Map construction in photoshop

[Vigilus]

So I'm new to this website (although I've been watching it for about a year now).

I am working on a very large map at the moment, and I am currently learning photoshop.

I am drawing on 8x12 in. paper and then scanning each page into photoshop cs6. The map size currently is 115 of these hand drawn maps that are drawn to fit perfectly next to each other.

For example:

. [][][][][][]
. [][][][][][]
. [][][][][][]

Where [] is one piece of paper, and the alignment is intentionally offset because that is how I'm doing this. I want to be able to put these hand drawn maps next to each other precisely in photoshop.
Also, please note that I have already aligned these maps precisely by hand so that when scanned in they will perfectly (or nearly so) fit into photoshop.



I am having difficulty finding any useful cs6 tutorials for my issue.

Any help you guys could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

[Korash]

That sounds like it is a LOT of work you have in front of you, Vigilus. My suggestion (from a NON P-shopper) would be to place two marks (one in each corner across where two of your sheets meet) in a color that is NOT used in the map, and then scan them into PS. Once there you can use those marks to ensure that they are properly aligned. Once that is done I believe PS will allow you to select JUST that color and remove it. I believe that that should do it.

Maybe a 'shopper will be more specific, but in the meantime I believe that that should do it.

[waldronate]

If it were me, I'd start with an overview map of the whole area at reasonable resolution and draw the whole map on that. Then slice up that larger map into the smaller maps. When I've done this sort of thing, the overview has made the individual maps much easier to work with.

[Vigilus]

That sounds like it is a LOT of work you have in front of you, Vigilus. My suggestion (from a NON P-shopper) would be to place two marks (one in each corner across where two of your sheets meet) in a color that is NOT used in the map, and then scan them into PS. Once there you can use those marks to ensure that they are properly aligned. Once that is done I believe PS will allow you to select JUST that color and remove it. I believe that that should do it.

Maybe a 'shopper will be more specific, but in the meantime I believe that that should do it.

Yes indeed, it is a lot of work. I already use marks to properly align the pieces. I spend about 4-6 hours a day at work designing these maps (that is why I work that job, to allow me a creative time).

Also, I already have an overview map. It is very "zoomed out", I want the base world map to be highly detailed, so I'm designing the world at a detailed level so that I can have A) a top notch professional map and B) a detailed start in which to design a 3 dimensional world. There are many sound reasons why I am using this process, and it is yielding truly exceptional work.

Thank you for your replies.

I haven't had my question answered because I'm asking about what do I do in photoshop (cs6) to combine all these scanned maps together in a pattern that I have stated in my original post?

[vorropohaiah]

create a blank canvas that matches the size of all the pages lined up and then scan the individual pages
copy/paste them onto the canvas and move them (v shortcut) so they line up, them merge them into one layer.

i think there is a special function in the file or edit menus on photoshop (i use CS5 so wouldnt know if there's been any change in CS6). you can choose an entire folder and it stitches the images together, though im not at my home CP right now so cant say what the command name is. now i dont know how good this will be with a predominantly white set of images, though if the coastlines are sufficiently dark (or as mentioned above, you use a different coloured marker on the corners) it should stitch them together, though to be honest i prefer the first method i mentioned above. it might take a bit longer but you can make sure they match up precisely

[Vigilus]

Thank you Vorropohaiah!

I'll be giving this a shot, and I'll post more on how It works out.