http://www.platelayer.com/roads-using-raster-images.aspx

PlateLayer by Svein-Martin Holt

 

Roads created using Raster Images

The lower level of the downtown showing all the roads covered with printed paper.

 

The roads on ZIty Edge Layout are created using raster images and PhotoShop. The original raster image for near all of the road pavement, has been downloaded from the great Textures.com library. Together with other images found on internet, like the pedestrian crossing marks, the manholes and other items, they are used to  create the finished raster image file.

A copy of the layout in size 1:1 as the bottom layer in PhotoShop, are used as guidance to give the correct position and size for all parts of the road image. A lot of copying, blending, rotating, use of many layers and manipulation are necesarry to create the final result. It takes some time.

The size of the complete PhotoShop file is 1800 millimeter by 815 millimeter in 300 dpi, giving an image of 21.354 by 9.627 pixels. The size of the file is 588 Mb.

The image is then printed on a color laser printer, using 200 gram paper. Since the size of the print are only A4, several pieces are cut out and glued together to create the complete area. To get the correct height to flush the level on the rail, several layers of 1 mm cardboard are glued together as a base for the road.

The complete rasterfile with all roads created. It is printed with a laser printer with 200 gram paper. The left part of the layout are changed, but the right part is "as build".

 

 

Here a detail from a crossing. Several details added.

 

The roads on ZIty Edge Layout are created using images and PhotoShop. The original raster image for near all of the road pavement, shown below, have I bought and downloaded from the great Textures.com library. The actual file is this road pavement image, available in different versions:

The original image is the upper part of the top image, where the edge is copied and rotated to create a complete road. The image below have some more details added.