PSD to 3D Is A New Tool That Creates 3D Scenes Out Of Photoshop Artwork
Montreal, Canada-based E.d. films launched a new plug-in tool today, PSD to 3D, that converts 2d drawings into 3d content.
The studio emphasizes the tool’s ease of use, claiming that 3d novices with little to no 3d experience can now bypass the modeling phase, and within minutes, start turning Photoshop sketches into moldable scenes and characters, ready for animation in Maya.
“An illustrated look is hard to replicate in 3d, even if you know the software,” said Daniel Gies, art and tech director at E.d. films. “With PSD to 3D, every line and brush stroke is passed onto the 3d meshes, so artists can bring a unique look to their animations.”
E.d. films, which developed the tool in-house, is positioning PSD to 3D as an upgrade to the oft-used technique of achieving a 3d effect with 2d art through After Effects:
PSD to 3D replaces an outdated After Effects method that often requires artists to produce hundreds of layers to achieve a 3d look. Since After Effects wasn’t made to be a 3d engine, the process is slow and difficult, lacking the real-time speed that most artists use to iterate effectively. With PSD to 3D, a simple conversion makes all of Maya’s tools available in minutes, helping artists animate much faster.
The studio points out that all the 3d objects correspond to the original Photoshop layers, allowing artists to easily build and adjust scenes and characters. To see PSD to 3D in action, watch the demo below:
PSD to 3D is available now in two versions: PSD to 3D Lite (CA$20) and PSD to 3D Pro (CA$60). Each version is compatible with Photoshop CC 2014–2019 and Maya 2016–2019. The reduced rate introductory price is good until June 3.
