great mapsman. I know your trying to run a side buisness, but how about a how to?
Well, it would seem that a tutorial would be against my best interests, but since I understand the amount of work that goes into it, I don't mind telling you.
Alright, first:
Select your image. It should be at least 2MB, although I recommend images that are closer to 9MB.
Then, start a Photoshop document with a transparent background at 300 dpi. I usually reduce the resolution of the final image, but I like working at that resolution so that I can get in there and see the tiny details that no one will ever notice. Call me crazy.
Find a hex grid online somewhere. You will want to take lots of painstaking measurements to make sure that the Hexes will be the right size.
Now, the bottom phoshop layer will be your source image and the top image will be the hex grid. There will be probably be over 300 layers in between while you're working on it.
Once you get all your layers into Photoshop, rotate your source image to best fit the Hexes as is. You'll also want to check the source image for proper scale. Sometimes, your image can be completely out of scale and no one will notice, but if you have tell tale things like tennis courts and vehicles, you'll want to make sure that those images are as close to the proper scale as possible. a quick google search can give you the measurements for an average 2 ton truck or basketball court, and we all should know how long a BT hex is.
Obviously, by now you will have had to remove the background from the hex layer in order to see the layers underneath.
From here, it's all about how well you know Photoshop. Your favorite tools will be the pen tool to copy elements of the source image that need to be rotated or resized. You'll also want to get familiar with the clone stamp tool in order to make seamless edges where layers connect.
Another important thing to remember is to resize your source images before bringing them into the project. Open them as a separate image, and then resize that image to be 300 dpi using the "best for enlargement" setting.
Stock up on coffee and snacks, because one of these projects can take weeks.