3D artists and 3D modelers create objects and scenes that are an end in themselves: the digital creation is the product. Zorana Gee recognized this in her 2016 presentation: “Let’s face it, working with 3D is really challenging … but we’re committed, and today we’re introducing a tool that balances power and ease of use for all designers, and this is Project Felix.” Visualization in 3D comes later: client presentations, ad concepts, point-of-purchase or in-store displays. There was no trace of the original Project Felix promise: “Built specifically for graphic designers.”ĭesigners may occasionally iterate a flat design by going back and forth between Illustrator and a 3D representation, but most of the time the process starts and ends in a 2D app, with exact dimensions and placement of artwork. The intro video for Substance Stager, the app that Dimension should have become, begins with the words, “Creating 3D art is all about producing stunning visuals.” There was no ready-for-press production artwork anywhere in sight-not a fold, not a die line, not a spot varnish layer. The Substance 3D launch made clear that it is for 3D digital artists: existing Substance users who are now Adobe customers.

Then, with Adobe’s acquisition of Substance, development on Dimension abruptly stopped, with no reason given at the time. We could forgive frailties and missing features, knowing they were under active development. As it matured it became faster, more practical, and easier to use. Project Felix was to be a tool for designers who were not 3D artists or experts.Īfter a rocky start, Dimension began delivering on that promise. Project Felix was announced at MAX 2016 as a new tool “ built specifically for graphic designers.” Felix promised a brand-new workflow for designers to preview and present their work in a 3-Dimensional, photo-realistic context-cutting turnaround time for design approvals, simplifying the design process for packaging and display, and opening new opportunities for product presentation. Howls of protest are par for the course whenever there is a major UI change, and the noise from the 3D authors will die down. We have been watching the Dimension community forum and the (vitriolic, for the most part) YouTube comments from long-term Substance users on the recent launch of Substance 3D.

Substance in creative cloud