Photoshop , gradient layer, textures and realistic imaging

[Naima]

Hello ...

I have in mind to achieve something but I am not sure if it is possible or if there is a technique to do so by using photoshop.

I am not an expert with that program but I know it for some time now and I use generally photoshop cs 6 .


Now this is my idea :


I have some layers in a photoshop image

one is a background , dark , blue , sea , nevermind

above there is the heightmap of a world , island or whatever else , but without ocean and seas ( cutted out of the layer )

Then I press gradient map , I load a gradient that shows blue as bottom right and goes throught green , then up to brown and finally white on right , this applaying over the image colorizes the heightmap like a geographic map .


Now my idea was to use the same technique but instead of using plain colors , to use actual textures that so get blended in the gradient style , placing so mountain textures for the mountains , snow , for white, grasslands for the green , etc ...

Something like that is possible?

If not ....

how about using the heightmap as a altitude filter?

So that I can use different layers of textures and use a mask to make pass throught only the texture I want for a certain range of height?

Thanks for any answer I hope I was clear .

[Midgardsormr]

There is a select by color feature in Photoshop that will allow you to select an altitude region with the eyedropper. You could then use that selection as a source for a mask on a texture layer. I don't have PS available to me right at the moment, but I believe it's Select > Select by color... Then the mask refine tools can be used to adjust the transition zones between textures.

I don't think there's a way to directly create a texture gradient. I would think that it would get really muddy with a continuous gradient, anyway.

Also, the advantage of using the masks on texture layers is that the workflow is non-destructive and you can modify the masks separately from the heightmap, allowing you to customize the biomes instead of having them follow the altitude absolutely.

[Andre Mauruto]

Alguem fala portugues aqui?