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MillimeterAdobe Photoshop CS5 Extended Review
Jun 24, 2010 12:00 PM, By Franklin McMahon
Killer new features include 3D capabilities.
Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended now runs as a 64-bit program and can take advantage of as much memory as you devote to it.
Earlier this year, Adobe released its biggest Creative Suite update yet. The new nucleus of the package, Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended, does not disappoint when it comes to new features for video content producers. The first thing you’ll notice when you boot the program up is the speed at which everything works. If you’ve invested in a dual- or quad-core machine and spent coin on gigabytes of RAM, Photoshop can now seamlessly take advantage of the full power of your hardware. If you are running a 64-bit OS—either Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Mac OS X—Photoshop now processes tasks at up to 10 times normal speed. You’ll notice in the preferences there is a RAM slider to set up how much RAM Photoshop can use, and unlike previous versions, you can now use as much RAM as you have in your machine. Previously, I could only use a few gigs, but now with CS5, I can allocate 20GB.
The 3D feature set continues to evolve and expand, the options getting more compelling with each new update. If you are not using the 3D options in Photoshop Extended, you are missing a huge number of powerful tools. Adobe Repoussé is a new feature included that makes creating 3D text, artwork, logos, layer masks, or images a snap to create.
Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended has revamped and upgraded its 3D engine to allow more options and better-looking ray tracing.
First, you add in some text, for example, and then choose Repoussé from the 3D menu. Your view immediately switches to 3D space and your text is extruded, as a interface box pops up with tons of options. You can use different bevel presets; alter the materials on any side; adjust the extrude, shear, warp, and bend; add custom lighting; and much more. Rendering is fast, and results look professional.
All this power is only one menu item in a 3D pulldown with dozens of menu items. Photoshop Extended started as a way to paint and tweak existing 3D content (perfect for fields like game design) but CS5 moves it into the realm of creating photorealistic 3D logos and objects completely from scratch from within the program.
Photoshop CS5 Extended also includes a complete animation system with audio support. You can paint over time, onion skin, import/export frames in just about any format, and work on touchups on a frame-by-frame basis. Adding 3D into the mix, you can animate depth of field, perform full keyframe movement effects, add shadows, ray trace objects to look like chrome and mirrors, move colored lights and gels around, and much more.
The unfortunate downside is there is a whole learning curve separate from the normal Photoshop workflow. The fact that this may prevent you from even diving into 3D is something Adobe is surely aware of, and the current 3D tools seem much more accessible and user-friendly. In fact, it is far quicker now to get an animated logo sequence up and running in a few minutes in CS5 as opposed to earlier versions. Plus the 64-bit engine now renders everything super fast.
Continue the discussion on “Crosstalk” the Millimeter Forum.