Real World Compositing with Adobe Photoshop CS4

3D Fundamentals

Working with 3D content offers many benefits. Although learning the fundamentals of 3D workflow and design is a challenge, once you know the basics you can quickly use a mix of 3D models and 2D imagery (as backgrounds or textures) to build a scene inside Photoshop or your favored 3D application. One advantage to this is that you can quickly simulate a large array of lighting conditions, camera perspectives, and other photographic techniques that would take days of work in the field. Photoshop includes many improvements to 3D workflow, such as a more powerful rendering engine and the ability to create and manipulate various kinds of lights and materials.

Note

Throughout the remainder of the chapter, any reference to “Photoshop” ...