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The Photoshop Blog offers the latest Photoshop news and software updates, Photoshop tips and tutorials, and random thoughts from graphic artist and Photoshop expert Jennifer Apple.



New modo 302 Update Enhances Artist-Friendly Toolset for PC and Mac Users
April 03, 2008

San Mateo, Calif. – April 3, 2008 – Luxology® LLC today announced the immediate availability of modo™ 302, the newest version of its award-winning, artist-friendly 3D content creation software. Free for registered modo 301 customers, modo 302 adds new natural lighting capabilities, additional layered Photoshop file support, an animation Track View, new modeling tools and numerous other enhancements. Luxology is also making available the first version of the modo File I/O software development kit (SDK), which allows developers to import or export data directly from modo. modo 302 is available for both Mac OSX and Windows. To learn more about Luxology or modo 302, or to purchase the new version, please visit www.modo3d.com.


Click image to see giant full-size jumbo version

“This is the most comprehensive free update in modo”s history,” said Brad Peebler, president and co-founder of Luxology. “modo 302’s workflow is smoother than ever with a host of carefully crafted user interface refinements, major new animation controls and a battery of new features.”

“modo 302 is packed with enhancements that make it an even greater asset to our game production pipeline,” said David Vasquez of Mainland Gaming LLC. “We are particularly impressed with modo’s new File I/O SDK, which streamlines our workflow by allowing us to export Collada content from modo directly into Terathon Software’s C4 Engine.”

modo 302 combines a powerful, real-time subdivision surface modeling engine with an artist- focused set of tools that harness sculpting, painting and rendering technologies to expedite the creation of world-class 3D content. modo can also animate virtually anything within a scene, as well as import motion and deformation data from other software applications. This unique combination of a modern workflow and a fused toolset delivers increased productivity and performance for 3D artists working in a variety of disciplines, including game development, engineering and architectural design visualization, and CGI for print.



modo 302 includes a large number of new and improved features. Some of modo 302’s key updates are:

• Modeling workflow: New Flex tool provides an efficient way to select and pose meshes, and the sculpting tools are made more fluid with a new soft brush that smoothly interpolates strokes.
• Enhanced rendering: New Physical Sun and Physical Sky simulation provide realistic sky colorand light intensity based on location, date and time of day. For added realism, modo now renders blooms for intensely lit or glowing areas.
• Photoshop file support: Layered PSD files can now be used to automatically create texture layers in modo’s Shader Tree.
• Animation improvements: New Track View editor delivers a dramatic improvement in the animation capability of modo and applies an intuitive modo user interface to the task of creating and fine-tuning complex animation sequences.
• File I/O SDK: New API for creating plug-ins in C or C++ that import or export modo scene and image data to and from other formats.

Pricing and Availability
modo 302 is available immediately with dual licenses that support both Mac OSX and Windows. The software sells for a suggested retail price of USD $895, and registered modo 301 customers receive modo 302 free of charge. modo is sold and supported by a network of authorized Luxology resellers around the globe. For a detailed listing of modo 302’s features, and an extensive image gallery, please visit Luxology’s website at www.modo3d.com or contact Luxology at (650) 378-8506.

Luxology also offers a wide array of modo training videos and other educational materials designed to enhance the modo learning process for both novice and experienced 3D artists. A new modo 302 “Spotlight” training series introduces projects that explain how to use several key new modo 302 features. An evaluation version of modo 302 is also available now.

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SiteGrinder Photoshop Plugin - Create Websites Instantly

There often seems to be a strict division of labor within the world of web design and development. Creative professionals tend to stick to the Photoshop domain, while those well-versed in scripting are left to the task of implementing their work. Indeed, the two realms are quite different from each other, to which any of us even vaguely familiar with either can easily attest.

Essentially, Photoshop is a no-holds-barred design studio, offering the artist a seemingly endless array of creative options. On the other hand, HTML, CSS, Java and the like follow strict rules of engagement, requiring the developer to take any number of esoteric concerns into consideration in order to ensure that designs are properly displayed on the web.

Turn Photoshop Into A Complete Web Design Tool
SiteGrinder seeks to bridge this gap between design and development. Basically, this program turns Photoshop into an easy-to-use and fully functional web design tool. With SiteGrinder, designers will now have the freedom to totally let their creativity loose and then, without skipping a beat, transfer their designs to the web. Bringing esthetic concerns together with more practical considerations, this program is an amazingly powerful tool that would make a fantastic addition to any web designer's bag of tricks.

Generate Your Web Pages Directly From Photoshop
By generating web pages directly from Photoshop, you'll be able to spend much more time on the creative end of the spectrum, since you'll know right off the bat how well particular designs will translate to the web. No more going back to the Photoshop drawing board after getting a phone call from your development team, telling you that what you had envisioned doesn't have a chance of being displayed on the web. You can immediately visually and interactively test your designs, which permits you to then make changes to either esthetics or functions while it's still relatively early on in the design process.

Pricing and Availability
Mac OS X and Windows versions of the SiteGrinder unlockable demo are available now via download. SiteGrinder can be ordered from Media Lab's online store.

Photoshop CS3 Upgrade Options And Bundles From The Adobe Store

Photoshop CS3 Extended is ideal for film, video, and multimedia pros and for graphic and web designers using 3D and motion. Get the full version for US $999, or upgrade for US $349. The standard version of Photoshop CS3 is available for US $649, or as an upgrade for US $199. See all upgrade options at the Adobe Store. See our CS3 Resource Center for free Photoshop CS3 tutorials.

Photoshop Extended is also available as part of Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium, which combines all-new CS3 versions of Photoshop, Flash Pro, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, InDesign and Acrobat 8 Pro. Upgrade options for customers in Europe, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Asia can be found at the Adobe International Store.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Available At The Adobe Store

There are tons of new features in Adobe Lightroom 1.0 that you won't find in the beta version. From Clone and Healing functionality to metadata browsing, you'll be able to free-up post-processing time like never before. Get it now at the Adobe Store. Customers in Europe, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Asia can find special pricing and offers at the Adobe International Store. For free Lightroom tutorials see our Lightroom tutorials page.

Photoshop Masking Plugin Fluid Mask 3 - $15 Discount Special

The 4 1/2 out of 5 star review of Fluid Mask 3 at MacWorld begins by saying that this "Photoshop plug-in takes the pain out of extracting backgrounds," and goes on to recommend the latest version, stating that "Fluid Mask 3.0.2 is a very effective tool for separating objects from their backgrounds. It offers a variety of useful features for tackling almost any difficult image, from wispy hair to complex foliage. Online video tutorials and live training sessions help ease the learning curve."

Our friends at Vertus, the makers of Fluid Mask 3 Photoshop Plugin, have set up a special exclusive discount for PhotoshopSupport.com. Just follow this discount link and instantly get $15 off your purchase of Fluid Mask 3.

Fluid Mask 3 is designed for photographers, image editors, graphic designers and all those who take digital image editing seriously. In a streamlined interface and workflow, Fluid Mask 3 instantly shows key edges in the image and provides comprehensive easy to use tools that work with difficult-to-see edges and tricky areas like trees & lattices. Features include: