Hi,

Just wanting to get some feedback as to rather or not the new CS4 "Extended" version will be worth it for doing post work with Poser and Vue type renders? I plan to get CS4, but did not know if the extra amount for the "Extended" version would be worth it or not for my post work? If I could save some money and just get the CS4 standard version it would be nice. However, I'm not really sure just how much value I would get from the Extended version in return, especially since i am fairly new to Photoshop and CS4.

Any thoughts or input appreciated.

You really dont need Extended gadgets for Poser and Vue renders corrections :)

Tihomir

Quote - You really dont need Extended gadgets for Poser and Vue renders corrections :)

Tihomir

That's what I was thinking too, but if you look at the CS4 Extended specs, it says it has some great tools for 3D work like painting directly on 3D objects and other such things. So, I really am not sure how much of a benefit this would be and the other 3D editing it brings to the table compared to the standard CS4 version.

3D option in PS is not worth of getting Extended IMHO :)

Tihomir

A 30 day trial of CS4 should be available soon.   Just wait a bit and test it out before you buy.

good for altering textures and paitning them onto objects, but that's only if you need that :)
If I had the cash, I'd buy the upgrade, sigh.

I liek altering textures, addign tattoos etc to Poser folk, but you don't need C4 for mostof that, tattoos though...hm, decal master or hold cash for CS4....?

If you are really into model making, then yes, probably would be good so you cna make yer own textures.
:)

Unless you're outputting to 3DS , OBJ and the like, you won't be able to paint directly onto a Poser figure.

The ONLY reason I can see you wanting to get Extended is because on top of the 3D texturing capabilities, it have an official video timeline - basically another version of After Effects (if you don't own AE, and aren't planning on it). What this means is that you can introduce motion objects into your images, with all the fine tuning and Tools capabilities of Photoshop per frame.

Example - let's say you have someone firing some form of, say, plasma rifle at another character. You can load the image onto a timeline that is only for a few seconds long duration - put the plasma discharge at the base of the rifle and set a keyframe, then go forward maybe 3 frames and keyframe the discharge to be have whizzed way past the other character. Scroll back to the in-between frames, and render out the frame where it whizzes right past the other character's head, and you will now be able to have realistic motion blur for an action shot.

Youo can make camera motion blur, stuff like that - which would make it look out of a movie, and not just a 3D render.

Get the idea?

But you can also do something like this with some motion blur in regular PS - doesn't quite look the same but most people won't care.

Did that make sense?

Hope this helps-
-Lew ;-)

Quote - Unless you're outputting to 3DS , OBJ and the like, you won't be able to paint directly onto a Poser figure.

The ONLY reason I can see you wanting to get Extended is because on top of the 3D texturing capabilities, it have an official video timeline - basically another version of After Effects (if you don't own AE, and aren't planning on it). What this means is that you can introduce motion objects into your images, with all the fine tuning and Tools capabilities of Photoshop per frame.

Example - let's say you have someone firing some form of, say, plasma rifle at another character. You can load the image onto a timeline that is only for a few seconds long duration - put the plasma discharge at the base of the rifle and set a keyframe, then go forward maybe 3 frames and keyframe the discharge to be have whizzed way past the other character. Scroll back to the in-between frames, and render out the frame where it whizzes right past the other character's head, and you will now be able to have realistic motion blur for an action shot.

Youo can make camera motion blur, stuff like that - which would make it look out of a movie, and not just a 3D render.

Get the idea?

But you can also do something like this with some motion blur in regular PS - doesn't quite look the same but most people won't care.

Did that make sense?

Hope this helps-
-Lew ;-)

Thanks, that does help explain things. I am an intermediate Poser/3D artist and have gotten into doing texture mods for things like body hair, wounds on characters during battle, etc. Also I am delving into Vue for my world renders where the scenes take place. I don't plan to animate at this time due to mainly being just 1 guy and the time it requires for a decent animation of even simple things. However, I do alter my characters some now and export them in OBJ format. But I mainly use ZBrush for my advanced editing of the V4/M3 and other figures for Poser use.

I guess the bottom line is I mainly want CS4 for post work on my renders and altering some textures that are already made. So, I think I will lean to the standard CS4 version because I really don't have the time it will take to learn how to use the extended features to their best advantage and it would be a waste of money for most of the things I want to do. Unless someone sees something I'm missing with my work I'm doing, I think the standard CS4 will be just fine.

After messing around for a few hours I figured out how to take a brush, apply it as a tattoo, and export it to poser and render.

V4's back, which has an obnoxiously large seam running straight down, yet you can't see it here.

well spent money imo.

Sweet!
You're right - you can't see the seam at all - cool!
-Lew ;-)

Quote -

After messing around for a few hours I figured out how to take a brush, apply it as a tattoo, and export it to poser and render.

V4's back, which has an obnoxiously large seam running straight down, yet you can't see it here.

well spent money imo.

Was this done with the STANDARD version of Photoshop CS4 or the EXTENDED version? I still have not ordered yet and was hoping for some reviews on sites about the details on the two versions before i bought. Still not sure which to get because on one hand I don't want to spend the extra for EXTENDED unless I really could use it in my Poser work but on the other know if standard would be all I would use for my Poser use.

Hopefully soon others can give some more feedback on the two and the use with Poser post work and other 3D use between the two versions.

Seams and solid color dont have probs with each other. Try to apply complex texture and see if seam show or not ;)

Tihomir

is this what you were talking about? Tattoo taken from http://crazy-tattoo-designs.com/free_flash_tattoo_designs.html

3D NEo - this was done with extended. STANDARD does not support 3d whatsoever.

I can make a video tutorial of the process if you are interested.

Click to enlarge. Its blurry because the image was small resolution and I resized it to fit on a 1000x1000 torso map.

[

](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3023/2966849410_c6af7d1328_o.png)

Nice, looks like it do his job ok :)

Tihomir