The latest update for Adobe's Photoshop CC adds a new 3D printing tool that will help users take an existing model (either from a modeling tool, a 3D scanner or a blueprint they find online), polish it up a bit and help get it printed out.
The software now accepts five different 3D file formats: OBJ, STL, 3DS, Collada and KMZ. The company sends word that designers will be able to produce high-quality, high aesthetic and full-color 3D content using Photoshop CC. There's also some nifty features built in as well. For example, Photoshop will automatically add in temporary support structures during the printing process so your model doesn't collapse during printing.
Adobe's vice president of products for its Creative Media Solutions team Winston Hendrickson said the new 3D print capabilities take the guesswork out of printing 3D models. Before today, he said, there was a gap between the content produced in 3D modeling tools and what 3D printers needed in order to deliver high quality results.
Once you're done tweaking your masterpiece, there are a couple of different options in terms of printing. If you have your own desktop 3D printer, odds are that Photoshop CC will support it. That's because Adobe has built in support for most popular 3D printers right into the software.
If you need to send off the work to a third party for printing, Adobe can help here as well. They've partnered with printing community and marketplace Shapeways and publishing service Sketchfab.