This is a Guest Post written by John Lewis, a consultant and blogger at Inprint.
With all the hype surrounding 3D printing tools, Adobe Systems Inc has incorporated important updates that include support for 3D printing. The computer software company (who brought the multimedia and creativity software Adobe Creative Suite), particularly the Photoshop CC, integrates this capability in order to simplify the process of 3D printing. What can you expect from this update? Here are some:
- Refining
- Previewing
- Prepping
- 3d output models
Through the update, you can begin from scratch or use an existing model. Tools from the Photoshop system such as its support structure generation and automated mesh repair will help with the outcome of the production. You will also see the addition of scaffolding under the creations in the interface of the software and this can help in preventing collapse during the entire production process. It will also check automatically for water tightness.
How Does It Work?
Let me give you an idea of how this 3D printing capability works with Photoshop: the digital source may come from the following (1) created with the use of 3D modeling tools, (2) obtained from the internet by download and (3) the output from a 3D scanner. The source will then be imported directly to Photoshop CC in which you can ideate and generate an image using the support structure generator and automatic mesh repair. Through these tools, you can adjust the shape, make changes to the angles or rotate it, add color and many more. The output will then be printed to various options such as a local printer, an online printer service or storage in the cloud like Behance.
Printing Your Creation
As stated above, there are a couple different ways to print your creation in Photoshop. Adobe has added several printers it supports and here are some of them:
- MarketBot Replicator – this is the main and local printer being supported by Adobe. This printer has the latest models of 2 and 2X. According to MarketBot Industries, these printers are aimed toward the tinkerers and designers.
- Shapeways – they are an online community or simple a marketplace for printing (including 3D models) away from home as well as publishing models. They achieve this via their Sketchfab, which is a 3D model viewer.
- 3D Systems Cube – is designed to make the processes of manufacturing more efficient minus the required tooling. 3D Systems Cubes create functional and precision prototypes, product concept models, production parts for the direct digital manufacturing and even master patterns for tooling.
Benefits Of These Features
Adobe advertises several benefits you can enjoy with this feature. In particular, Photoshop CC will empower designers to create or produce and the complete high aesthetic, full-color and high-quality 3D content. The output can be easily passed to 3D printers using a single-click. The support for a broad range of colors and materials makes it even more beneficial. Currently, there are five file formats in 3D that are accepted in the new and updated Photoshop CC and these are 3DS, STL, OBJ, KMZ and Collada.
How To Access This Update?
The update for 3D printing support in Photoshop CC is available now. You must have Photoshop v.14.1 installed on your computer. If you are a member of the Adobe Creative Cloud, you will get the update for free. The membership fee is around $49.99 per month. Members of Creative Cloud app can also download this update for free (the membership cost $19.99 per month). The tools for 3D printing can also be tried and accessed for a free, but for a limited time only with the 30-day trial period.
Give it a try and let us know what you think!
