robodesign
06-03-2006, 11:09 AM
Hello!
I don't know if these things have ever been discussed here, but here I go.
I got some ideeas for Photoshop and even 2D applications, in general. They are mostly influenced by 3D graphics.
Instancing:
It would be nice.. to be able to have a given layer and to be able to create instances of it.
Example: you draw a star .. and you want to make 4 identical stars, but one with a given layer set of effects [like a yellow glow and hard bevel], the second star you want it just with a different glow colour and a different bevel. Now you have to duplicate the layer four times and modify the Layer Effects. That's bad, because.. you suddenly want a corner to be swirled, to all four! So, what do you do? If you would have instancing.. .you would modify just the intial layer and all the rest would be updated in real-time. I know you would bring-up the Smart object issue here, but that's plain stupendous to use it for a freakin' star or other elements of an image.
To further elaborate on the instancing feature, I have these ideas:
You have the same star.... You want to make a heart contour constructed of stars :). What do you do? In today's habits... you would duplicate it for countless times, that's bad.Instance along a given spline/path. You draw a vector path... and PS will instance your little star along that vector path. Options for this: number of instances, scale, rotation. Further more... It should allow you to modify after one week [or after two seconds] your vector path on which the stars are being instanced. This implies that the effect is a real-time one, not a stupendous effect applied once, rasterized and booya :). Oh, and on these instances you should be able to use the Layer Effects [glow, bevel, shadow, etc].
More elaboration of instancing along a path:
First, you draw the already mentioned vector path on which PS would instance your given layer. Secondly, you should be able to define a second vector path, which defines the scale of your objects. Those who know 3D, would think of.... Sweep nurbs, yeah that's it.
Lathe/Revolve layer:
Like in any respectable 3D application, when you model, you have the Revolve/Lathe object. What does it do? Well, you draw a profile contour of your object.. and then it revolves your profile spline. Examples of usage: you draw the profile of your glass of wine ;) and then.. it will create automatically the object. How would be feaseable in 2D? Hehe, well.. here it is... You draw your vector path.. or your simple rasterized layer. There should be a function that allows you in real-time to mirror your vector path.. or whatever the type of layer is :). You should be able to specify/define the axis. I don't know if I explained this very well, my english is not perfect.
Layer Effects:
Transparency. It would be nice, where you now define those dynamic effects.. like glow, shadow, gradient, satin, etc... to have a new channel, transparency. Would it be cool, to make your object... look like glass? You could define the index of refraction [which practically zooms what's underneath the layer - it's just 2D, nothing too fancy]. It would be more smart if they would calculate that transparency, by applying distortion accordingly to the Bevel and Emboss you define :). Other options needed: diffuse [define the blurriness of what's underneath] and tint.
Reflection. This channel would be a bit more special... Because, it would just reflect what's around the layer.
Example: You rendered a checker-board from a perspective [not frontal]. You draw a square in photoshop.. and when you enable the reflection thingy, it reflects your checkers in your square, applying a perspective transformation of what's being reflected. You define the perspective angle, you define the reflection colour [tint] and... the blurriness... and, again, it should be able to distort the reflection accordingly to the bevel 'n emboss :).
More ideeas...
Like in Microsoft Expression Graphic Designer... PS should allow the user to define the stroke of the text. For example, you want a dotted edge to your text, or your cercle, whatever. With the stroke, you define it and you can obtain in real-time more coolness ;).
Editing of strokes... should be similar to the one of 'Graphic Designer', in which, you simply double-click that stroke.. you edit it like it's a new document, you can draw anything, you close it.. and then it updates your layer with that given stroke.
More advanced plug-in system:
The current plug-in system in PS purely sucks, in my humble opinion. Why is that? If i'm not wrong, when you click on a certain plug-in, photoshop just sends your currently selected layer to the given PS Plugin. When you click OK, it returns in PS with the effect applied. How simple is that? Have you guys seen any 3D application? I'm aware of C4D. In it, you got plugins that add new tools, new options, new rendering posibilities, enhance the G.U.I. and everything. How would a PS user benefit from such a plugin system? Well, many users, or companies, can create new palettes, with special functions, new layer effects, new tools, enhance the GUI with special 'gadgets' or even... realy smart-guides, Improve the layer system, whatever.
And if they could only add true HDRI mode, you guys should check-out Photogenics HDR.
P.S. These are my ideeas, which I would really, really love to see in a 2D application.
Thanks for reading.
I don't know if these things have ever been discussed here, but here I go.
I got some ideeas for Photoshop and even 2D applications, in general. They are mostly influenced by 3D graphics.
Instancing:
It would be nice.. to be able to have a given layer and to be able to create instances of it.
Example: you draw a star .. and you want to make 4 identical stars, but one with a given layer set of effects [like a yellow glow and hard bevel], the second star you want it just with a different glow colour and a different bevel. Now you have to duplicate the layer four times and modify the Layer Effects. That's bad, because.. you suddenly want a corner to be swirled, to all four! So, what do you do? If you would have instancing.. .you would modify just the intial layer and all the rest would be updated in real-time. I know you would bring-up the Smart object issue here, but that's plain stupendous to use it for a freakin' star or other elements of an image.
To further elaborate on the instancing feature, I have these ideas:
You have the same star.... You want to make a heart contour constructed of stars :). What do you do? In today's habits... you would duplicate it for countless times, that's bad.Instance along a given spline/path. You draw a vector path... and PS will instance your little star along that vector path. Options for this: number of instances, scale, rotation. Further more... It should allow you to modify after one week [or after two seconds] your vector path on which the stars are being instanced. This implies that the effect is a real-time one, not a stupendous effect applied once, rasterized and booya :). Oh, and on these instances you should be able to use the Layer Effects [glow, bevel, shadow, etc].
More elaboration of instancing along a path:
First, you draw the already mentioned vector path on which PS would instance your given layer. Secondly, you should be able to define a second vector path, which defines the scale of your objects. Those who know 3D, would think of.... Sweep nurbs, yeah that's it.
Lathe/Revolve layer:
Like in any respectable 3D application, when you model, you have the Revolve/Lathe object. What does it do? Well, you draw a profile contour of your object.. and then it revolves your profile spline. Examples of usage: you draw the profile of your glass of wine ;) and then.. it will create automatically the object. How would be feaseable in 2D? Hehe, well.. here it is... You draw your vector path.. or your simple rasterized layer. There should be a function that allows you in real-time to mirror your vector path.. or whatever the type of layer is :). You should be able to specify/define the axis. I don't know if I explained this very well, my english is not perfect.
Layer Effects:
Transparency. It would be nice, where you now define those dynamic effects.. like glow, shadow, gradient, satin, etc... to have a new channel, transparency. Would it be cool, to make your object... look like glass? You could define the index of refraction [which practically zooms what's underneath the layer - it's just 2D, nothing too fancy]. It would be more smart if they would calculate that transparency, by applying distortion accordingly to the Bevel and Emboss you define :). Other options needed: diffuse [define the blurriness of what's underneath] and tint.
Reflection. This channel would be a bit more special... Because, it would just reflect what's around the layer.
Example: You rendered a checker-board from a perspective [not frontal]. You draw a square in photoshop.. and when you enable the reflection thingy, it reflects your checkers in your square, applying a perspective transformation of what's being reflected. You define the perspective angle, you define the reflection colour [tint] and... the blurriness... and, again, it should be able to distort the reflection accordingly to the bevel 'n emboss :).
More ideeas...
Like in Microsoft Expression Graphic Designer... PS should allow the user to define the stroke of the text. For example, you want a dotted edge to your text, or your cercle, whatever. With the stroke, you define it and you can obtain in real-time more coolness ;).
Editing of strokes... should be similar to the one of 'Graphic Designer', in which, you simply double-click that stroke.. you edit it like it's a new document, you can draw anything, you close it.. and then it updates your layer with that given stroke.
More advanced plug-in system:
The current plug-in system in PS purely sucks, in my humble opinion. Why is that? If i'm not wrong, when you click on a certain plug-in, photoshop just sends your currently selected layer to the given PS Plugin. When you click OK, it returns in PS with the effect applied. How simple is that? Have you guys seen any 3D application? I'm aware of C4D. In it, you got plugins that add new tools, new options, new rendering posibilities, enhance the G.U.I. and everything. How would a PS user benefit from such a plugin system? Well, many users, or companies, can create new palettes, with special functions, new layer effects, new tools, enhance the GUI with special 'gadgets' or even... realy smart-guides, Improve the layer system, whatever.
And if they could only add true HDRI mode, you guys should check-out Photogenics HDR.
P.S. These are my ideeas, which I would really, really love to see in a 2D application.
Thanks for reading.