Differences Between Photoshop and a 3D program
LimeX
Member Posts: 3
Hello!
I'm kinda new to the GS Community, but i still know the basics. I love createing artworks in photoshop, and im quite good at it. The thing is, i now try to create som animated art for Gamesalad, and in every tutorial i find, people use Maya or other 3d Programs. My Question is, since ive never used a 3d program, Whats the pros with 3d programs vs Ps?
I'm kinda new to the GS Community, but i still know the basics. I love createing artworks in photoshop, and im quite good at it. The thing is, i now try to create som animated art for Gamesalad, and in every tutorial i find, people use Maya or other 3d Programs. My Question is, since ive never used a 3d program, Whats the pros with 3d programs vs Ps?
Comments
There is a HUGE difference between the two techniques!
In Photoshop, you create an image and a skilled PS user produces AMAZING ones.
In 3D, you create a scene and then render an image.
The main difference is that once your Photoshop work is done, that's it. You have an object from one view.
A 3D rendered image can easily be rendered from a different view.
Say you make a piano in Photoshop to use as your background for a mobile app.
If the piano was made with a 3D app, you get a top view image that is suitable for the app BUT, you can re render the image in a perspective view to use for the opening image.
The two techniques are very different and often, a 3D render is tweaked in Photoshop for improved visuals.
A photoshop image is more or less a final work where a 3D render can be rotated and model can be textured in all kinds of ways "after" they are made.
Both ways combined give you all the flexibility you ever need
And vice versa.Very much of a humble opinion.
the better ones are available from http://lynda.com
but if you dig bellow the www surface, you should find plenty of well written tuts
Maya is a little steep at first and cheaper solutions are found in the mac app store. $50 can get you a looooong way now
And BTW, tnx for all the quick replies!!
For a movie (promo/demo) I would use 3D as the legs and fur will accurately move.
The drawback is that rendering such an animation will take weeks (or even months).
Generally, for game design, especially mobile games, you'd want to stick with photoshop or illustrator.
There is nothing wrong with using a 3D app to create a unique render and import it as part of the artwork. But rendering out an animation is nether practical nor what you want.
I am not sure about "free" animations. There is the blender open source movie which makes all content available but to learn blender is ... well, gamesald will be version 2 by the time one masters blender for animation
How ever, you never know what you might find until you look \../
You can produce some great animations in Adobe after effects, if you make you actors layers in Photoshop or Illustrator you can then bring the layers into After Effects and animate them in there. Add all sorts of cool effects, gradients, lighting, 3d camera angles of the 2d layers...and more.... It really is a great tool and worth a look. It also has a puppet tool, for crudely rigging 2d characters, which can create some nice effects (and some rubbish ones).
Also as I side note, both Photoshop and After effects keep improving. So you can at the moment import a 3d model (e.g. buy a 3ds model of a man from turbosquid.com) into photoshop, paint it, spin it around, save it as a photoshop file. Then bring that into after effects and animate it spinning around. (unfortunately it cant be rigged or animated walking yet, but give it a year or 2 and I'd imagine they'll add that ability).
I'd recommend learning a little bit of everything, and eventually learn something really well...
Me myself am a bit of a perfectionist. Even if it's only shown on a small screen I want to do the best possible for every little pixel. That, and the fact that I work with 3D and have been knowing it for a long time, made me chose that as my main tool for creating all my graphics.
I'd listen to stormy here and look into After Effects. Even if you can't animate or rig the 3D guy, I think there's a plugin (or native support?) for Inverse Kinematics (one of the techniques used in animating 3D characters) with 2D layers, i.e characters.
Edit: Ah, I saw that he wrote about the puppet tool
Unfortunately, if you want to use the renders produced with the "free student version", you have to pony up about four grand
I have 10+ years experience with 3D apps and just yesterday, bought CrazyTalk6 Animator.
Take a look on YouTube and see what people do with that app! It's cheap too
P.S. If I'm not mistaken, the student edition of the Autodesk stuff is $200ish?
But really, I suggest photoshop, or even easier to use programs made for pixelart. As uptimistik said, 2d stands the test of time better. This applies to pre-rendered 3d made in 2d sprites, which looks actually bad most of the time.
over this:
Set aside the charm and the nostalgic feelings towards that kind of graphics.
Sonic 4, however is not a good example. This game plays and looks horribles, and especially for 2011 game, in my opinions doesn't look half as good as Sonic2.
What about resident evil? Look at the first one.
Resident Evil proves my point exactly! The difference between the first game and the remake is huge. Why? Simple, the remake has way better art direction, with better lighting, attention to detail and overall textures.
Or if we take an example from the same pixel era.. Super Mario Bros vs. Super Mario Bros 3. Neither had any theoretical advantage than the other, yet Super Mario Bros 3 outclasses Super Mario Bros. Why? Simple; art direction!
But I see your point, it's not about the brush but the artist. What we meant is that resident evil picture, strangely, will probably look a bit bad in 10 years because 3d graphics are getting better and better. I remember the first time I played Resident Evil2, the graphics were quite good. But just like a drawing, Chrono Trigger will always remain a visual masterpiece.
Anyways, I think the topic was about the tools, not the result. We've been highjacking the thread a bit. XD
Btw, if you think sonic 4 looks good, take a look at this fan game:
http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/
kipper