If you happen to be in the neighborhood of the Orange Country Convention Center in Orlando, Florida… be sure to stop by Photoshop World booth #705. You can catch live demos of Strata 3D CX 5.5 and the 3d[in] plug-ins at the Strata booth.

Photoshop World, April 2-4, 20008

Today I posted a tutorial I’ve been wanting to do for a while. It shows some techniques for using the 3D texturing features in Photoshop CS 3 Extended . The 3D model was created in Strata 3D CX 5.5 and sent to a 3D Layer. The end result is a graphically flexible design motif for your retro and/or geek projects.

Texturing in Photoshop CS3 Extended

I’ve received a few questions about using the Vanishing Point Filter to export 3D planes (grids) for use in Strata 3D CX. I’m working on a video to help explain this. Here’s a good starter video to help understand the basics of creating 3D grids in the VP Filter.

PhotoshopSupport.com VP Filter

The Strata 3D[in] Match plug-in uses these 3D planes to setup a 3D environment in which you can place 3D objects in the same perspective of the photo! Here’s a previous tutorial which explains the concept a little better.

3D Power TV: Episode 15

CGArena’s latest 3D challenge ‘Ancient Times’ is in progress - work in progress that is. This challenge requires entrants to post the WIP images for the community to critique. Check out the challenge page for details.

Our friend Colin Smith from PhotoshopCafe has posted the final entries from their lastest Design Challenge: Design a Video Game Cover.

Several nice designs showing 2D and 3D skills.

I just got the news that Strata released an upgrade to the Strata CX Suite. In a nutshell, the technology from Strata’s 3D[in] plug-ins for Photoshop CS 3 Extended is now integrated into the Suite. I think that old & new Strata 3D CX users will be pleased with the back-and-forth between 3D CX and Photoshop CS3 extended.

As a Photoshop user looking to incorporate 3D into my projects I think that the Strata CX Suite is the missing link. Although Photoshop has the ability to view and rotate/transform 3D objects it lacks the creation and editing tools. The CX Suite provides the 3D and creation tools, as well as the output tools.

Cool Features:

• Send a 3D model to PS as a 3D layer
• Send a finished rendering to PS as separate layers (shadow layer, reflection layer, color layer, etc)
• Send a PS image to a 3D background for tracing or placement
• Send a 3D model direct from PS to PDF or HTML and it embeds the 3D object (you read that correctly)
• Link PS files as 3D textures - changes made are automatically updated in the 3D texture

I’ve been doing a lot of DVD product shots lately and have found it very useful to set up a template in 3D CX. I can easily replace the DVD artwork by hiding/showing different layers and exporting the 3D object to PS. I then export the PS document (including the 3D object) to a PDF file that anyone can view in Acrobat Reader.

Watch for an upcoming podcast on that project.

Hey everybody! I am thrilled to be starting my blog here on 3dlayer.com. I have been in the 3D industry forever, freelancing and working for Strata, MetaCreations, and Curious Labs. I also DJ and spend a lot of time remixing music and running a few internet radio stations. I’m currently director of web design for one of the fastest growing web companies in the inter-mountain west.

As I write my blog, my plan is to keep you up to date on the latest and greatest in the 3D design industry. I plan to post podcasts, find interesting tutorials, and highlight users whose work strikes a chord with me.