Starting without clouds in Photoshop?

[dakky]

My first post here, and already a question

Almost all PS mapping tutorials start with Filter > Render > Clouds, then new layer, fill with 50% gray and hard mix. That gives you landmass and you continue to work on the mass of oceans and land.
(for example I found this one pretty good: http://www.cartographersguild.com/tu...photoshop.html)

The question is - I drawn my own land onto paper with hand, scanned it, colored it with black only, used treshold to get the same result what the upper method do.
Here is a small part of big image just so you get what I did:

black-white-map.png

Now the problem is, I got only 1 layer in my Photoshop (and it is filled with my image) - and it's called Background. All tutorials have clouds as their background, and all make ocean and the rest of the map by using first made clouds.

Can anyone help me how to skip that part with clouds, or should I create them anyway, then copy my image in when we come to landmass creation?

Thank you

[Korash]

Basically, the cloud layers are there to end up with a black and white land mass that is used to create masks or selections. If you already have that layer (your background) then there is no reason to go through the steps that are used to get you there. All you need to do is carry on from the point that starts to use that layer. If later steps require use of those cloud layers, I would suggest that you create them at that time. It might also be a good idea that once you have tried the tut with your own B/W layer, to try the cloud method just to see how it works. Knowing that method might help you in the future. You neeeeeeever know....

[dakky]

Basically, the cloud layers are there to end up with a black and white land mass that is used to create masks or selections. If you already have that layer (your background) then there is no reason to go through the steps that are used to get you there. All you need to do is carry on from the point that starts to use that layer. If later steps require use of those cloud layers, I would suggest that you create them at that time. It might also be a good idea that once you have tried the tut with your own B/W layer, to try the cloud method just to see how it works. Knowing that method might help you in the future. You neeeeeeever know....

Whatever I do, I just can't get past first few steps when using my map. Please, if you have time to check it, maybe you could help me get past second step in the Ascension's tutorial. He attached 4 images and there is no way that my map looks like his 4th image. I've attached the PSD, it's from CS6.

crno-bijelo-mapa.psd

Thank you!

[dakky]

White is land, black is water

Can anyone PLEASE separate it into two layers?

Thanks!!!

[Schwarzkreuz]

Emmmmm... why dont you just use the magic want, select the black, than create a new layer and fill in some color like white, and push layer option with strocke...

[Schwarzkreuz]

Here is a edited version

[dakky]

Here is a edited version

Thanks, but I still don't have ocean in a separate layer. I think I'll start another map, this one is not possible to draw for wanted purpose

Thank you anyways again! It was supposed to be a game-map for online version of RISK but there are too many islands and as maximum resolution is 840x800, this looses sense when resized. Will have to create a much simpler map.

[Schwarzkreuz]

I dont realy understand the Problem to be honest. Shouldnt you just be able to select the ocean and than thats it?

[dakky]

I dont realy understand the Problem to be honest. Shouldnt you just be able to select the ocean and than thats it?

Yeah, I did that but the map is still too complicated... I need to make 40-50 separated regions... and I have maximum resolution 840x800.... On that scale, map is totally devastated... unfortunately I have to go for a simpler map.