When you load a master filter file, it loads all those slots, not just the first one, you don't load files into slots. Almost all of the existing master filters are using the first slot for the style, because the first one is the one activated by default.

But you can make your own file by filling out the different slots, and then save it as a new master filter file. When you load that file, it will contain he slots as you saved them, and the symbol style toggle button will toggle between those in the list.

You can use the SYMDELNEAR command to do this.

Symbol filters are loaded in the OnOpenMacro map note. Should be a line saying SYMICONFLOAD CA163 in there.

You can also manually load them by right clicking :CC2SYMPATH: and picking Master Filter Settings, hit Load in the dialog and load the CA163 setting. (While in the dialog, you can then also check that the CA163 is in the Filter 1 position after loading, and that it is the selected filter)

You ask about text, but you also talk about things like political borders and stuff, so it seems like that should be taken into consideration.

Now, to start, I personally hate PhotoShop, I find it cumbersome, difficult and intuitive to use, and on top of that, expensive. But, there are other image editors out there so I'll not jump to the conclusion of using CC3+ just because I don't like the other option.

But, you obviously isn't skilled in PS yourself, given that you don't know the difficulty of working with text, which more or less brings me to a conclusion right away, use what you know. If you know how to do things in CC3+ there isn't really a good reason to use an image editor, unless you want to use it more as a training exercise to learn that software rather than use what would be most appropriate for you.

Considering that both options do allow a layered approach, both can be used for the task, but if you import the map to scale in CC3+ before drawing on top of it, you can also use various tools to do things like measuring length and area, including measuring length along a curved line, which I personally find extremely nice when working with maps, so I would probably pick CC3+ for that option alone.

The only reason where I feel the image editor may be a bit stronger is making the things you draw on top of the scanned image appear better "integrated" into the image. But this is something that takes skill with the image editor, it doesn't come for free, and you can get a long way in the same direction by using sheet effects.

FT3+ can't use the CC3+ maps/templates directly. The way the FT3 exports creates the correct fill for the landmass is by relying on a texture overblend effect on the landmass (and whatever else), it doesn't set the entities up with fills like when you normally draw the map. So when you add a new template to it, you also need to go in and add that texture overblend effect to the appropriate sheet (and point it to the appropriate bitmap fill file). Look at the LAND sheet in the existing templates there.