Adobe ships Dimension 3.0
The updated render preview in Dimension 3.0. The latest version of Adobe’s 3D rendering and compositing tool for designers can now display lighting and reflections more accurately in the viewport canvas.
Adobe has released Dimension 3.0, the latest update to its 3D rendering and compositing software aimed at “graphic designers, not 3D experts”.
The update introduces experimental support for GPU rendering on Nvidia graphics cards, improved preview rendering and support for multiple directional lights.
Dimension can also now export assets directly to Aero, Adobe’s new augmented reality authoring app.
Both releases were announced at Adobe MAX 2019, along with After Effects 17.0, Character Animator 3.0, Premiere Pro 14.0 and Photoshop 21.0, plus new iOS app Photoshop for iPad.
A designer-friendly drag-and-drop 3D rendering and compositing tool
Originally codenamed Project Felix before its commercial release in 2017, Dimension CC is intended to enable graphic designers with little experience of 3D tools to incorporate 3D elements in their work.
Users can import 3D models created in other software, assign materials, textures and HDRI lighting via a simple drag-and-drop workflow, and render images as layered PSD files for post-processing in Photoshop.
New in Dimension 3.0: support for multiple directional lights, including in Match Image
The latest update expands Dimension’s initially simplified lighting system, adding the option to create and edit multiple directional lights.
The functionality is supported by the software’s Match Image system, which automatically matches the perspective of a 3D object to that of a photographic backplate, and sets up corresponding lighting.
Match Image can now create studio-style lighting set-ups with multiple light sources or three-point lighting rigs as well as environment-based lighting with a sun light.
Improved on-canvas render preview, plus experimental support for GPU rendering
The update also improves the fidelity of Dimension’s Render Preview, which now displays lighting effects, reflections and transparency in the editing canvas by blending between rasterised and ray traced rendering.
There is also beta support for GPU rendering, currently only available on Windows and for Nvidia GPUs.
Adobe’s blog post describes the system as “[taking] advantage of … Nvidia RTX ray tracing technology”, although the list of Nvidia GPUs supported goes right back to the GeForce GTX 980 Ti.
Other changes: direct export to Aero, new universal Select tool
Other changes in Dimension 3.0 include the option to export 3D assets directly to Aero, Adobe’s new augmented reality authoring app, which is now officially shipping for iOS.
There is also a new universal Select tool for manipulating 3D objects without having to swap between Move, Rotate and Scale gizmos; and a range of smaller workflow updates.
You can find a full list of changes via the links below.
Pricing and system requirements
Dimension 3.0 – in the online documentation, it is sometimes also referred to as the November 2019 update – is available for Windows 10 and macOS 10.12+ on a rental-only basis.
A subscription to Dimension alone costs $20.99/month; a subscription to all of Adobe’s creative tools costs $79.49/month.
Read an overview of the new features in Dimension 3.0 on Adobe’s blog
Read a full list of new features in Dimension 3.0 in the online documentation
Full disclosure: in my other life as a freelance writer, I’ve written blog posts for Adobe about Dimension CC. CG Channel itself has no financial connection with Adobe or Dimension CC.