Adobe Expands Support for Easier 3D Printing Workflows

DESIGNERS. Last year, Adobe introduced new features in Photoshop CC to help simplify 3D compositing and printing. This year, Adobe is continuing to help you unlock the power of 3D printing by closing the gap between power and usability.

Adobe has added some important new 3D printing capabilities in their 2015 release of Creative Cloud and acquired Mixamo, a San Francisco-based company that enables you to create and customize 3D characters and animations.

In a blog post announcing the Mixamo acquisition, Adobe VP Winston Hendrickson noted that “3D tools have come a long way in the past few years, but are still generally inaccessible to most designers due to the great expense and extensive training required to learn the complicated techniques. However, using 3D in 2D workflows adds flexibility to the design work you’re already doing and delivers better output options for interactive websites, game content, video, and 3D printing. Our research tells us that one of the most in-demand skills for designers is 3D, but using it is just too hard with the current tools and technology.”

Support for PDF and SVX Formats

Adobe Photoshop CC _3D-printing-PDF-SVXThe latest release of Photoshop CC enables users, 3D printer manufacturers, and 3D printing service providers to use the ISO-standard 3D PDF file format to enable 3D printing job submissions and workflows. This can streamline processes and reduce costs, because the files are automatically checked and repaired prior to creating the 3D PDF file.

Photoshop CC users can also now use the SVX format to produce high quality, full color, sliced 3D models on color 3D printers. The 3D printing pipeline in Photoshop CC verifies and updates the file when converting to SVX.

Support for 3D Hubs 

Another new feature in the latest release of Photoshop CC is support for 3D printing through the 3D Hubs service. This enables Photoshop CC users to submit print jobs to local 3D-printing service providers who are members of the 3D Hubs worldwide network.

Currently more than 19,000 owners of 3D printers worldwide are part of the 3D Hubs service. Each listing for a 3D-printing service tells what type of equipment the service has, what types of materials they offer, and how quickly they can turn around the job. One of the goals of 3D Hubs is to accelerate a future of local and on-demand production. According to the company, the 3D Hubs network provides over one billion people access to a 3D printer within 10 miles of their home.

Support for Tinkerine Ditto Pro

The Tinkerine Ditto Pro is a prosumer-grade 3D printer that fits nicely in a classroom or design studio. Its elegant, open-C frame design makes it possible to build products that are taller and deeper than other 3D printers.

According to Eugene Suyu, president and CEO of Tinkerine Studios, “The prosumer market is demanding a 3D printer that features quiet operation along with high speed, high resolution, and massive build volume.”

Designers who want to print their work on a Tinkerine Ditto Pro can now download and install a printer profile from Photoshop CC. The installed profile will enable you to send a file directly from Photoshop CC.

“The integration of Tinkerine support within Photoshop CC makes it even easier for customers to access top-of-the-line 3D printers and training resources that will enable them to create compelling 3D objects,” said Maria Yap, Adobe senior director of production management, Photoshop.

Adobe Acquires Mixamo

Adobe believes the Mixamo acquisition will give creatives a platform for more 3D innovation in the future. Integrating Mixamo’s technology into Photoshop will let you create, customize, manipulate, rig and animate 3D content, as well as take advantage of stock characters that can be easily pulled into projects.

As Hendrickson explains in this blog post, designers will be able to generate more realistic scenes in lighting, reflections, and shadows.

“Designers are increasingly being asked to create photorealistic scenes that don’t exist in the real world,” said Hendrickson. “And while this is already being done in Photoshop CC today, we can push the envelope further to enable a level of precision like never before and to make it easier for everyone to use.”

LINKS

Adobe Creative Cloud 2015

Blog Post: Unlocking the Power of 3D for the Creative Community

New 3D Printing Features in Adobe Photoshop CC