Best program to trace/draw into a 3D object?

[Bassna]

I am looking for a better way, or maybe a fix for Photoshop with being able to free-hand draw a model into a 3d object, but better. What I mean is that when I extrude my traced drawing into 3D, this is how it come's out... 0d5b519924912038ea72d9a7d59408e2.jpg

Is there any program that you can free hand draw and extrude into a nice, smooth extrusion? Not rough and bumpy like I am getting with Photoshop. I have tried quite a few other's but nothing has done what I have wanted exactly.

I'd prefer some good setting's or something to get better extrusion's with Photoshop because the drawing tool's are perfect. Maybe it need's a special brush or something. Sketchup was better with the extrusion but the free hand drawing is just no where near as good.

Also, if someone know's a really great way to do what I'm looking for in Zbrush, let me know that also

[richardphat]

Use nurbs/curves/spline or whatever alternative it will workaround what you are looking for.

Also do you have a tablet for drawing (not those cheap ass do everything tablet that are pissed poor such as ipad, surface) I am talking about the big boys such as the Wacom Tablet

[Bassna]

Yeah I got a Wacom a few week's ago, and I will do some more research on it. Wacom sure does help with a ton on Zbrush

[richardphat]

Ah then it should help alot, I do know you can draw curves in inkscape (freeware), you can later export in DXF extrude them in a cad software.
It would be much easier since inkscape is vectorial based software, which is much more easier if you need to scale without screwing the resolution much.

[jimc]

Yes i agree with rich. I generally use rhino which is a nutbs based modeler. Mist of my stuff is drawn right in rhino but occasionally i will have a logo or something that is just way easier to draw in a 2d software. I use corelDraw for that then export as dxf and import into rhino. I can then just extrude it up. You need to watch out though because 2d software draw using b-splines which are not ideal for 3d software. I can cause odd issues. If you can draw it in your cad software i would do that first. Only use a 2d software if absolutely necessary

[Bassna]

Thanks for all the tips. I have went back to messing with Photoshop, and found a way to get some pretty nice result's.

First just draw whatever you want to make, I am doing a logo for a friend. Then once you have that layer done with whatever, click on 3D at the top > new extrusion from selected layer. (I also duplicated and merged a few time's to make it a darker outline)

Next, click on the extrusion to make it active. Change the "Extrusion depth" to 0.1 and hit enter. This will make it a small extrusion and file to work with in other program's.

Next, click on the 3D tab at the top again, and click Render. Wait for it to finish rendering. This makes the edges very smooth. When it is done, click on 3D tab once more and "Export 3D layer", and save the STL file. My file came out to 244kb small, and perfect to bring into other programs to edit from there. Check out a few photo's compared to before. I feel this could be used for many, many thing's.

hat01.jpghat3.jpghat1.jpghat2.jpghat33.jpg

Hopefully this helps someone out

[LambdaFF]

I wanted to extrude pictures as well. Got me into Inkscape : you transform a picture to a vector image, save it as a dxf that can be used for extrusion by a CAD software.

[Bassna]

I wanted to extrude pictures as well. Got me into Inkscape : you transform a picture to a vector image, save it as a dxf that can be used for extrusion by a CAD software.

http://3dp.rocks/lithophane/ this is a good website that I use for thing's like that. It's pretty cool. I will check out this Inkscape though. I am having a blast with this Photoshop technique. There's so many options with Photoshop and making design's, and being able to get them into a nice piece of geometry is awesome I'm loving it. It also has ton's of other 3D option's but I'm still messing with them all, I will keep posted on this forum post with interesting thing's I find.

hat55.jpghat66.jpg

These were all just separate layer's, basically just extruded that said way, and pieced them back together. Worked great for the text arc's I wanted. Also sometime's they do need repaired once exported, run through netfabb.

[LambdaFF]

Hi Bassna,
Yes the lithopane programs are indeed useful. I only have one thing against it : the manipulations of an STL in an engineering CAD soft are somewhat limited. There are some advantages to a DXF import for me. Like for instance : being able to do a projection on a non flat surface and extrude afterwards (for instance to put letters on a non flat surface and to have them "follow" that surface, as opposed to maintain a single flat plane).

[3dspider]

Stop using photoshop for vector work and start using illustrator. (or inkscape, if that's what floats your boat)
Photoshop is primarily a raster program, with limited vector capability.
Illustrator (and inkscape) are primarily vector programs with limited raster capability. Logos should always be vectors. (for scalability)