Substance 3D Reviewer accepts a wide range of standard 3D file formats: OBJ, FBX, glTF/GLB, USD, and STEP are officially supported. It also provides experimental import for CAD and industrial formats such as DXF, JT, and CATIA files, but Adobe warns that results may vary. Models can be uploaded up to 500 MB in size, though Adobe recommends reducing assets to around 3 MB for optimal performance after automated optimisation. Textures are limited to 2048×2048 px resolution, and only static assets are supported—no skeletal animation, rigged poses, or vertex deformation can be reviewed. If animated content must be shared, Adobe advises freezing the model into a static pose.

The platform is not designed for detailed shader inspection or full DCC material fidelity. Reviewer is focused on holistic spatial assessment and real-scale design validation rather than pixel-perfect material evaluation. For artists used to complex shading graphs, advanced rendering pipelines, or heavy CAD assemblies, Reviewer’s performance and format limitations may prove restrictive.

Immersive feedback at room scale

Adobe’s Substance 3D Reviewer, introduced on 14 August 2025, allows teams to review 3D models at true 1:1 scale within both VR and web environments. It was developed in partnership with Meta and optimised for Meta Quest headsets. The tool enables spatially accurate design assessment, contextual understanding of form and ergonomics, and shared experiences across distances. Feedback can be delivered via voice or text pinned directly to model locations in real time or asynchronously.

Limitations of Substance 3D Reviewer in high-end workflows

The tool appears designed for static assets, meaning animated, rigged models must be “frozen” to enable review. Precise control over material channels, shader complexity, and version control integration is not yet confirmed. These omissions may limit its use in pipelines requiring granular inspection or DCC integration such as in VFX or advanced product visualisation.

Licensing and access considerations

Substance 3D Reviewer is free to use; a complimentary Adobe ID suffices for access. Nevertheless, broader Substance 3D Collection tools—such as Sampler, Painter, or Designer—still require paid licenses or subscriptions. For studios that do not maintain a Creative Cloud plan, deployment of Reviewer may introduce divergence between tools used by reviewers and those available to asset creators.

Recommendation for production adoption

Substance 3D Reviewer offers a low-friction method for immersive design feedback in early review stages. Its strength lies in shared spatial understanding rather than pixel-perfect presentation. Teams should test whether their file formats, texture layouts, and scale expectations align with Substance Reviewer’s capabilities before integrating it into workflows. Substance 3D Reviewer should not be viewed as a complete replacement for high-end DCC tools but rather as a complementary review platform to accelerate alignment on form and spatial intent.

For users without access to Substance 3D Reviewer—or lacking an Adobe subscription—several alternatives allow model reviews directly in the browser. Autodesk Viewer is a widely used free tool that supports both 2D drawings and 3D models in formats including AutoCAD, Revit, Fusion 360, and common 3D exchange types. It offers measurement, cross-section views, edge highlighting, annotation, animation playback, orbiting, and panoramic modes. However, its mobile interface is extremly limited, and it lacks advanced immersive or environmental features.

Another web-centric option is Sibe, a cloud-based platform designed for secure sharing, review, proofing, and version control of 3D designs. It is oriented toward streamlined feedback workflows involving product managers, freelancers, or marketing teams needing quick commentary on design iterations.

The post Adobe Substance 3D Reviewer first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Günter Hagedorn.

Photoshop 26.8, released on June 17, 2025 (aka Photoshop 2025.6), brings practical enhancements to text handling and image file compatibility, with small but measurable improvements for compositors, matte painters, and layout artists.

Auto-adjusting typography with Dynamic Text

Text layout gets a logic boost: with Dynamic Text, text layers now resize and reflow automatically when you adjust their bounding box. This includes real-time updates to size, spacing, and layout—intended for use in templates, posters, and graphics with strict dimensional requirements. Multiple fonts and styles inside a single block are supported, but typographers beware: Adobe still hasn’t enabled leading control.

To activate it, just use the Type tool and draw a text box. It behaves like it always should have.

Cloud for cutouts

For Select Subject and Remove Background, you can now optionally switch to a cloud-based processing mode for better results around hair, transparency, and other fiddly details. This is set via Preferences > Image Processing > Select Subject and Remove Background. Results are reportedly sharper around complex edges—but test this before committing to new matting workflows.

File format upgrades: AVIF and JPEG XL

Photoshop now supports AVIF and JPEG XL formats for opening, editing, and saving. These modern codecs support native HDR, broader color depths, and efficient lossy/lossless compression—ideal for web-bound renders or game textures needing smaller footprints.

Requirements and pricing

Photoshop 26.8 requires Windows 10+ or macOS 12.0+ and remains subscription-only. Prices start at US $239.88/year for the Photography Plan or US $263.88/year for a standalone license. As always, production pipelines should validate the new features before incorporating them into daily workflows—especially if automation is involved.

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Official feature summary // Photoshop desktop June 2025 release

The post Adobe ships Photoshop 26.8 — Text now bends to your will first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Günter Hagedorn.

At Adobe MAX London, Adobe served a helping of updates across its Creative Cloud and Adobe Express platforms, but the centerpiece of the show was undoubtedly Firefly Model 4. The new generation of generative AI arrives embedded into a restructured, web-based Firefly app—Adobe’s “one-stop shop” for image, video, audio, and vector generation. Not satisfied with just a model update, Adobe brought along a cast of supporting features aimed squarely at production artists.

Firefly Image Model 4: Higher Resolution, More Control

Firefly Image Model 4, now the default image generator in the Firefly suite, is Adobe’s fastest model to date. It enables prompt-based generation of images in up to 2K resolution, with control over structure, style, camera angles, and zoom. Artists can iterate visual concepts, recompose frames, and even output larger formats without sacrificing quality.

Firefly Video Model: Text to Clip, and Back Again

Also now generally available is the Firefly Video Model, an IP-safe and production-ready system capable of creating 1080p video clips from text prompts or source images. Intuitive camera controls, atmospheric elements, and custom motion graphics make it more than just a novelty—it’s a full video ideation tool. Current brand adopters include dentsu, PepsiCo/Gatorade, and Stagwell, suggesting Firefly is not just demo material.

Vector Workflows, Text-First

The new Adobe Vector Model underpins a freshly released feature: converting natural language prompts into editable vector graphics. That includes logos, packaging concepts, icons, and patterns—all SVG-ready and adjustable post-generation. The feature is now available for all Firefly users and positions Adobe as a player in procedural vector generation.

Partner Models in the Firefly Ecosystem

Firefly now supports external models through its web app, with a rollout including OpenAI, Google’s Imagen 3 and Veo 2, and Flux 1.1 Pro. Users can seamlessly switch between these and Firefly-native models, with clear attribution via embedded content credentials. Adobe plans to expand model diversity with future integrations from fal.ai, Ideogram, Luma, Pika, and Runway. Enterprise users can toggle third-party models on or off, ensuring data policy compliance.

Firefly Boards: Moodboarding Meets Machine Learning

Now in public beta, Firefly Boards offer a collaborative interface for brainstorming, concepting, and feedback. Think: moodboards with auto-generative support. Teams can iterate on hundreds of variants simultaneously and funnel visual concepts directly into production environments. This feature was formerly known as Project Concept.

Firefly Services and APIs: Automating the Repetitive Stuff

Firefly Services are a collection of production-grade APIs that integrate Firefly’s generative models into enterprise workflows. Among them: a beta Photoshop API to automate high-volume editing tasks; a Text-to-Video API and Image-to-Video API for turning assets into animated clips; and soon, a Text-to-Image API powered by Firefly Model 4 and an Avatar API for generating product-centric video content. Brands like Accenture, The Estée Lauder Companies, and Gatorade are already using these tools to shrink production timelines.

Content Authenticity and Commercial Readiness

All AI-generated content receives embedded Content Credentials, which disclose the model source—be it Firefly or one of its partners. Adobe emphasizes that Firefly models are “commercially safe,” trained with respect for creators’ rights and designed to support, not replace, human creativity. See the full information HERE. So far, Adobe has been the only GenAI-Player without actual controversies – credit where it’s due!

Pricing and Availability

Firefly Image Model 4, Firefly Ultra, and the Firefly Video Model are available now via the Firefly Web App. Firefly Boards is in public beta.

Firefly continues Adobe’s all-in embrace of AI in creative workflows—but remember: AI-generated concept art is cheap, rendering it stable for production is the real trick.

The post AI All-Inclusive: Adobe’s Firefly Goes Full Creative Suite first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Günter Hagedorn.

Adobe has unveiled the 25.2 updates for Premiere Pro and After Effects at NAB 2025, introducing a suite of AI-powered features and workflow enhancements aimed at streamlining video editing and motion graphics processes.

Generative Extend: Stretching Clips with AI

Premiere Pro’s new Generative Extend feature, powered by Adobe’s Firefly AI, allows editors to extend video clips by up to two seconds and ambient audio by up to ten seconds. This tool is particularly useful for creating smoother transitions or correcting unintended movements without the need for reshoots. Initially available for free, Generative Extend will eventually require Firefly generative credits for continued use. We saw this in the Beta-Version, and had a play around with it. While it doesn’t generate a Stanley Kubrick Movie from a TikTok, it is amazing to get that “few missing frames”, when the footage cuts out. And, in some cases, we cut some the end of the footage (Because there came things into frame, like a Boom Mic, in that case), and just extended it. It is ludicrously intuitive to use, and, for an AI tool, as a shockingly high percentage of “Just working”. I am not used to that with AI tools. It isn’t exactly “Real-time”, but was, in that case, far faster than Roto-ing out the Mic. (Roto-ing is a verb, isn’t it?)

AI-Powered Search: Finding Footage Faster

The updated Search panel in Premiere Pro utilizes AI to automatically recognize and tag content within video libraries. Editors can now locate specific footage using text descriptions that include objects, locations, camera angles, and effects, significantly reducing the time spent searching for clips.

In a Pre-Release Demo we got last week, this looked actually like a useful AI-Feature – depending on the actual speed and precision (A Demo is per definition demo-footage) when being pushed into our footage – library (And Footage-Bin and Footage-heap-on-the-floor), if it works as advertised, it might be amazing.

Automatic Caption Translation: Reaching a Global Audience

Premiere Pro now offers AI-driven automatic translation for video captions into 27 different languages. This feature enables editors to cater to a broader audience by providing multilingual subtitles, enhancing accessibility and engagement.

Premiere Color Management: Simplifying Color Workflows

The introduction of Premiere Color Management allows for automatic transformation of log and raw files directly to SDR or HDR, eliminating the need for manual lookup tables (LUTs). This enhancement streamlines the color grading process, allowing editors to focus more on creative aspects.

Enhanced 3D Tools and HDR Monitoring

The latest After Effects update introduces Animated Environment Lights, allowing users to surround 3D compositions with dynamic lighting sourced from any video or animation. Additionally, support for 3D FBX models has been added, expanding the range of assets that can be integrated into projects. HDR monitoring capabilities have also been enhanced, enabling designers to preview their work in high dynamic range directly within the application.

After Effects

Adobe has released After Effects 25.2, introducing significant enhancements to its 3D workspace. Notably, the update adds support for the FBX file format, allowing users to just import 3D assets in FBX, OBJ, and glTF/GLB formats directly into compositions. This broadens the range of compatible 3D assets, facilitating more versatile motion graphics and visual effects workflows. And, might I say on a personal note, FINALLY.

After Effects 25.2 also features a new High-Performance Preview Playback system that utilizes both RAM and local disks for caching. This improvement enables smoother and longer preview durations, allowing motion designers to preview complex compositions without interruptions.

Additionally, the update enables the use of videos, animated compositions, or other layers as Environment Lights, supplementing the existing support for HDRIs in HDR and EXR formats. This advancement provides more contextually accurate lighting for 3D assets, opening new creative possibilities for motion graphics artists.

Workflow improvements include the ability to set compositing options for 3D models directly from the Properties Panel, such as determining whether they cast or accept shadows and lights. The Properties Panel also grants access to embedded animations in imported models. Furthermore, three new commands in the Layer menu facilitate common 3D operations, including controlling a light with a camera, applying 2D effects to 3D models, and creating an Environment Light background layer.

As always, it’s advisable to evaluate these new features within your specific workflow to ensure they meet project requirements.

The post Adobe’s Premiere Pro and After Effects 25.2 first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Günter Hagedorn.

Adobe has rolled out the latest version of its powerful image-editing software, Photoshop 26.5, and it’s all about optimizing your workflow. This update isn’t packed with radical changes, but it does boast a sleek redesign of the Adjustment Presets layout. Say goodbye to clutter and hello to a new tabbed interface that not only looks fresh but also makes navigating through your presets as easy as pie—assuming the pie is very well organized and labeled, of course.

Redesigned Adjustment Presets

The redesigned layout features new icons that help you quickly identify adjustments, which means no more squinting at tiny thumbnails. It’s like they’ve added a touch of clarity to your editing palette, allowing you to focus on what really matters: creating stunning visuals. This workflow update aims to streamline your post-production process, giving you more time to get lost in the creative abyss of your next VFX masterpiece or game design wonder.

For more information about Adobe Photoshop, check out the official website.

The post Adobe Photoshop 26.5: New Tool first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Günter Hagedorn.