beautypg.com

About opengl, Open a 3d file, Using the 3d tools (photoshop extended) – Adobe Photoshop CS4 User Manual

Page 585

background image

578

USING PHOTOSHOP CS4

3D and technical imaging

Last updated 1/10/2010

For a video on working with 3D files in Photoshop, see

www.adobe.com/go/lrvid4004_ps

.

About OpenGL

OpenGL is a software and hardware standard that accelerates video processing when working with large or complex
images, such as 3D files. OpenGL requires a video adapter that supports the OpenGL standard. Your performance
when opening, moving, and editing 3D models is significantly improved on a system with OpenGL installed.

Note: If OpenGL is not detected on your system, Photoshop uses software-only ray-trace rendering to display 3D files.

If OpenGL is present on your system, you can enable it in Photoshop Preferences.

1

Do one of the following:

(Windows) Choose Edit > Preferences > Performance.

(Mac OS) Choose Photoshop > Preferences > Performance.

2

In the GPU pane, select Enable OpenGL Drawing.

3

Click OK. The preference affects new (not currently open) windows. No restart is necessary.

Note: Enable OpenGL Drawing must be selected to display the 3D Axis, Ground Plane, and Lights widget.

Open a 3D file

You can open a 3D file on its own or add it to an open Photoshop file as a 3D layer. When adding a file as a 3D layer,
the layer uses the dimensions of the existing file. A 3D layer contains the 3D model and a transparent background.

Photoshop can open the following 3D formats: U3D, 3DS, OBJ, DAE (Collada), and KMZ (Google Earth).

Do one of the following:

Choose File

> Open, and select a 3D file to open.

With a document open, choose 3D

> New Layer From 3D File, then select a 3D file to open. This adds an existing

3D file as a layer to your current file.

Note: A 3D layer does not preserve any background or alpha information from the original 3D file.

If you add a 3D file layer to an existing file, it appears above the currently selected layer and becomes the active layer.

Textures that are part of the 3D file appear in the Layers panel under the new 3D layer. See “

Create and edit textures

for 3D models (Photoshop Extended)

” on page 590.

If your system supports OpenGL and the Enable OpenGL Drawing preference is enabled, the 3D Axis appears when
you select a 3D layer and a 3D tool. See

Using the 3D Axis (Photoshop Extended)

” on page 580.

The 3D object and camera tools are active when a 3D layer is selected. See “

Using the 3D tools (Photoshop

Extended)

” on page 578.

The components of the 3D file (meshes, materials, and lights) are listed in the 3D panel. See “

3D panel overview

(Photoshop Extended)

” on page 581.

Using the 3D tools (Photoshop Extended)

The 3D tools become active when a 3D layer is selected. Use the 3D object tools to change the position or scale of a 3D
model; use the 3D camera tools to change the view of the scene. If your system supports OpenGL, you can also use the
3D Axis to manipulate the 3D model. See “

Using the 3D Axis (Photoshop Extended)

” on page 580.