From now on when someone says “photoshop it” about an image, they could be talking about adding a 3D model to an existing digital image. Tomorrow Adobe announces an enhanced version of Photoshop that works with 3D data, to be called Adobe Photoshop CS Extended.
An Adobe representative says the new product gives creative professionals who work with digital imagery the ability to add 3D models to the mix. This isn’t some sneak attack on the 3D CAD industry; as with the existing version, Photoshop CS Extended is about the “downstream” use of visual data. “We have no desire to turn Photoshop into a 3D modeling program,” says Ashley Manning Still, Adobe Senior Product Manager. “Our goal is to make 3D content accessible in Photoshop.”
Users will be able to import 3D models and manipulate them in a variety of ways, including measure, edit textures, view in layers, cross-section, view in non-photorealistic modes (depending on the model), rotate as 3D while editing the image, and more. I was impressed with the features during a demonstration today. For a first release, it seems to have a good set of 3D-specific features. I was particularly impressed by the ability to identify one or more planes in a model, then copy and place them along other surfaces, even if that means flowing over corners.
Photoshop CS Extended supports a limited number of 3D formats directly, including U3D (supported by Adobe Acrobat 3D and Bentley MicroStation, among others); Collada (supported by many game design tools and by Google SketchUp); and KMZ (zipped Google Earth format). To import 3D models created in other formats, the user will need to first save them in Adobe Acrobat 3D then export them in U3D. As users become adept at working with 3D models in Photoshop CS Extended, they will probably find reasons to round-trip 3D models between applications, using Acrobat 3D as the go-between. For example, Photoshop CS Extended has a practical limit on the number of polygons it can manage in an image, from between 1 million to 1.5 million. Adobe Acrobat 3D has a tool that reduces polygon count in 3D models.
Photoshop is a common tool in most offices that use CAD, but until now has only been for 2D image editing. Adding the ability to import and edit 3D models will be a welcome addition. It also keeps Photoshop one step ahead of its new competition, Autodesk Impression, a 2D non-photorealistic image editor that is designed to work with AutoCAD DWG drawings, but is expected to replace Photoshop in many design offices.
Other features:
3D visualization support
Texture editing
Motion graphics and video layers
Vanishing point utilities
Measurement and data collection
Ruler and count tools
MATLAB support
Image stack processing
DICOM Support
Software Development Kit (separate download)
Photoshop CS3 Extended for both Windows and Macintosh is expected to ship in late April. The full retail price in the US will be $999; existing Photoshop CS users who want to upgrade to the 3D product can do so for $349; owners from Photoshop 7 and later are eligible.
As
AECnews explained last August,
3D publishing is the new battleground for CAD software vendors. With the new one-two punch of Acrobat 3D Version 8 and Photoshop CS3 Extended, Adobe is now a major player in the 3D publishing software space.
--RSN