7. A Dream Within a Dream: 3D Design Effects

What if there were 3D capabilities in Photoshop that every designer could use to bring a whole new world of possibilities to an environment they are already used to? That would be a dream within a dream. Well, a dream it is not—as of CS5, Photoshop’s 3D features have evolved into a nearly full-featured 3D application right inside of Photoshop. Because of this, the 3D features are only available in the Extended version of Photoshop. The Standard version does not support any 3D features. If you do not have CS5 Extended, please read through the following pages anyway to get an idea of just what’s possible using 3D as a design tool. It may help you decide whether or not to consider the upgrade. (Hint: I realize upgrades can be costly, but if y....