How to create this effect (see image)

[Mis157F]

Hi everyone,
I want to use the effect you can see on the attached image and wondered if anyone could give me some advice please?
I want to do the same, but on a city outline - i've tried using a 'connected particle' brush and 'outer glow', but it's just not right.
many thanks in advance,
Dan

[Myra Ferguson]

Can you post the city outline image that you want to use? Seeing your starting image would help.

Here are some general suggestions...

If you have the dots on the map and the connectors already, you could duplicate the image on the layers and mask the dots on one layer and the connectors on another if they are part of a flattened image and then apply layer styles  You may need to apply adjustment layers to lighten the connectors. Use a background with a radial gradient layer style with the gradient center moved to the upper left. Add some blend modes as necessary.

If you have a shape that you need to convert into the dots, you could use Illustrator with the Astute Graphics plugin, Phantasm. You can take the dots and bring them into Photoshop and apply the glow, the gradient background, and the blend mode.

If you need to add the connectors, there's a script that will add them in After Effects. Do a search for "connected dots" and/or "network nodes." You could import the dots created in Illustrator with Phantasm, run the script, and use Composition > Save Frame As > Photoshop Layers to add the effects in Photoshop or you could add the effects in After Effects and then export a single frame.