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Need help exporting a 3D layer on Photoshop CS6 Extended???

Community Beginner ,
Jan 12, 2018 Jan 12, 2018

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I have Photoshop CS6 extended version, and so can do all of the 3D edits, from switching from regular layers to 3D workspace, etc., and have no problems rendering to achieve a final finished file of multiple layers... and can even save my work in PSD, TIFF, or any other file format --- keeping track of the 3D details as well. My problem is when I try to export a 3D layer, the Pop-Up menu will not fully appear -- just flashes on and off for a split second -- so does not allow me to save an OBJ file or anything similar. It is not "grayed out", just will not fully appear... so I am stuck at that step. Plenty of RAM available, Graphics Processor enabled, etc. , so I cannot figure it out.

I am creating the 3D file because I want to print this object out, and so need to export the layer to my Cura 2.6.6 slicer in order to continue the process --- preparing it for the 3D printing itself. Anyone have any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks.

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LEGEND ,
Jan 12, 2018 Jan 12, 2018

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I have cs6 but its been ages since I used it... in Photoshop cc the 3d panel must be active and there is a bug in that which sometimes disables it (windows systems only)

check your 3d panel is active... if no then shut Photoshop and Adobe CC down and restart them

Screenshot (537).png

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Community Beginner ,
Jan 12, 2018 Jan 12, 2018

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Thank you for your reply, I appreciate it.

But yes, my 3D panel is open, visible and fully active. I am able to do all kinds of 3D edits, from postcard to other extrusions, wraps around objects, textures, preset shapes, depth maps, etc., and successful renderings, no limitations... Since I have the CS6 extended version I have never had any problems before. I am a MacUser, right up to date, so Windows systems are not a factor in this. I only run into a problem when I try to export a 3D layers as a step towards 3D printing. As I stated... the drop down window does not quite open, and I am somehow blocked from saving a OBJ file.

Any other input you may offer would be appreciated.

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LEGEND ,
Jan 12, 2018 Jan 12, 2018

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NighthawkPass  wrote

I am a MacUser, right up to date

I know high sierra has major file permissions issues with older software but I would expect other panels to glich as well

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Community Beginner ,
Jan 12, 2018 Jan 12, 2018

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Thank you again for your comments.

However I don't think this is an O/S issue, but an Adobe one. I will not load High Sierra for other reasons, but am quite adequate with Yosemite OSX 10.10.5 on my MacBook Pro. I'm utilizing the entire CS6 extended spectrum, from Lightroom to After Effects and everything in between. Not precluded from doing any of the usual or more complicated projects in any way... until I have been currently thwarted from directly exporting a 3D layer on Photoshop. CC is not really an upgrade for me to consider, since I can do everything on CS6 extended --- but I am now sensing that Adobe is trying to pull everyone into the Creative Cloud whether they want it or not.

I am hoping that someone from Adobe will comment on this.

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Community Expert ,
Jan 13, 2018 Jan 13, 2018

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Hi

Is this happening on all files or just certain files?

If just certain files : I would be happy to take a look at one here if you post a link. I have CS6 as well as various versions of CC installed.

If all files :

You don't mention what steps you have taken for troubleshooting so far, but if you have not done so already, I would try a Preference reset. Photoshop writes the preferences every time it closes and, if those preferences become corrupt, can cause all kinds of strange behaviours including issues with dialogues.

To reset hold down Cmd+Opt+Shift when starting Photoshop. You will be prompted to delete the settings and Photoshop will build a new set of preference with the original defaults. It does mean that you will need to go back and change any personal settings such as rulers / scratch discs etc but can clear many issues.

Dave

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Community Beginner ,
Jan 13, 2018 Jan 13, 2018

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Dave,

Thanks for the suggestions, I appreciate it. My Preference panel is consistent, seems to remain so, and I have allowed myself the extra RAM etc. to match the challenge of the particular design project I am working on.

However, as I have been wrestling with my "export" problem, I did rectify a systems issue which may have been affecting me. I am a big MacUser here, Yosemite 10.10.5, and have not upgraded to High Sierra because of one main reason ---> no disk utility option. With Yosemite I retain the disk utility option, and so was able to easily go in and "repair permissions", which did find several issues and did repair them. i think it has made a difference... but I digress from my main Photoshop problem regarding "exporting layers".

Anyway... after several more hours of focusing on this... I may have finally made a breakthrough. One again, this is on Photoshop CS6 Extended, with all 3D capabilities, except for being able to directly access a 3D printer. Not a CC issue as i don't have CC in any form at all.

Dave, you asked if this was happening on all files, and the answer is no --- only on some of them. The one that has been giving me problems involved not making a normal 3D extrusion, but making a mesh layer using a depth map (on the plane setting). I would not have a problem at all if my intended result was simply to use my rendered 3D image as a screen graphic or other virtual image... however I needed to prepare this file for true 3D printing.

I think I finally solved the problem, so am sharing it here in hopes that other readers may learn from my experience with Photoshop CS6 Extended:

Here is the "trick", if it may be called so... When I prepared my artwork on Photoshop, and created the mesh layer ( on a plane), I did not render it right away... but copied the entire file as a separate back-up. I took that back-up file and rendered it, just to see the result and if it is going to be satisfactory, or need further edits. As it looked good to me,  I left it open and did not save anything... just went back and opened the original file on Photoshop as well.

I did not render this original file at all, and did not save it. I learned this by experience --- you think Photoshop will not save your work at this point, but it turns out it later will. Next step: choose the "scene" layer, and hit the 3D menu, clicking " export 3D layer". The menu window will open, and you have options for 4 types of files, including OBJ, DAE, and 2 others. Save the layer as one of these files, and put it on your desktop. Here is the surprise---> Photoshop will automatically save 3 separate files: the 3D file ( dae in my case) plus a separate PSD layer file and a PSD depth map of the same graphic, all side-by-side on the desktop !! Everything is also editable in Photoshop. In my case I got the result I wanted, so then and only then, rendered the 3D file --- it will render at that point, and if you do spot a problem, you can always thrash the 3D file, and go back to your working copies again and start anew. You can also save the original PSD working file complete with layer and depth map combined into a single file. Since this is going to be ultimately printed in 3D... the 3D file is now ready for the slicer software, and then the 3D printer itself... plus you have all of the back-up for any future revisions.

I have not 3D printed this project yet... but so far it does look like it should print.

Meanwhile...Thanks for all of the input, friends. If I get jammed again due to a systems problem I know it is a disk permissions issue, but at least I can fix that on Yosemite.

Hope this is helpful to others out there.

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Community Expert ,
Jan 13, 2018 Jan 13, 2018

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Hi

That is the way export works . It saves the file along with textures etc in the format you choose. If you import to another application (or to another Photoshop document) it is important to have those textures alongside the 3D model. If I export, I normally export all of those to a new folder that way I can keep them together and do not accidentally delete any of them.

Rendering is just the process of building a rasterised 2D image from the 3D scene. So rendering can be treated as a separate process.

Glad you have it working now

Dave

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Community Beginner ,
Jan 13, 2018 Jan 13, 2018

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Thank you, Dave, for your follow-up comments. I understand what you have pointed out. I do remember one tutorial I watched which stated that you should render before saving or exporting... but I think that was simply for use in screen applications such as web page building and others.

As I mentioned... i am creating this 3D file strictly to use in actual 3D printing.  I will eventually use the OBJ file (as a DAE is more oriented to AfterEffects, correct? ). What use would rendering be then if I am going to import this file into a "slicer" program? Since I am going to eventually print this... should I save the layer to an OBJ file and then not render it? Or should I render the OBJ file? It s a bit confusing for me.

I am planning to import or open the OBJ file on my Cura 2.6.6 application that I have on my computer as the next step. I have not gotten to it yet as It may be a few more days since I can devote more time to this project.

Since I only have Photoshop CS6 Extended I have no direct Printer services access ( as with CC), such as Shapeways...and I also do not have my own personal 3D printer either... so with the finished STL  or similar file from Cura I would then forward that on to someone who has a 3D printer, of course.

I appreciate your comments as they are helpful, as I have noted.

Please follow-up here regarding my current question, thank you.

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Community Expert ,
Jan 13, 2018 Jan 13, 2018

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Rendering is just the process of making a 2D rasterised image from the model, taking into account lighting , shading etc. So for printing on a 3D printer you don't need it. Your 3D printer will work directly with the model.

Dave

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Community Beginner ,
Jan 14, 2018 Jan 14, 2018

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Thank you again, Dave, for helping with some clarification here.

Yes, I am creating my 3D file simply as a step for 3D printing, and not using it for web use, animation, photography, or other screen uses. I do understand rasterization, and so was initially confused when several tutorials I watched kept insisting that you always need to complete rendering before saving a 3D file.

When refining my design it was useful to use infinite light at various angles, and change textures and material settings --- as it only helped me to see my object better as I rotated it, edited and refined the design. But in the end these factors do not matter as my intended result is a 3D printed object that will have a uniform color based solely on the printer material stream. Therefore, at a certain point, I removed all shadows, etc., and the final state of the design just becomes a solid gray-looking object on the screen.

I do now understand a little more about the sequence of exporting 3D layers, and how rendering itself may not always be a critical factor when preparing files for 3D printing.

Anyway... I am somewhat new to the exciting technology of 3D printing, so we will see how this eventually turns out --- but I do have over 40 years of 4color process printing which gives me a good working background in graphics.

Thanks again.

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Community Expert ,
Jan 14, 2018 Jan 14, 2018

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Great - let us know how you get on

Dave

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LEGEND ,
Jan 14, 2018 Jan 14, 2018

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NighthawkPass  wrote

I do understand rasterization, and so was initially confused when several tutorials I watched kept insisting that you always need to complete rendering before saving a 3D file.

rasterization before save is so you know what the file looks like before sending it to the printer (which used to be the expensive step).

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