Posted on 01.18.09

Best of Adobe MAX #5: 3D Integration in Photoshop and After Effects

by Tim Frick

Limited 3D functions were introduced in several CS3 applications but Adobe really upped the ante with CS4. Animators can now import 3D models into Photoshop, paint textures directly onto them and export PSD files with 3D objects intact for animating in After Effects. The resulting layers in After Effects retain all properties from the Photoshop document except for lighting, which of course can be re-created in After Effects. It’s a bit of a drawback, yes, but hopefully one that animators will be able to overlook in favor of having these new creative options at their fingertips.

While this is no substitute for a full 3D modeling/animation application or even some of the After Effects 3D plug-ins, such as Zaxwerks’ Invigorator Pro or ProAnimator, it does open up a wealth of texture and animation possibilities previously reserved for such programs. The learning curve is not very steep for this, so CS4 owners can very quickly and easily integrate these functions into existing workflows without the need for third party apps, which will save both time and money.

As an aside, Mason Dixon with teach an all day session at this year’s MGFest on integrating 3D into your Photoshop-After Effects workflows. To find out more about this workshop, check the MGFest site.