From the book
From the book
From the book
Adding 3D objects
The wooden cube is just one of five 3D elements in the scene. You’ll create all of the 3D objects, and then merge them onto a single 3D layer, where you can work with them as a group. On one layer, they’ll share cameras and lights.
Creating a 3D postcard
In Photoshop CS6, you can transform a 2D object into a 3D postcard that you can manipulate in perspective in a 3D space. It’s called a 3D postcard because it’s as if your image became a postcard you could turn over in your hand.
You’ll use a 3D postcard to create the card that leans on the wine bottle.
- Click the Layers tab to bring the Layers panel forward.
- Make the Card layer visible, and select it.
- Choose 3D > New Mesh From Layer > Postcard.
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The card doesn’t look much different, because you’re viewing the front of it. When you manipulate it later, it will be much more obvious that it’s a 3D postcard. Meanwhile, you can be sure it’s a 3D object because Photoshop switches to the 3D panel, displays the Secondary View window in the upper left corner, enables the 3D tools in the options bar, and displays the Camera widget in the lower left corner of the application window.
Creating a 3D mesh from a new layer
You used a 3D mesh preset to wrap the wood layer around a cube, but you can also use a mesh preset with a new, empty layer. You’ll do that to create a wine bottle.
- Bring the Layers panel forward, and make sure the Card layer is selected.
- Click the Create A New Layer button at the bottom of the Layers panel.
- With Layer 1 selected, choose 3D > New Mesh From Layer > Mesh Preset > Wine Bottle.
- In the Layers panel, rename the layer Bottle.
A new layer, named Layer 1, appears above the Card layer.
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A gray wine bottle shape appears in front of the card. Later, you’ll apply materials to the shape to make it look like a glass wine bottle.
Importing a 3D file
In Photoshop CS6, you can open and work with 3D files exported from various applications, such as Collada, 3DS, KMZ (Google Earth) or U3D. You can also work with files saved in Collada format, a file interchange format supported by Autodesk, for example. When you add a 3D file as a 3D layer, it includes the 3D model and a transparent background. The layer uses the dimensions of the existing file, but you can resize it.
You’ll import a 3D wine glass that was created in another application.
- Choose 3D > New 3D Layer From File.
- Navigate to the Lesson12/Assets folder, and double-click the WineGlass.obj file.
- Choose File > Save to save your work so far.
The wine glass shape appears in front of the bottle, centered in the document window.
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Creating 3D text
Even text can be three-dimensional. When you’ve created 3D text, you can rotate it, scale it, move it, apply materials to it, change its lighting (and the accompanying shadows), and extrude it. You’ll create 3D text for the front of the wooden table.
- Select
the Horizontal Type tool (
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in the Tools panel. - Drag a marquee across the middle of the window.
- In the options bar, select a serif font such as Minion Pro, Bold for the font style, and 72 pt for the font size.
- Type HI-WHEEL, in all capital letters.
- Click the Update 3D Associated With This Text button in the options bar.
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You’ve created text, but it’s not three-dimensional yet. You’ll convert it now.
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Now the text is 3D, and Photoshop displays its ground plane and the rest of the 3D work environment.