Photoshop lets you position and animate 3D models, edit textures and lighting, and choose from several render modes.

3D fundamentals

3D files consist of the following components:

Provide the underlying structure of a 3D model. A mesh is often visualized as a wireframe, a skeletal structure built from thousands of individual polygons. A 3D model always has at least one mesh, and may combine multiple meshes. In Photoshop you can view meshes in a variety of render modes, and manipulate meshes independently of each other. While you can’t alter the actual polygons in a mesh, you can change its orientation and transform it by scaling along different axes. You can also create your own 3D meshes, using pre-supplied shapes or by converting existing 2D layers. See 3D Mesh settings.

A mesh can have one or more materials associated with it, which control the appearance of all or part of the mesh. The material in turn relies on subcomponents called texture maps, whose cumulative effect creates the appearance of a material. The texture map itself is a 2D image file that creates various qualities such as color, pattern, shininess, or bumpiness. A Photoshop material can use up to nine different texture map types to define its overall appearance. See 3D Materials settings.

Types include Infinite, Spot, Point lights, as well as Image-based lights that wrap around a scene. You can move and adjust color and intensity of existing lights, and add new lights to your 3D scene. See 3D Lights settings.

Open a 3D file

Photoshop can open the following 3D formats: DAE (Collada), OBJ, 3DS, U3D, and KMZ (Google Earth).

3D performance and display preferences

3D object and camera tools

The 3D object and camera tools become active when a 3D layer is selected. Use the 3D object tools to change the position or scale of a 3D model; use the 3D camera tools to change the view of the scene. If your system supports OpenGL, you can also use the 3D Axis to manipulate 3D models and cameras. See Using the 3D Axis.

Move, rotate, or scale a model with 3D object tools

You can use the 3D object tools to rotate, reposition, or scale a model. While you manipulate the 3D model, the camera view remains fixed.

Click the Return To Initial Position icon  in the options bar to return the model to its initial view.

To numerically adjust position, rotation, or scaling, enter values on the right side of the options bar.

Move the 3D camera

Use the 3D camera tools to move the camera view while leaving the position of the 3D object fixed.

In the options bar, numeric values show the x, y, and z position of the 3D camera. You can also edit these values manually to adjust the camera view.

Change or create 3D camera views

3D Axis

The 3D Axis shows the current X, Y, and Z-axis orientation of models, cameras, lights, and meshes in 3D space. It appears when you select any 3D tool, providing an alternative way to manipulate the selected item.

Show or hide the 3D Axis

• Choose View > Show > 3D Axis.

Minimize, restore, move, or resize the 3D Axis

Move, rotate, or scale selected items with the 3D Axis

To use the 3D Axis, move the mouse pointer over an axis control to highlight it, and then drag as follows:

• To move the selected item along the X, Y, or Z-axis, highlight the conical tip of any axis. Drag in either direction along the axis.

• To rotate the item, click the curved rotation segment just inside an axis tip. A yellow circle appears showing the rotation plane. Drag in a clockwise or counterclockwise circle around the 3D Axis center. To rotate more gradually, move the mouse farther away from the center of the 3D Axis.

• To resize the item, drag the center cube in the 3D Axis up or down.

• To compress or elongate the item along an axis, drag one of the colored transform cubes either toward or away from the center cube.

• To constrain movement to an object plane, move the mouse pointer into the area where two axes intersect, near the center cube. A yellow plane icon appears between two axes. Drag in any direction. You can also move the pointer over the lower part of the center cube to activate the plane icon.