First tut results(ish)

[Korash]

The first map is the one that I am in the process of making following RobA's tut on regional maps, while the second picture is a picture of water stain on a ceiling tile. I used the stain as the background for this map.

As I have stated in that thread I seem to be the "Bigger Idjut" that finds the holes in the simplest things. I managed to enter in the mountains but keep getting the forests all gummed up. For reasons that I cannot fathom, I seem to keep on getting the mountain bumps tied in with the forest bumps when I am selecting for the forest mask. What am I getting wrong here?

I like the way that the mountains on the main island look at the moment, and want the forests to be located in and around the area on the south west of the island, along with some along the south coast. The island to the west will be covered by forest. (was thinking extinct volcano)

Comments, ideas on my "little problem" always welcome.

Also wondering if there is a way to import the stain into gimp and work on it directly. I have a few others that I could use like it.

[Steel General]

You should be able to open the stain graphic in GIMP and drag it i/on to a new layer, or at least I think you can. It can be done in photoshop so you should be able to do it in GIMP.

[Arkkeeper]

Could I do something to the stain directly... I mean print it out and work on by Hand. it would be really good for a hand drawn map.

[Korash]

Could I do something to the stain directly... I mean print it out and work on by Hand. it would be really good for a hand drawn map.

That was my first thought when I saw it and took the picture. My "skills" such as they are, lie in drawing the land mass, but not the feature there upon. While I try to get to the point where I can be satisfied with my features, it just never happens.

It is a jpeg so you should be able to print it out if you want to, and by all means do so. Let me know how it turns out, cause I would love to see someone else's vision of what it could be.

SG, thanks for the clue I should have thought of that before asking. I mean I did that when I opened it on the background layer, and just never thought of working it directly. I did after reading your post, and the central island is selectable . The "silting" around the coastlines is problematic though. I imagine that there is some sort of work-around for selecting it, but atm the color bleeds too much into the background for a clean select.

[Steel General]

Not sure id this is what you were looking for but I gave it a try anyway. I couldn't quite get rid of all the 'olive' color without losing some of the stain, but maybe it will work.

[Korash]

As I said in the first post I am having trouble getting the forests in properly. the image below is where it "stands" at the mo.

One of the problems that I have is that the forest layer bleeds heavy into the water (esp. on the east island) and the "forests" don't seem to fit at all.

where am I going wrong?

[jfrazierjr]

As I said in the first post I am having trouble getting the forests in properly. the image below is where it "stands" at the mo.

One of the problems that I have is that the forest layer bleeds heavy into the water (esp. on the east island) and the "forests" don't seem to fit at all.

where am I going wrong?

You need to use one or more layer masks to keep the forests from bleeding into the water area's. If you are using RobA's tutorial, just go back through and see what he is doing there. Alternately.... if you want to get more into Layer masks (which I cannot suggest enough!!!) go read the tutorial in my sig for the lowdown on Layer Masks in GIMP and spent a few minutes playing around until you are comfortable with them. Knowing when to use layer masks will revolutionize the way you think about making maps or any other type of digital artwork.

[Korash]

here is where the Islands stand after many trials and readings (up to the end of part 2) on the tut along with JR's tut on layer masks (thanks muchly!!).

at this point the question I have is how to apply the riverlines as a bump map. RobA mentions turning the grass mask (where the rivers were drawn) into one but doesn't mention how.

as per usual, comments and critiques welcome.

[jfrazierjr]

here is where the Islands stand after many trials and readings (up to the end of part 2) on the tut along with JR's tut on layer masks (thanks muchly!!).

at this point the question I have is how to apply the riverlines as a bump map. RobA mentions turning the grass mask (where the rivers were drawn) into one but doesn't mention how.

as per usual, comments and critiques welcome.

Thanks for your comments!!! I am glad others can benefit and appreciate my tutorial.

Its been a long time since I looked at RobA's tut, but II think I know what you need to do here. Find the channel you used which has the rivers as part of the channel information "drawn". Use Channel to Selection, (you might have to slide the "Sample Merged" up to get "more" of the selection if it's tapered, but at some point you won't get it all. Once you have your selection and it needs to be close to the river edges(like on or 1 px off).

Create a new layer, fill with a color(I always use 50% grey, but this is a "throwaway layer" so it does not matter). Here is where you use the Gaussian Blur and it will "fuzzy up the shape" of the rivers. Next, create a new layer with 50% grey, and run a bump map on this layer with the source being the layer you just blurred. Set this layer mode to Overlay and where the "light/dark" changed away from the 50% grey will then lighten or darken the layers below it. This 50%grey technique should be a mainstay in your arsenal as it allows you to modify colored layers without permenently destroying them (as I am sure you remember from my Layer Mask Tut....) Other things you could do is to shrink the selection a px or two before the first step (ie, the "throwaway" layer).

Another option is to blur the throwaway layer as before and then use paint brush to paint back 50% grey onto the coastline so that only the river banks are actually blurred(ie, not the coastline). Of course, you could also just trace the river lines on their own layer instead of the whole selection/throwaway layer and blur that. Play with various blur levels (smaller is ussually better) and various depth and elevations (and smaller is usually better) until you get the look you want.

btw, do you happen to have larger resolution, or is this the size you made it at?

[Korash]

lol

yup that is the size of it. I was working off of the jpeg shown in the original post, and the res is the same as that picture but the size is 1/3 smaller. I should have looked at that at the beginning. Next time I will do that at the start.

I will have to try what you suggested (after reading through it a few times) a couple of times and see if I can do it as described and shown.

I do have a question about your layer tut though JR. Not actually about the tut, but the circle you used to demonstrate it.......Just how do you get Gimp to make circles and stuff??? This might be one of those times where I am staring right through what I am looking for, but I never know until it is pointed out.