Adobe previews 3D printing features coming to Photoshop CC

By Joseph Keller
last updated

Adobe has unveiled new features that will be making their way to a future version of Photoshop CC. The app will be adopting three major features geared towards 3D imaging and printing. For instance, the new 3D mesh simplification tools will allow for faster processing and printing, and will expand options for sharing.

You'll also be able to create 3D bump maps, and edit colors and textures for your objects before printing them:

  • Create and apply 3D Bump Maps from any photograph to add texture to 3D objects: Convert textures from a photograph into a bump map, with flexibility to control desired height and depth of embossment or imprint to create a custom, textured 3D object.
  • Edit colors from 3D scans with Vertex color to texture conversion: While 3D scanning is expected to become increasingly prominent, many 3D scanning solutions capture color data as vertex color, which is not editable within Photoshop. The new Vertex Color to Texture Conversion will interpret and allow users to edit and change colors through creation of a Photoshop Texture.

Adobe didn't specify when these features would be available, saying only that they would come to Photoshop CC in a future update.

Joseph Keller
Joseph Keller
6 Comments
  • This is a game charger!!!!
  • Is it really? How many people even use 3D printing? It doesn't really seem like a big deal to me.
  • A lot of people use it for prototyping of products. It's a great way to make a low volume product too.
  • But is like a regular consumer thing that I would want to buy a 3D printer and Photoshop CC
  • But photoshop sucks for 3D, nobody would ever use it for that. so their effort is pointless. I must add The new Vertex Color to Texture Conversion. that would be the only decent thing, of course, I never got interested in getting the color, since I use the 3d scanner for fun, and the 3d printers I had/have access to, don't print colors.  But anyway, that will never change how Photoshop sucks for anything 3d related, if you want to paint? there are many other alternatives that work 100x better. and if you want to work in photoshop and 3d printing and all and don't want ot waste a cent, there is the Blender with their horrible interface and good and many half baked features. but it's free so, this news, aren't that great news, because adobe is useless if it's not 2D. but maybe someday they will actually make something nice and useful ^____^ they have the money anyway.
  • I've been using the current 3D printer function in photoshop to cleanup models. It works pretty good for that. It thickens up walls where needed. Saved me quite a few failed prints so far.