Satellite Style Photoshop Terrain - Part 1

[Ascension]

I don't have smart layers either so I just did a merge all visible (ctrl-shift-alt-e). I'm pretty sure that this isn't even close but it's good enough for me cuz I can do other things already.

[kalvinlyle]

I cant seem to get smart layers to work
Darn this really old bootleg photoshop

Haha yeah rather than convert to smart layers you could just merge those layers. Smart Layers is just a non-destructive way of collapsing...

[oolaef]

Hi Kalvin,

This is really great! Not sure if you'll still be able to see this, but one thing that doesn't seem to work for me is the lighting effects - the lighting via channel works fine, but after setting the layer to 'overlay', the result is very different looking to your example - mainly that it's quite dark. The lighter portions look correct, as do the darker shadows, but there's no gap in between, as in it's either very dark or very light, where yours looks quite realistic. Wondering if there's a step in there that's been missed out?

Actually what I'm trying to set up is a kind of animated version of this effect using an action in photoshop - I've rendered the 'height map' part as a jpg sequence out of After Effects, which ripples around - there's a few 'unactionable' commands which are proving to be a bit of a snag at the moment, but I'm trying to work these out.

[JediKnight83]

I've updated the tutorial and posted it here

I've added:

1. Editable Land Masses
2. Continental Shelves

When I have more time I'll convert it to a PDF and update the first post. The limitation of 10,000 characters and the exclusion of HTML in posts makes it a bit difficult to maintain tutorials here. Anyone have any suggstions?

I tried going to the link, but it did not show up. But so far I really like the tut.

[Ankorafeonix]

The links to your other tuts (editing continents, sea shelf) are broken Otherwise, thanks for the great guide!

I'm trying to do a map that is based loosely on Europe, so I'm needing a very specific shoreline. I've already got a black & white shore outline of the same resolution and size as the tutorial images - is there a way I can manipulate the height map in such a way that it would mimic the contours of Europe even just a little bit?

Thanks

[Jason Thompson]

well mine was a bit of a fail as soon as I hit the lighting part. I'm using CS6. Although I did enjoy this tutorial. but i could not get that textured look for the life of me.

[Yrda]

Although this tutorial is old, I gave it a try because I was curious and wanted to try out something new.

This part "Right Click the vector mask for the newly created layer and choose 'Disable Vector Mask'" didn't work for me. I see no vector mask when I create a shape, just a standard layer mask. And if I disable that, nothing happens.
I solved this by just creating a "Color" Adjustment layer with the same settings.

The "Hills" were quite dark in the end, so I changed the layer style of that to Soft Light.

Interesting workflow and I even learned one or to new things about Photoshop (there are filters I never used before ...).
I don't know if you are still active here, kalvinlyle, but thanks for sharing!

[Styescape]

Although this tutorial is old, I gave it a try because I was curious and wanted to try out something new.

This part "Right Click the vector mask for the newly created layer and choose 'Disable Vector Mask'" didn't work for me. I see no vector mask when I create a shape, just a standard layer mask. And if I disable that, nothing happens.
I solved this by just creating a "Color" Adjustment layer with the same settings.

You refer to the following part, right?

"21. Select the shape tool from the tool bar (U)
22. Draw a shape of any size
23. Right Click the vector mask for the newly created layer and choose 'Disable Vector Mask'"

Maybe it's just a misunderstanding of the "vector mask for the newly created layer" passage. To clarify the description and maybe locate the problem, could you try the following steps (also works without your map in a new document) and tell me at which of these steps it doesn't work (these are tried in Photoshop 9.0/CS 2 so maybe something is working different in newer versions):

- Pressing "U" should give you the possibility to draw a shape, let's say a rectancle, right?
- After drawing a rectangle, a new layer in form of a smart object should occur at your page!?
- In the layer window the smart object should be shown with some different information: left you have a color box, followed by a small chain symbol and right of it a small "preview" where your rectangle is shown in white above the grey background?
- If you now right click on the part with the "preview" or where the text "Form 1" is shown, you should see the option "disable vector mask"

Is it working this way or is there a problem within one of these steps?

[Yrda]

Yes, I meant those steps. Looks like it's something they changed in the newer Photoshop versions - I'm working with CC.

What I see in the layer window after creating a rectangle shape is this:

Not a smart object but a vector object, and no mask.

But I've found it in the Shape Attributes window:

There I can set the density of the shape path mask to zero, which seems to have the same effect.

I'd still use the color layer for this though, I guess.

[Styescape]

Okay, then it really seems to be a "version-problem". Great you solved it that way, others might benefit from this information about the "CC-way" as well.