Improved 3D effects and Adobe Substance materials
We have introduced new and improved '3D and Materials' effects in 26.0 this year. These effects have been fully rebuilt using modern rendering technology and apart from being much more stable than classic 3D effects, they also allow you to:
* Apply and edit 3D effects conveniently through a non-blocking panel with real time preview.
* Texture artwork using Adobe Substance 3D materials that are highly adjustable. Choose from built-in materials in the panel or upload your own.
* Light up artwork with environment and directional light along with shadows.
* Create smooth and curvy extrusions using the new Inflate option.
* Rotate artwork more easily using the new on-canvas controls.
* Once you've setup your 3D object, render it using Ray tracing with adjustable quality options.
There are more features we're actively working on bringing to these effects. Please share your feedback and suggestions from your experience of using these new effects.
There are now several separate requests made, based on the feedback in this thread:
1. Regarding adjustable color and opacity for 3D shadows:
https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/47054086
2. Regarding presets for each tab in 3D and Materials panels: Object, Materials, Lighting:
http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/47350001
All those who commented on the topic until October 16, 2023, are already added as voters there. If this is something you want to have for 3D and Materials in Illustrator — please upvote it. If possible — create new requests and bug reports about 3D, rather than commenting here inside. This will help the team to better prioritize efforts on making the feature better. As always — thanks for the feedback! It helps.
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siaru commented
cant use lighting parameters. Where is the problem
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nujeen commented
using 3d stuff
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Rachida Rachida commented
Dear Egor Chistyakov, Retracing is working now but the problem is now it cannot be used more then one time at the design. I will share to you the screen on preferences > performance.
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Rachida, probably no.
According to this page — https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/best-practices-to-optimize-cpu-usage-when-working-with-3d-in-illustrator/td-p/12480495 — working with 3D requires 32 GB of RAM and A GPU with 4 GB of VRAM. While 2019 MacBook Pro in any configuration has enough VRAM, it usually has 16 GB OF RAM (unless you have a 32 GB variation)...
Can you please open Preferences > Performance and share a screenshot of the dialog? -
Rachida Rachida commented
I have a question, am using a macbook pro 2019 version. I see that the option retracing is not available. Is there another option to use it?
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Martin Naumann commented
I am having a problem when I want to use the embossed version as a overlay. The effect changes the shape/size of the vector? I could not fix that with any setting
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José Carrillo commented
Map art lacks of control. I can't find a right way to place my art along de shape I've created. Previous versions lets place graphics, symbols, along the created shape and play around to find the desired way to make the art. Please add more graphic placement controls for symbols or graphics in 3D shapes.
New idea from comment
This comment was upgraded into a new idea: Modern 3D effects need more control over mapping -
What We Design commented
A separate color option for ambient light section will be helpful.
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Chris Laughlin commented
no vector export makes the feature useless. No isometric also makes it useless.
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Graphic Designer commented
I need the old expand option fo 3d effects, now it turns it in a pixel object! This is insane, I always made vectors with this tool...
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kerim yıldırım commented
Why is it not suitable for swelling between two objects?
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Steven H commented
I downloaded 3d substances from the adobe community, "the deadleaves - farshad asbaghi". after importing it into my illustrator it crashed and crashed every time when I open the 3D material and substances panel. After uninstall my Illustrator and reinstall it, the same problem occurs. I have no idea how to clean the caches from the SBSAR files I imported. I'm using OS Sonoma 14.4.1 . I just need to know what to clean the cache or delete the imported files, because I can't find the asset link in any finder, therefore its always in my illustrator no matter how I reinstalled my adobe illustrator.
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AHSAN Shabeer commented
AI 23 3d lighting and material are horrible. Thank dog I still had AI 22 that works somewhat better. Lighting in 23 unable to change from white. Materials only take when I applied inner glow to the compound shape. Online chat person does not read what is being typed. Why? Why?
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darrylmanco commented
AI 23 3d lighting and material are horrible. Thank dog I still had AI 22 that works somewhat better. Lighting in 23 unable to change from white. Materials only take when I applied inner glow to the compound shape. Online chat person does not read what is being typed. Why? Why?
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Ben Dunkle commented
When repositioning a graphic as a material, I can't constrain the position to x/y axis by holding shift, e.g., the graphic always gets off axis or rotates. Please provide more precise control over position of graphic
New idea from comment
This comment was upgraded into a new idea: Need for Precise Axis Constraint for 3D objects when repositioning Graphics with Shift -
Sherwin Bennes commented
Version 28.5: Rotation 3d does not produce full 3d. Missing light. Diffuse instead.
New idea from comment
This comment was upgraded into a new idea: 3D Rotation object misses the light source in version 28.5 -
Steven H commented
I tried downloading materials and substances from the community website provided. After I import the SBSAR files, my illustrator crashed when I open the 3D material and substances panel. After uninstall my Illustrator and reinstall it, the same problem occurs. I have no idea how to clean the caches from the SBSAR files I imported.
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Gid commented
My feedback:
1) way too slow to work for anything of moderate complexity. Editable type is nearly impossible to work with as a small body even with a good GPU.
2) Gizmo needs to have a re-think. Just open any actual 3D app built in the last 20 years for tips. It gives no feedback. I rotate something, and it looks the same. it should orient itself to the object I'm rotating. Color coding each axis would help too.
3) I rotate on the X axis with the gizmo, but the input fields for Y and Z all update. So this is a local rotation gizmo translating to a global space field input? Not really that helpful for the user. Stick to local or give us the option to toggle local or global space.
4) Add a basic camera match feature. I'm trying to make some editable type going over a 3d render for a client who uses Illustrator. It was rendered in C4D with Octane so recreating it in Illustrator isn't going to happen. If I could just draw a few axis lines and then have it match this would make my task MUCH easier.
Not sure why Adobe can't seem to ever get the 3D basics right. No need to re-invent the wheel, we've got like 30+ years of 3D app knowledge and trial and error to dip into for ideas and solution on things like gizmos and coordinates. It doesn't have to be geeky, but it does need to have some logic to it.
New idea from comment
This comment was upgraded into a new idea: 3D Gizmo needs redesign: rotation feedback and axis color coding -
Nabeel T commented
can we have an option to control the intensity of the shadow, also shadow edge softness and transparency
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Marisa commented
I can't find the Map Art in Illustrator 2024, anyone knows where it is?
Thanks!