Big Question on 'Elevation' representation

[NeonKnight]

Looking to emulate this style of mapping/showing a change in elevation in Photoshop.

If anyone can help a brother out, that would be cool!

MapElevations.png

[Mouse]

Hello NeonKnight

If you are using CC3, its just a sheet with a heavy Blur Effect followed by a Multiply Blend Mode set to about 20% opacity, with lots of black polygons drawn on it.

That's what I used to show the relief on the CC3 map; Merelan City.

The heavier the blur, the softer the transition between light and shade.

If you want to further enhance the effect by adding hightlights (I didn't bother with MC) you would need another sheet with the same heavy Blur Effect, followed by a Lighten Blend Mode set to about the same opacity, drawing solid white polygons on it instead of black ones.

(Its drawing all the wiggly polygons that takes the time, but I did that using the freehand drawing tool, and converting the lines I drew to polygons)

EDIT: the terracing in the example I gave you was created by using 8 sheets of rock texture (one for each terrace), each with an identical lit bevel effect on them. You have to be a bit careful with the way you set it up, though, as its a bit tricky to get it looking ok. I softened the bottom edge of the bevel by adding an edge fade inner after the bevel effect, and I softened the top edge by adding a layer of grass between each rock terrace. The grass layers had a slight Edge Fade Inner, and were drawn so that they overlapped the top edge of the bevel enough to hide the sharp edge.

EDIT2: The relief shading sheets (I had 2 of them in the end) were on top of everything else in the map, except the labels. The reason I had 2 was to deepen the shade in the steepest parts. If you wanted to have various different blurs in effect (to express soft mounds and sharper ridges for example) you would again need more than one relief sheet - each with a different amount of blur on it.

[Mouse]

Knew I had one somewhere...

This is an extract of MC with and without the sheet effects for the relief shading turned on so you can see what I mean. I've used the top of the island where the map is relatively clear of symbols so you can see it a bit better.

Light shadow:
Light shade MC.jpg

Deep shadow:
Deep shade MC.jpg

Effects turned on:
Effects on.JPG

Sorry about the poor resolution. I think these were originally just screen shots rather than properly rendered images.

[Kier]

That's cool simple elevation look to that map NeoKnight. Reminds me of the old squadleader maps, only updated. Not sure how to create it but Mouse seems to be on the right track.

[NeonKnight]

Thanx Mouse, unfortunately, the persons I am helping out are prefer Photoshop, so that is what I am trying to help with.

[Mouse]

Aaaah.... I Seeeeee

You mean a bit like this?

Relief shading a mesa.png

This is in GIMP, but if you want the actual file I can send it to you (if you PM me an email address). It would be easier than trying to explain the 7 layers involved.

[ChickPea]

That's super cool, Mouse! Even if it's not what NK needs, you wouldn't consider writing up a tutorial for the rest of us? Pretty please?

[Mouse]

A tutorial?

Wow! I'm really flattered now

Not sure I know how I really did it myself, though.

Its sort of a very scribbly crude version of Snodsy's rather splendid relief technique (and Mouse has forgotten completely the title of it! *rolls eyes at self*)

[NeonKnight]

Aaaah.... I Seeeeee

You mean a bit like this?

Relief shading a mesa.png

This is in GIMP, but if you want the actual file I can send it to you (if you PM me an email address). It would be easier than trying to explain the 7 layers involved.

Yeah, if I knew how it was made in GIMP, I could 'deconstruct' I believe back to PS.

I believe this is the post you mean?

https://www.cartographersguild.com/s...ad.php?t=38229

[Mouse]

Well, while I await your PM for the file I will attempt a crude draft of the er... tutorial...

Ummm.... here goes....

The entire file is just 1500 px square

layer 1 (the bottom layer) is a grass texture - a full plate of it, just grass.

layer 2 is a sandy/gritty texture - another full plate, but with a layer mask, and a smeary star of white painted in the middle of the mask (the extent of the visible grit). The intention here was to give the colour and feel of something rocky, which spills out across the lower level beneath the cliffs of the mesa. And yes - I did use a lot of smear tool on the mask to get it to blend into the grass around the edges, I then blotted a soft edged brush with about 50% transparency across the top of the mesa with black again to hide the grit and reveal the grass layer beneath it to give the illusion of grass on top of the mesa.

Layer 3 (100% opacity) is an ordinary transparent layer, on which I drew a lot of wiggly black lines all around the mesa in 3-4 concentric rings. These lines rather crudely represent the strata cracks. They aren't complete, and totally irregular, but that's the way rock goes. Never try to be too tidy with rocky outcrops because the truth is the messier you are the better it looks. Let the mad artist in you come out to play! I believe... though I can't rightly remember if I did or if I just thought about it.... that I may have used a low opacity smear tool to mess up the lines a bit and make them less digital in appearance.

Layer 4 (70% opacity) is a transparent layer set to overlay mode. I used black again, but a slightly larger fuzzy edged pen (10 px wide I think), and accentuated bits and pieces of the strata cracks of the previous layer, where in my mind's eye the cracks were wider in some places than others.

Layer 5 (70% opacity) another transparent layer set to overlay mode. I used black (again) and a very much larger fuzzy edged brush and a lot of smearing to start adding shade to the cliff faces - ALL around, don't be shy. A vertical face is rarely lighter than a horizontal one, unless its sunrise or sunset. But do be more generous on the side away from the sun. I may have used the smear tool here again to tweak the shape a bit. I do a lot of that. Remember as you are doing it that this isn't the actual shadow of the mesa, its just where the light isn't hitting the rock.

Layer 6 (70% opacity) same again (same as layer 5, but not as extensive) this one is to deepen the shading to enhance the overall form by making it pop just a bit more.

Layer 7 (40% opacity) This is the actual shadow cast by the Mesa on the ground. Use a hard edged brush and paint the shadow in black.


Now you are seeing why I don't generally write tutorials. I'm really rubbish at it.

Maybe when NK gets the file he might help out a bit with one, ChickPea? NeonKnight?