[Award Winner] My atlas style in PS

[Vascant]

Okay, time to find out if I screwed up even before this point.

The "Base" Layer, should this be just a sheet of white which covers the land mass areas?

I ask this because of Step 23
As I read it, it seems the idea is to effect only the ocean areas of the mountain layer, correct? Or the entire layer?

Then it switches the base layer and that is when I got lost and wondered if my base layer is incorrect.

Side note: When doing these tutorials perhaps showing the entire photoshop screen shot and not just the image would be very helpful perhaps. Just a suggestion. Seeing the layer pal might answer a few questions and such. However as long as you are willing to answer questions I am not giving up

[Ascension]

Step 23 has two parts; delete the blacks and dark grays, then delete the rest of the layer that is floating over the ocean. This leaves the lighter grays that are on top of the land.

You're omitting something while reading so I'll recap it for you and be as descriptive as possible.

1. You're on the Mountains layer. Foreground color is black and background color is white.
2. At the top of the screen click on the word "Select" then, in the scroll down menu, choose Color Range. This will bring up a pop up window with the foreground color selected as default. Set the Fuzziness slider at maximum, 200. This selects the blacks and dark grays.
3. On the keyboard hit the Delete key.
4. On the keyboard hit Ctrl+D to deselect.
5. This cuts the dark grays and blacks out of the whole layer, leaving the lighter colors. Now we have to get rid of those lighter colors that are floating over the ocean.
6. On the layer stack, ctrl+click on the Base layer to load it as a selection.
7. At the top of the screen click on Select then choose Modify then choose Contract then set the number at 20. This reduces the selection shape and brings it inside of the land outline.
8. At the top of the screen click on Select then choose Feather then set the number at 20. This "blurs" the selection edge 20 pixels.
9. At the top of the screen click on Select then choose Inverse. This selects the "ocean" area and not the "land" area but because we feathered the selection it will include some of the mountains on the "land" area. We want this to erase mountains that run right up to the beach.
10. On the keyboard hit the Delete key then hit Ctrl+D to deselect. Now the mountains that were floating over the ocean are gone as well as the ones that go right up to the beach.

[Vascant]

Now that makes sense, I also see what I was doing wrong and learned something all at the same time. I wonder if that is considered multitasking.

I knew the goal of the step and realized I was not getting there, what I didn't know and learned was how to load a layer as a selection. I am making notes on the PDF version, maybe this will help someone else when done.

[Vascant]

Everything working out well but have a question, if you notice how I have some of the mountain peak areas extremely white? Did I do something wrong on one of the steps or am I missing something on how to correct.


I have to say, having a blast doing this and recommend to anyone learning.


Note: Figured out attachments here

[Ascension]

It looks to me like the lighting effects settings were bumped up too high on either intensity or ambience thus creating more whiteness. Set the intensity at 25 or lower and the ambience at 10 or lower and give that a try. Or just throw up a screenshot of your lighting effects settings and I'll know exactly what to tweak.

[Krases]

Is this tutorial possible in GIMP 2? I just tried it and I don't think the programs are similar enough.

Oh well. I should buy photoshop anyway.

[Notsonoble]

It's possible, but rough... I used many pieces from this one and RobA's regional map tutorial to make a world map recently...

I can't promise lots of help, but this isn't the only Ascension tut I've tried to get to work in GIMP... so if you could post some details of your snags... I can try...

[Vascant]

It looks to me like the lighting effects settings were bumped up too high on either intensity or ambience thus creating more whiteness. Set the intensity at 25 or lower and the ambience at 10 or lower and give that a try. Or just throw up a screenshot of your lighting effects settings and I'll know exactly what to tweak.

I followed the one in the tutorial which is different then the suggested, that was one of those moments when I wondered if perhaps this would be corrected down the line. Now I know... I am going to start over since it won't take much to do a new map with all the notes I have and see if I can't get this right.

Thanks

[Ascension]

Krases - as far as I know, the lighting effects filter is the only thing that can't be duplicated in Gimp very well. I use lighting effects for texturing mountains, hills and the land. You could easily use Pasis' tutorial for mountains in that spot and it looks great. You can texture land with a pattern overlay. The point being that the tut is meant as a starting point and then you can jump off wherever you want and start experimenting on your own. I would suggest doing RobA's tutorial first to learn your way around the Gimp techniques first and become familiar with them. Then try mine and see what you think and make changes accordingly.

[Krases]

It's possible, but rough... I used many pieces from this one and RobA's regional map tutorial to make a world map recently...

I can't promise lots of help, but this isn't the only Ascension tut I've tried to get to work in GIMP... so if you could post some details of your snags... I can try...

Krases - as far as I know, the lighting effects filter is the only thing that can't be duplicated in Gimp very well. I use lighting effects for texturing mountains, hills and the land. You could easily use Pasis' tutorial for mountains in that spot and it looks great. You can texture land with a pattern overlay. The point being that the tut is meant as a starting point and then you can jump off wherever you want and start experimenting on your own. I would suggest doing RobA's tutorial first to learn your way around the Gimp techniques first and become familiar with them. Then try mine and see what you think and make changes accordingly.

I am in the market anyway for photoshop, so I might just wait until I buy it and try the tutorial again.

To be honest I am a newb anyway. I couldn't even get past step 2 because I didn't know how to make it 8-bit and the cloud rendering came out really weird.

It looks cool though so when I get photoshop it might be the first thing I try.