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MAXON unveils plugin for editing 3D objects in Adobe Illustrator

MAXON has announced the release of a plugin that lets you open and edit 3D content inside Adobe Illustrator CC.

Cineware for Illustrator uses the same 3D engine as Cinema 4D, meaning you can tweak the view, lighting, and textures of any native file. You can also integrate 3D elements with 2D designs or use 3D elements when creating vector artwork.

“With Cineware for Illustrator we’re making both the Cinema 4D toolset and 3D in general more accessible to designers, and plan to develop this workflow even further in the future,” said Harald Egel, managing partner at MAXON.

New storyboarding application made free and open source to “benefit creative ecosystem”

A small design studio has made its new digital storyboarding application free and open source because “creativity shouldn’t be a competitive sport.”

Wonder Unit initially developed Storyboarder for internal use, but believes that the creative ecosystem will benefit from its own tools and processes.

“There is no competitive advantage to keeping tools and tech private – at least for us,” explains Wonder Unit on its website. Storyboarder is simple to use, features six drawing tools and easy-to-rearrange panels.

Digital comic Protanopia uses elements from 3D and 2D animation in a real-time game engine

Artist and director André Bergs has created a digital comic, which uses elements from 3D and 2D animation in a real-time game engine.

Protanopia offers a unique viewing experience, because if you tilt your device, the camera angle changes and offers a different perspective.

“I knew I wanted to see the medium [digital comics] being used better as a narrative tool,” André told Motionographer. “So over the years, I did experiments when I had the time, learning what doesn’t work mostly. And eventually I came to the form that Protanopia has now.”

Illustrator, InDesign, and Wacom tablet users can now upgrade to macOS High Sierra

Following on from last week’s news that Illustrator, InDesign, and Wacom tablet users might encounter difficulties when upgrading to macOS High Sierra, a round of updates has come to the rescue.

Users will need to download and install a pre-release version of Illustrator CC 2017 for it to work, while a supplemental update has been released for InDesign.

As for Wacom tablet users, a new driver now offers High Sierra support for all but its oldest products, which weren’t supported under the previous version of macOS anyway.

Jumbla reveals why 3D animation is a great addition to explainer videos

Most explainer videos utilise 2D animation or motion graphics because it's simple, straightforward, (often) cheaper, and above all else, successful.

But that doesn’t mean you should ignore or overlook 3D animation for explainer videos, as it can be even more engaging, entertaining, and effective than other techniques.

We take a closer look at traditional explainer videos and why you should consider an injection of 3D animation for added appeal.