photoshop: regular or extended

El Junk

Google just punched me in the face a bunch. I am a hobbyist that uses modo and zbrush. I've been using free 2d graphic applications, but I'm looking into getting photoshop. The plan is to use PS for generating support images for modeling, concept artwork, and some presentation stuff. The extended version seems to have nice 3d capabilities, but so does my other friggin 3d software. Since I know nothing, does anyone use extended? Hands down prefer extended to the regular version? Am I missing the big picture?

Tom Ellis

Here's a page that shows you the differences:

http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/compare/

To be honest, I never use the 3D tools in Photoshop. I get the impression it's kind of a '3D for the non-3D minded' thing. It seems to be getting more powerful each release but as it stands, I wouldn't think it will replace your current workflow.

If you want to use Photoshop for image editing, painting etc, I'd go with the Standard version, you might even consider Photoshop Elements! It's basic and lacking a lot of features, but you can still paint with it!

peppi

The 3D stuff in CS4 Extended isn't really there yet, interface and performance wise. Also you might want to consider getting an older version as CS4 is generally quite slow to work with (and had issues with Nv dual view last time I checked).

Lamont

Don't get screwed, just get regular, better yet look on eBay for CS3 or CS2.

EDIT - I got wind of some hardware vendor selling CS4 with some kind of video editing hardware. Gonna go look and see if I can find it. It's a good way to get in on Adobe software on the cheap. ($300 hardware for CS4 bundle)

renderhjs

don't get cs4 it has serious display and performance issues. At work with a dual screen its constantly flickering making it almost impossible to use the layer panel + the 3d and general performance is a nightmare.
Get CS2 if you can

Sage

does the regular version of photoshop in cs3 and cs 4 have these problems? It might be that the extended editions are too bloated now that it does 3d, yeah right, and all video editing stuff.

renderhjs

it seems to be related to the driver model or so. At least thats what Adobe keeps saying. Installing the latest fix and latest nvidia drivers helped a bit but it still flickers and shows some cache of the direct draw or 3D buffer in between.
Also when creating new layers especially text Elements it tends to freeze every now and then.
Enabling OpenGL comes with super annoying tween effects when dragging the view or zooming in and out. Also the default pixel grid at a higher zoom mode pissed off many designers here already.

I heard that the next releases of 3dsmax will be a completely from the ground up recode of core elements because they acknowledge that their software has been become slow and instable. I wish Adobe would share the same view on their releases and seriously reconsider dropping some of the consumer stuff (eye candy resource eating GUI, transition effects, auto updaters + system services,...).
Panels have become somewhat bigger as in the past, I'd wish they would watch more out for that instead try to offer at least having some extreme minimalistic mode for people like me.

sama.van

If your budget is low you can try that one : http://www.systemax.jp/en/sai/

It also open PSd file and some artist I know are using it...

The main difference is the price... quite more cheap than photoshop.

You can download it and give it a try. o_<