Adobe Photoshop

After reading a book (Games Sages), it said that Photoshop was one of the essential needs for game development (for the graphics bit)

I would like your opinion on it. Should I buy it? It's pretty expensive though. Does anyone know of anything more affordable? or is it worth buying photoshop?

[Cbomb]

Photoshop is one of the best graphics tools i have ever seen. You can do everything from hand-drawn art to the real digital effects stuff using all of its filters and things. It handles custom palettes as well which makes it more flexible for the people who use it. I definetly recommend getting it... but then again it is expensive :( Good luck with your decision.

[HarryW]

CBomb's right, Photoshop is generally super-duper ulra-fantasic and it does pretty much anything as far as I can tell. It costs a heap though, and thankfully there are some free apps available that are similar.

GIMP for Windows:
http://www.gimp.org/~tml/gimp/win32/

GIMP seems to be some popular Linux or Unix based graphics app, which someone has ported over to Windows. It looks pretty good form the screenshots available on the site.

For truespace:
http://www.pcplus.co.uk/article.asp?ID=8556

Truespace is a 3D graphics app I think, which I know isn't exactly what you asked for, but you might want 2D renderings of 3D scenes.

I have actually ever used either of these, and I'm no artist, so don;'t ask me about either of them ;) I got these links from http://pub2.ezboard.com/fthevoodoovbboardthevoodoovbforum.showMessage?topicID=381.topic which is the VoodooVB (http://www.redrival.com/voodoovb/) forum. There's quite a lot of useful stuff on their main site (http://www.redrival.com/voodoovb/) too.

Hope that helps :)

[Edited by HarryW on 04-25-2000 at 01:35 PM]

[HarryW]

Oh yeah, I just thought I'd mention that Photoshop is fairly easy to 'aquire' through less ethical means. I'll leave that to your conscience though ;)

[Cbomb]

LOL, Yes it definately is. Just only use it for 'trial' (or 'educational') porposes :D Good Luck!

Say if I use a 3D program to mkae a sphere. Will photoshop we able to texture the sphere in full 3d? For example, I make a 3d sphere which suppose to be a face. Could I add texture to the sphere and make it look like a face?

By the way, where can I download this trial version of photoshop and how long are you allowed to try it for?

[HarryW]

Umm, http://www.adobe.com probably has a trial version. That's not quite what we meant though. ;) *Wink wink*

[HarryW]

Oh and on the subject of texturing a sphere:

I think what you do it make the texture in photoshop, then in the 3D app apply that texture to a polygon. You can also wrap large textures around the surface of a polyhedron in different ways, but that's getting into things I don;t really know about.

Say if I use a 3D program to mkae a sphere. Will photoshop we able to texture the sphere in full 3d? For example, I make a 3d sphere which suppose to be a face. Could I add texture to the sphere and make it look like a face?


hey, yea u could do that, but not just with photoshop, if you can get the plugin suite from Metaworks (I think that's what's it's called).. Get Kai's Power Tools 6 or above, and u'll get a scene editor, where you can load 3d Objects from 3dsmax or dxf format, and then texture them or do whatever you want, and once finished, save them as 2D images... :)

[Edited by WildGhost on 04-25-2000 at 06:54 PM]

NOT RELATED: hey, I don't know if it happens with you guys or not, but when I Highlight/Select the Smilyface ' :) ' picture, it looks like it's sad... try it for yourself, click and drag the mouse so everything in this message is selected and you'll see the simly face crying.. I'm not sure about other people's computer, but it does it with mine.. :) :(

[Edited by WildGhost on 04-25-2000 at 06:56 PM]

Is KAi's powertool's alo an expensive item?

HarryW: Ha!, I get it now, but I'd perfer just to use it the honest way. ;)

P.S: If you're using explorer, the smilies either turn sad or 'EVIL' when you highlight them. I don't think it works with netscape.

[Cbomb]

I just looked at the METACreations website and they are selling it for $130 online. You probly can find it cheaper of course (on auctions and stuff.)

[trisLOGIC]

Is there any tutorial guide for Photoshop 5.5 ?
This software is cool but it's way too complex for a normal programmer.

Do you guys know how to create transparent region in the picture and saving as transparent picture?

Thx.

[Cbomb]

This site I've found very useful: http://www.deepspaceweb.com/
It shows you how to do some basic graphics but then jumps right into some really advanced functionality. This should help ya out.

The problem with auctions is that sometimes the people can rip you off.

[Cbomb]

That is very true! I was just using auctions as an example (I'm sure you guys knew that already.) Go to a store or "borrow" it from a friend :) (j/k)

I saw Adobe Photoshop 4 in the paper for $40. Is there a major difference between 4 and 5?

[HarryW]

I doubt if there's a big difference. I think the latest version is 5.5.

Well, I guess I could wat to buy it. Afterall, I'm no pro (yet) :). i could try using that GIMP program that someone suggesed earlier.

Does anyone here own Photoshop?

[HarryW]

I erm... 'use' it. I don't exactly own it though. I suspect the same goes for CBomb.

[Cbomb]

Well you know how every software licence really gives you 2 copys? A friend of mine is studying graphic arts and he had it so...I made a backup copy on my computer just in case he lost it ;) So Harry your pretty much right :)

[compuGEEK]

I've used both Photoshop 5.5 and Macromedia Fireworks. Photoshop is cool but it requires quite a learning curve. Fireworks is not as complicated to use, has many of the same features of Photoshop and is more affordable!

is Fireworks the ame as Photoshop?

yes, i have photoshop 5
I am "borrowing" it from a "friend" that posted it on a website "just for me"
:D
but I dont make big bucks off of pictures i make in photoshop, so i see it as no big deal....
because, if I did make big bucks, adobe would be losing money... i just use my graphics for my website, and if I ever get into big money programming, and i have to use graphics, I am definetly getting a "legal" copy of photoshop.....

[drewski]

Hey is paint shop pro any good? I've heard all this about photo shop and I just want to know if paint shop any good.

I've used the trail version of Paint Shop and I didn't find it any good.

I love it, my first graphics program..
I am borowing this too...
you may think I am a little cracker kid, that programs aol programs, because I use two programs, that I didnt pay for..
well I am not.
I just dont have the money to pay 600 for photohsop and 100 for psp...
I am poor, well my parents arent, but I have like no money, I spent it all on visual studio enterprise edition, althought I think that it waas worth it....

Damn right! It's work every cent :) Visual Studio is
by far the best Windows Development software!

Regarding Paint Shop, I think it's only good for doing photo editing. Is it also good for creating graphic art and textures?

[HarryW]

Well the way I see it is that if I had to pay for it I wouldn't buy it. So they've lost nothing. If I was going to make money out of it maybe I'd buy it (well actually I would).

Are you just 'trying' it right now?

[DiGiTaIErRoR]

Photoshop 5.5 is probably the best program there is for images. It's way better then PSP. I've created a few GUI for my apps with it. It does cost a lot of money. It's worth it though. It comes with lots of 'goodies'. Gimp was made for linux and was then ported to win32. It's fairly unstable.