.htmlhttp://developer.nvidia.com/object/photoshop_dds_plugins.html


4/18

.: Edit the ne4 layer to r emo6e any un4anted 3lack lines around the edge of your art 4ork . -ou don2t needto accurate. %hen (ilter D Clur D "aussian Clur. did .F . +rop the )pacity +o4n to a3out GFH

.F: Jump to the Poster Edges layer you did in .8 . Clur it a 3it -ou 4ant steps of 3lurriness did a3out F >4e are de6eloping the height map. +rop the )pacity to F9H. -ou should no4 ha6e 7 layers that sho4 theri6ers are at a lo4er height than the surrounding land > ,omething like this...



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.G: #reate a ne4 *ayer and fill it 4hite.

.: ,elect the ne4 *ayer and go to (ilter D $ender D +ifference #louds . %hen (ilter D +ifference #louds < atthe top you2ll see it2s a repeat (ilter option = or #trlB( . +o that a3out 79 times. -ou should end up 4ithsomething like this..

.I: "o 3ack to your *ayer you created in . make sure it2s a3o6e the other layers. ,et the *ayer 3lend typeto +ifference. -our ri6ers should come through.

8.9: +uplicate the original height map < .9 > that the one 4here the land is 4hite and the sea 3lack = andplace it a3o6e all the other layers. set the layer 3lend to #olor Curn. %he details of your ri6ers should comethrough0 and it2ll mask out the sea to 3lack...



6/18

!o4 our height map is starting to sho4 mountains and 6alleys. 1hite high0 Clack lo4.

8.: < )ptional = #reate a ne4 layer. "et a fall off / soft 3rush and 3lack as your colour and set the ne4 layer)pacity to F9H. paint o6er areas you like to ha6e lo4er ground.

-ou can change the opacity of your layer0 to suit the lo4est and then adjust the opacity of your 3rush togradually 4ork up to higher altitudes. -ou can also use the +odge and 3urn tools on the height map0 3ut trynot to 3leach it out or go completely 3lack. its easy to do0 that2s 4hy do it this 4ay as it gi6e me more controland easier to change it goes 4rong.



7/18

8.8: ,elect all. the #trlB,hiftB# then #trlB . -ou should ha6e all your layers merged together on a ne4layer.

8.7: #opy it and then add it to your Alpha #hannel as Alpha 8

8.: #reate a ne4 *ayer in your *ayers Palette a3o6e all the other ones. (ill it 4hite.

8.F: "o (ilter D render D *ighting Effects. %his 4ill open a 3o5 for your to Edit. Make sure -ou ha6e your Alpha 8 layer selected and 24hite is high2 checked. -ou 4ant +irectional *ighting0 3ut e6erything else you canplay a3out 4ith see 4hat happens. -ou2re looking for an o6er al lighting0 not harsh. so try and keep thehighlights do4n. Also try and keep it matte 0 not shiny > here 4ere my settings0 3ut its really a uni?ue settingfor your 4ork...

8.G: +uplicate your )riginal colour layer and put it under the render you just did. ,et the 3lend to !ormal andgi6e it a3out IFH )pacity. ,et the layer 3lend of the render to )6erlay < this is not set in stone > try mo6ingthem a3out and see 4hat 6arious 3lend modes do > you might find something 3etter to your liking =

8.: < )ptional = +uplicate #olour layer again. then duplicate the height map layer0 and run it through the(ilter D ,tylize D Em3oss . ,et the light direction to match your render lighting effects.



8/18

8.I: 1hen that2s done0 turn the Clend of the Em3oss to )6erlay > Make sure your colour map2s 3lending

mode is !ormal and at 99H )pacity.



9/18

8.L: +uplicate the height map and place it at the top layer. ,et the 3lending mode to ard *ight. )pacitya3out G9H t 4ill lighten the mountain tops and darken the 6alleys.

-ou should no4 ha6e t4o 6ariations 4ith one mountainous and one a lot less 3umpy. f one is harder lit thanthe other try selecting the layer that the relief layer and change the mage D Adjust D *e6els so it looks 3etterfor you. ere2s the t4o ha6e...

-ou could stop here if you 4anted. -ou can play 4ith the le6els and adjust stuff. %he reason 26e got you todo t4o is so you could see different 4ay of doing this0 3ut also to do more from here on in...n many 4ays0this is only the 3eginning@

7.9: (latten 0 or create a ne4 file so these t4o has one a3o6e the other. %hen0 using your eraser delete a4ay

so you 3ring through the flatter areas of your land.



10/18

7.: also made sure my height map 4as on the top layer > 3ut not flattered 4ith them. also 3rought acrossthe original alpha mask and put it in the alpha channels. then0 4ith the sea area selected0 cut and past a3o6eall layers to 3righten it up.

7.8: As you can see 3elo4N the edges of the map has some artefacts 4hich make look too 3right and insome places some nasty sharp contrasts. %his is 3ecause my original colour map 4as finished 4ith it2s style.

f 4ere to create a colour map that 4as going to end up as a relief0 then 2ll not do that so much. ,o stroked the inside edge of the coast 4ith 3lack < using the alpha map = an then 3lurred it . !o4 the 4ater istoo 3right0 3ut 2ll sort something out later.



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12/18

7.7: 1e could finish this no4. Cut there2s e6en more@

%here is one thing is missing that 4ould really gi6e it e6en more realism. More realistic errosion from themountains to the sea 4ould help out a lot. 26e tried to do this in photoshop0 3ut not disco6ered a decentmethod. %he stuff a3o6e is ade?uate0 3ut 4e can impro6e on it0 it2s a personal choice.

*uckily0 there is a free program out there 4hich is 4ritten that does just the jo3@ it2s called 1il3ur . Cig thanks

to Joe ,layton for making this great tool a6aila3le and to friends o6er at the #artographer2s "uild for pointingthis out to me. +o4nload the 783it 6ersion and install it. %here is an online tutorial for just 4hat 4ant to do.#heck it out 3efore continuing. -ou2ll need it open 3ecause use the tutorial to create the ne5t part of themap.

(irst though0 did some tests. ere are the results...


http://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/~jslayton/wilbur.htmlhttp://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/~jslayton/wilbur.htmlhttp://www.ridgenet.net/~jslayton/index.htmlhttp://forum.cartographersguild.com/http://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/~jslayton/Wilbur32_Setup.ziphttp://www.ridgenet.net/~jslayton/FunWithWilburVol1/index.htmlhttp://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/~jslayton/wilbur.htmlhttp://www.ridgenet.net/~jslayton/index.htmlhttp://forum.cartographersguild.com/http://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/~jslayton/Wilbur32_Setup.ziphttp://www.ridgenet.net/~jslayton/FunWithWilburVol1/index.html


13/18

7.: ,o 4ill e5port the height map made to 1il3ur 0 (irst though0 it must 3e a "ray,cale mage to import.,o either flatten your P,+ file to the height map0 or cut and paste it into a ne4 document. "o mage D ModeD "ray,cale and )K to discarding color information.

7.F: )pen up 1il3ur and then open up your "ray,cale image. t2ll turn the green to 4hite colours you see

here. 'sing the 1il3ur %utorial0 apply the settings to your map. ere2s my 6arious stages of this. adaptedthe tutorial settings to suit my map...



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7.G: Apply this render to your layers and select multiply the render may need to 3e rotatedN

.9: !e5t0 1e need to 3ring the sea 3ack. if you ha6e something like mine0 then you2ll ha6e 3ig 6eins of ri6ersthere. 2ll 3e good to keep some of this as it2ll sho4 the ri6er channels into the sea. -ou don2t ha6e to ofcourse. it2s a personal taste.

Jump to your colour layer . %hen go to your original mask channel Alpha and select it so you get the seaarea. !o4 in the layers of your original colour0 cut and paste the sea to a ne4 layer. -ou might need to play4ith the saturation and le6els is it2s too 3right.

.: then +uplicated the height map and put it a3o6e e6erything. *ayer Clending mode to *uminosity 4ithan )pacity of 89H .

needed to stroke the coast line again as did in step 8.I > again0 if you create your colour map 4ith thisresult in mind0 you pro3a3ly 4ont need to do that. Plus0 as you can see in my screen a3o6e0 the lakes in thetop left 4ere lighter than the rest0 so needed to correct that too.

.8: (inally0 3ut the sea on the top layer again0 Merged it all0 t4eaked through le6els and saturation. %hat2s itdone@ -ou can keep playing 4ith it and try filters on top like Paint +au3s for e5ample0 or 'nsharpen tool.



17/18

t must 3e said that there are multiple results from this method0 some could 3e left out or different *ayer3lending modes used. %otally up to you and you can e5plore to make it your style.

%he key is the height map. f this map had a purpose 4ould pro3a3ly taken more care of the height map tocreate plains and flat lands. Also 4ould 4ork into the the mouths of the ri6ers more so they are not so 3lack. pro3a3ly 4hen a 3it o6erkill 4ith the 1il3ur render.

-ou could 3lend 6arious 6ersions of your height maps to create one master height map > it2s all in your handsand encourage you to try different things and see 4hat you get.



18/18

ere are a couple of other maps done 4ith more practising and taking this techni?ue further...

-ou can see the full 6ersion and 1P steps here

-ou can see the full 6ersion and 1P steps here

%hanks for reading@ a6e fun@

http://forum.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?2942-September-Entry-Buncklebury&p=32166http://forum.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?2400-[Region-1][Map-29]-Mythkhardia&p=36164http://forum.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?2942-September-Entry-Buncklebury&p=32166http://forum.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?2400-[Region-1][Map-29]-Mythkhardia&p=36164

Jezelf Tut Map05

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