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Thread: Mah first real map!

  1. #1
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    Help Mah first real map!

    hey guys,
    Just joined the forums. I usualy use mapping for dungeons and dragons, and i am trying to create a new campaign world. I tried using the tutorial here: http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=4084,
    but i got stuck. It says "When happy, copy this layer and click on the “base” layer. Link the “base” and “ocean copy” layers together then merge down." I have no idea what this means. heres a screenshot of what i have so far. Any advice would be appreciated.

    Thanks in advance,
    Blackmojo
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  2. #2
    Community Leader Immolate's Avatar
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    If you cntrl-click on layer while another layer is selected, Photoshop will select the the new layer while leaving the old layer selected. Once you have multiple layers selected, you can right click any of them, and one of the options available will be "merge down". What this does is combines the layers and makes permanent any special effects you have on the layers. That means you can't tweak your emboss or outer glow or what have you. Merging is a way of keeping things from getting nuts on the layers.

    I suggest merging less when you're learning, as it is always possible to merge, but difficult to un-merge. When you're doing a tutorial, however, do exactly what you're told.

  3. #3
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    Ok, thanks Immolate.

    Another small issue: I am using PS elements 5, and there is no Select > Color Range > Black . any suggestions on how i can get around that?

  4. #4
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    Also, what does it mean by "copy the background copy layer"?

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    Community Leader Facebook Connected Ascension's Avatar
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    Mojo, it means duplicate...something I have to edit and will be doing tonight. Whenever you see "copy this layer" what it means is to duplicate the layer. I always forget the proper terminology.
    Last edited by Ascension; 07-14-2009 at 07:29 PM.
    If the radiance of a thousand suns was to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the Mighty One...I am become Death, the Shatterer of worlds.
    -J. Robert Oppenheimer (father of the atom bomb) alluding to The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 11, Verse 32)


    My Maps ~ My Brushes ~ My Tutorials ~ My Challenge Maps

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    So i need to make a copy (duplicate) the copy of the background, and then merge the "Base" and "Background Copy 1" while keeping "Background Copy 2" separated above? Heres a screenie if it helps...
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    Last edited by BlackMojo; 07-14-2009 at 07:34 PM.

  7. #7
    Community Leader Facebook Connected Ascension's Avatar
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    According to the first image above I'm assuming that you're somewhere around step 8 to 13. The base layer gets merged to the ocean copy layer. So duplicate the ocean layer then click on the base layer, merge down, then proceed.
    If the radiance of a thousand suns was to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the Mighty One...I am become Death, the Shatterer of worlds.
    -J. Robert Oppenheimer (father of the atom bomb) alluding to The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 11, Verse 32)


    My Maps ~ My Brushes ~ My Tutorials ~ My Challenge Maps

  8. #8
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    Ok, I did. That merged Ocean/Background copy 2 with the Base. Now i have the Background layer, An Ocean Layer, And the two Merged Layers, right? Also, I dont have the Select > Color range = black in PS Elements. Is there an equivalent?
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  9. #9
    Community Leader Facebook Connected Ascension's Avatar
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    I don't have Elements so maybe I need to get that and figure out some work-arounds on my own to put in PSE tut. As for you, you could use the Magic Wand tool to select big black chunks and delete those. The smaller stuff will be much more difficult to magic wand and delete. What most people do is skip these few steps in favor of the Threshhold tool (Image-Adjustments-Threshhold). What I prefer is to use Image-Adjustments-Brightness/Contrast...set the contrast all the way up and move the brightness down until you get something that you like. Before you do any image adjustments, duplicate the layer that you're working on so that if something doesn't come out right you can just delete the whole layer and come back.
    If the radiance of a thousand suns was to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the Mighty One...I am become Death, the Shatterer of worlds.
    -J. Robert Oppenheimer (father of the atom bomb) alluding to The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 11, Verse 32)


    My Maps ~ My Brushes ~ My Tutorials ~ My Challenge Maps

  10. #10
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    The magic wand did fine. I put tolerance all the way to 1 and it deleted everything but the pure white. I presume when I add the coastline noise it will de-blockify (not that its that bad right now) because there was no way for me to put fuzziness at 200.

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