Photoshop Effects and CC3

Simon Rogers

Many of you use Photoshop to enhance your maps after you've created them in CC3.

What filters and effects do you use in Photoshop which you don't have in CC3?
Are there any CC3 filters which could be improved?

anomiecoalition

I use the PS brightness/contrast and saturation filter alot to enhance my CC3 maps.

I would probably wet myself if a new CC3 could recreate photoshop's "Multiply" opacity setting for sheets or its ability to just display the sheet effects but not whats on the sheet (i.e. a zero "fill")

Simon Rogers

Posted By: anomiecoalitionI use the PS brightness/contrast and saturation filter alot to enhance my CC3 maps.

I would probably wet myself if a new CC3 could recreate photoshop's "Multiply" opacity setting for sheets or its ability to just display the sheet effects but not whats on the sheet (i.e. a zero "fill")

What would be the advantage of these additions?

anomiecoalition

Multiply is a really useful opacity setting that among other things allows you to give the sense of depth a little easier. So, in photoshop its common to start with a "cloud" layer and then put your texture layer on top with a multiply opacity and the result is light and dark spots on the map. (See picture) This could be useful for creating more realistic landscapes on battle maps. In CC3 I would imagine that instead of cloud layer, you could draw black smooth polygons and give them an edge fade effect. And then put your desired texture on top and give it multiply.

The zero fill is useful if you want an effect (like drop shadow or glow) but don't want to see whats causing it. There are alot of work arounds in CC3 for this (like playing with sheet order), but a zero-fill would be useful.

These were just two things that pop in my head at that moment. Not sure how difficult they would be to implement or if others would find them worthwhile.

I think the simplist CC3 wishlist item I have is to be able to duplicate a sheets effects (rather than manually creating a new sheet and adding the effects I had on another one.)

Clercon

I'm using Photoshop quite heavily while making my maps in CC3/CD3. What I mainly use Photoshop for is to change colours and add texture via the multiply opacity setting, as anomiecoalition mentions above. I also use Photoshop to draw rivers, hills or whatever I want to add and that I don't find the right tool in CC3. Especially while using CD3 I've started to use PS to add hills or cliffs. I also use the oilpaint filter in Photoshop to make the maps look a bit more painted.
Another reason for me to use Photoshop is that I'm much better on that program than I am in CC3. So I'm doing shortcuts by using PS, probably some of the things I do in Photoshop sold be done in CC3 as well, but I'm saving time by using PS.

Medio

I think we all can agree that while CC is great for making the maps themselves, PS outshines it with the posteffects. That is where maybe the CC could be improved.

Simon Rogers

Posted By: MedioI think we all can agree that while CC is great for making the maps themselves, PS outshines it with the posteffects. That is where maybe the CC could be improved.

And that's we are seeking suggestions, not to out do Photoshop but add some more popular effects.

pdj

I think you could get a lot of mileage out of making some of the existing effects easier to use. I'm thinking particularly of RGB Matrix, which is difficult, and Spatial Matrix, which is incomprehensible to ordinary mortals.

An interface that let you see the effect of changing values in a sample window without having to redraw the entire map would be a great blessing.

Leonal

Posted By: anomiecoalitionI think the simplist CC3 wishlist item I have is to be able to duplicate a sheets effects (rather than manually creating a new sheet and adding the effects I had on another one.)

Not PS related, but this I'd love to see.
Being able to drag/drop the order would also be nice.

jaerdaph

I use GIMP, not Photoshop, but both programs effectively accomplish similar things. So I'm using GIMP terminology below, but I'm pretty sure it's not that much different than the terminology used in Photoshop.

CC3 Post-Work:
One of the biggest things I use in GIMP with CC3 output maps is filters. CC3 already has a few nice Sheet Effects like RPG Matrix Data that have pre-defined settings like Sepia for an aged look. In GIMP, I use the artistic filters to do things like apply a canvas (basically a texture to the map to make it look like it was drawn on a canvas or hide), or make the map look like it came out of a comic book (complete with halftone dots). Those are just examples, but filters in GIMP provide a near endless supply of artistic effects.

CC3 Pre-Work:
GIMP allows me to do things like make symbols out of PNG and other bitmap images, add transparency layers/alpha channels, create the image in different sizes and dpi, that sort of thing, and the images can then be made into CC3 symbols.

jslayton

One possible solution for the "apply a canvas" and general multiply operation is the Texturize filter, which will apply an external texture image via multiply to the current sheet. As its name implies, the purpose of this filter was to add the appearance of texture to the current sheet in the same way that bump mapping is used to apply texture in Photoshop and general 3D engines.