Editing Textures in Photoshop CS3

[Atheni33]

I was wondering if anyone is using Photoshop CS3 to edit textures. I was able to import part of my mask into Photoshop as a 3ds. file but I don't see the texture, just a silhouette of my mask. I wanted to use Photoshop to edit my texture mostly because I am not satisfied with what I'm getting in blender, and CS3 has smart filters specifically for 3D editing. I never used it before and could use a little help getting started. Like the proper way to format blend file for import into Photoshop. Anyone?

[Jojon]

Well, you lost me, because surely a silhouette is exactly what a mask is..? :7

[Kato]

I use Photoshop CS3 for texture editing, but none of the fancy 3D features. Just a very simple Source > Photoshop > Output workflow.

-Kato

[Atheni33]

Well, you lost me, because surely a silhouette is exactly what a mask is..? :7

I'm rendering several masks for the ERC, I wasn't referring to 'masking'.

I use Photoshop CS3 for texture editing, but none of the fancy 3D features. Just a very simple Source > Photoshop > Output workflow.

How are you bringing the blender files into photoshop, because I don't see my texture. Does photoshop have a preference regarding the type of texture? .jpg .tga..

[D'Lanor]

Why can't you open the texture files directly with Photoshop? Is it because they were packed into the blend file? In that case you need to unpack them: External data > Unpack into files.

[Jojon]

Oh, mask masks. *me slow* :P

Ok, so you want to bring your entire mask objects into Photoshop and paint/etc directly onto them, since Blender's texturepaint mode, which does this, is naturally enough not at "quite" the level of PS... :)

I'm afraid I have no Photoshop experience whatsoever, so I can't help, but for a more old-fashioned approach, you could use the Uv/imageeditor->UVs/Scripts/SaveUVFaceLayout script to export your unwrapped UVmap mesh as an image and photoshop it in the bad old 2D manner. :7

[Kato]

Blender files into Photoshop? I've never...why would you even do that?

Photoshop is, primarily, a program for editing images, or any type. Not 3D models. I wouldn't trust it to do 3D models. You need to edit your texture in Photoshop, save it, then take it back into Blender.

-Kato

[Atheni33]

Ok, so you want to bring your entire mask objects into Photoshop and paint/etc directly onto them, since Blender's texturepaint mode, which does this, is naturally enough not at "quite" the level of PS...

Exactly! I am more comfortable with photoshop editing tools than blender. But I was having trouble figuring out what was the best way to bring it into photoshop.

Photoshop is, primarily, a program for editing images, or any type. Not 3D models. I wouldn't trust it to do 3D models. You need to edit your texture in Photoshop, save it, then take it back into Blender.

It won't read a blender file but it will read a .3DS file which I used to export my mask project with. Photoshop CS3 Extended can import and manipulate Video and 3D files, (which I'm figuring out how to do). The reason I wanted to bring it into photoshop was to save time going back and forth from blender just to see if the texture worked. (I'm not that patient) I've been going through this book Adobe photoshop CS3 Extended for 3D and Video. He mentions bringing in Maya and 3Dmax models so I thought...why not blender. It may not matter anyways because the process seems almost as complicated as using Blender

Photoshop CS4 has object painting. You can paint directly on the 3D model. I may just save up for the upgrade.

[Nadnerb]

Blender will allow you to paint directly onto a 3D model as well. I'd say that you're probably better off staying in blender, since that's where the uru part of the workflow is, especially if it's equally difficult to learn the photoshop way, because then you have to get it back into blender again later. (and seriously, 3D editing in Photoshop? that's weird. )

On the other hand, if the entire point is to somehow use photoshop's image editing features to create the texture for this mask, you'd probably be better off dumping an image of the uv map and using it as a base in photoshop. You can do this in the UV image editor, if, after mapping (unwrapping) your object, in edit mode, you select [UVs > Scripts > Save UV Face Layout], which will save an image with the UV faces 'drawn' onto it, and you can easily use this as a background layer in photoshop for setting up a texture.

[Atheni33]

UV mapping in blender hasn't been successful for me. I can wrap an image just fine but the quality and detail is no where near what I want. So I thought if I could use a software that I'm comfortable with I won't be so limited. I haven't tried painting on a model in Blender, I felt it was another feature I couldn't get a handle on. But I'll try it.

and seriously, 3D editing in Photoshop? that's weird

I don't think you can edit 3D objects in CS3, but you can 'manipulate them'..rotate, scale and such.

On the other hand, if the entire point is to somehow use photoshop's image editing features to create the texture for this mask, you'd probably be better off dumping an image of the uv map and using it as a base in photoshop. You can do this in the UV image editor, if, after mapping (unwrapping) your object, in edit mode, you select [UVs > Scripts > Save UV Face Layout], which will save an image with the UV faces 'drawn' onto it, and you can easily use this as a background layer in photoshop for setting up a texture.

I'll have to try this. I liked the idea of seeing the texture on the model, but I may have to sacrifice efficiency for quality .