Xion Community

One of the programs I was looking for was for new light options.I searched about a month, till my head hurt.Lord knows I can do a good search too.Nothing.I'm used to 3d level design and complex lighting options.Well, I finally found a link to a tutorial.This program has it all, specular lighting, textures, lightmaps, all the stuff I never shut up about.Multiple lights, I could go on and on about it's features.

So what program was it?Adobe Photoshop, of course.It had been there all along.

Also Blender 3D

Use it.

I should, I should, I haven't used it in a long time.I have lightwave and maya too.I will take out at least one of them, cause you're right.

but I'm going to give photoshops tools a shot for this, to try them.

Photoshop only just recently started editing 3d images, I don't think it delves so deep as to add 3d lighting though. Again Adobe JUST (in CS4 extended) added this capability so I wouldn't expect it to actually model anything for you and be able to transfer into an actual 3D environment. Stick to modelling in like 3DS/AutoCAD/Maya/Bryce/ZBrush etc etc, all of which have all the features you would ever need for 3D modelling. well ZBrush wouldn't have certain things because it is just a sculpting utility but combined with 3DS max...pff games like Assassin's Creed are created...

That's pretty much just how my workflow is evolving.I imagine I'll stick to the 3d environment for models and lights, although a purchase of the full version of textmachine 3d is imminent for me.(hurray!)I only mention Lightwave and Maya cause I already own them.

This is a link to the Photoshop light tools tutorial.Granted it's not a 3d environment, but I think alot of folks will find the tools quite sophisticated, if they haven't used them.I don't know when these tools were first included in Photoshop, I have CS.

http://www.webreference.com/graphics/column15/

thats just a filter its been in photoshop since i think 7. plus that's just a complete raster change, meaning (for those of you that don't know) that it physically and permanently changes the pixels. where as in a 3d environment the light is applied on render and can be moved and redone anywhere with any amount of lights, again photoshop is a 2D program, and just recently caught up to Zbrush in terms of "painting" on a 3D surface. plus you don't have to buy the programs immediately you can always do an "extended" trial for personal purposes. So with this said Photoshop has become in CS4 Extended and up a 2.5D program. And I don't suggest using it for full 3D implementation...just yet.

ok, let me put it another way.I know the difference between 2d and 3d, between a render and a painting.I have software for both of them, and I feel theres a place for the photoshop tools as well as the 3d tools.A good painting is probably better than a bad render.But a good render should blow away a good painting. Hence the decision to now work using both 2d and 3d software together.As you said, there is no substitute for the way you can light and texture a model, while retaining the ability to rotate,scale, and just plain manipulate it a hell of alot more.I am about to make a skin in unrealed too,hehe.Don't mind me, I like to try unconventional approaches.

My main point here was simply that photoshops 2D light filters are above par.

I will agree so long as your final product is going to stay 2D. Applying a 2D light to a 3D map will just never work as you may know already, glad were on the same page. btw I like that you try these things you never know when you might run into a bug doing the out of the ordinary stuff with software.

No I think we're on the same page. My new skins will be models lighted in 3d, but all the rest will be generated w 2d.Cant wait to do my first 3d one.As far as I'm concerned, this first year only qualifies me as a beginner.Now I will start trying my ideas. Again, youre advice and ideas are very helpful.

cant wait to see what you come up with.

just to let you know, I chose the newest blender rather than Bryce.And I will stick with the viewpoint, unrealed 3, and Accutrans and Viewpoint as the base tools. The new Blender really looks nice.