Making Planets for Traveller in PHOTOSHOP

[ScotHarvest]

I want to make planets with visual EFFECT that capture the players imagination so I take satellite photos of earth cities and PS them into planets. Here is how...

1.Go on Google earth-map and find a nice picture of a city populated in a fashion that looks like your planets population density

2.Hit "PRINT SCREEN" to capture the image

3 Open your PS and make a new project, it will automatically size the new project to the size of what is on your CUT/PASTE clipboard (you just captured an image in to it)

4.PASTE you captured image to the new project
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5.Use the circle marque to cut out a planet and PASTE it back onto your project (you have just made a layer)

6.Delete the background image (leave it black so its easy to see your planet), and the layer of whats left after you cut out your planet

7.Go to the WINDOW tab and click "layers", click (far Right) on the new layer you just made (the other layer should be called background)

8,Clicking the new layer should bring up a drop menu, check/click the Drop shadow / Inner Shadow / outer glow boxes.

9.Close the menu and you will see the effects you just created listed under your new layer.

10.Click each new effect and fiddle with the settings

Drop shadow:will put a shadow on objects BEHIND your planet

Inner shadow:will put a shadow ON your planet making it night on one side

outer glow: will give your planet an atmosphere

Mine looks like this...

 

[ScotHarvest]

opps... forgot a step.

step 6.5: Click on the drop down menu for "filters" and use a "distort" filter called "spherize" at its max setting to make the flat image look 3d round.

 

[atpollard]

That's pretty slick.
Not because it makes the greatest planet that I have ever seen, but because it is simple enough that it could actually be worth using.

A 'good' image in hand is worth a lot more than a great image that will be created 'someday'.

Thanks.
Arthur

 

[robject]

That's a great idea -- and one that can be used in other graphic programs as well. Paint Shop Pro comes to mind. Thanks for that tip!

 

[ScotHarvest]

I agree that the quality is low. But its all about time invested. The above image took about 10 min. Apply more time and the result will be better.

That's pretty slick.
Not because it makes the greatest planet that I have ever seen, but because it is simple enough that it could actually be worth using.

A 'good' image in hand is worth a lot more than a great image that will be created 'someday'.

Thanks.
Arthur

 

[ScotHarvest]

Using Satellite images.

 

[FreeTrav]

Please write this up in more detail with more discussion and perhaps pics of each step along the way, and email to editor@freelancetraveller.com with your real name for credit - this sort of thing belongs in Freelance Traveller!

 

[ScotHarvest]

Please write this up in more detail with more discussion and perhaps pics of each step along the way, and email to editor@freelancetraveller.com with your real name for credit - this sort of thing belongs in Freelance Traveller!

Ok Jeff.... I will!

It was a good and simple find in Photoshop and I would like to share it.