I give my vote to Mari as well. It has pretty much everything you want from Photoshop and more. Also you can share layers across channels (Diffuse, Spec, etc) So you can use your diffuse as a base for your spec and if you edit your Diffuse it will update across every channel you are using it for. Lots of neat features. It…
When there are multiple IDs, I've been bringing each in as their own FBX/object by "Merge Object" in the File menu, after your initial mesh import. On import, make sure you give a specific name to the UV set. I make a 'base' layer, and import textures to it. On Texture > Import Diffuse, if you have multiple named UVs you…
I don't know what you mean when you say "by hand". Like you said, I'm only really using the bake as a reference to help me better grasp the exact shape while painting the diffuse. It's not like I'm painting out a normal/specular map or something.
I like using mari 2.0.. its nice that they've added a layers palette. The channels I create are usually diffuse, spec, and normal then just export flattened from there. Nowadays I don't use photoshop that often. The only instance i can think of using it is when I need a tileable texture. Is this what you mean by…
Have you tried using the 3d layer as a clipping mask and treating the layers as a projection, merging down to the 3d model when its complete? 3d painting on a model in photoshop does not use the PSD where the 3d Layer is for the texture. The texture is a separate temp file, that has nothing to do with the PSD where the 3d…
try this: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2976372/PSMirrorPaint/PSMirrorPaint_Square.zip Note, you may need to set Unlit Texture in 3d options. In CC that is a property of the Scene (3d Pallete). Not promising it'll work in older versions of PS, but should work fine in CC, tested in CS6 and 5 and it did not. other…
Recently I've been doing: Photoshop > 3dcoat. Previously I'd use Zbrush's projection painting while working on a texture. I'll still do that from time to time but have started using Photoshop's 3d painting for projection stuff lately. 3d coat is nice, its super fast, relatively easy to get meshes set up in. I really like…