Today, Adobe announced it has acquired 3D editing and authoring tool Allegorithmic.
The tool, most often used for 3D material and texture creation for gaming and entertainment, is part of Adobe’s plan to better support 3D content creation.
More than a year ago, Adobe introduced Adobe Dimension, which can be used to compose and render three-dimensional product mockups and packaging designs, among other uses. In the fall of 2018, they previewed an augmented reality authoring tool, known as Project Aero.
Allegorithmic’s Substance family of tools have been used in many AAA games, including Call of Duty and Assassin’s Creed. They have also been used in movies, such as Blade Runner 2049 and Tomb Raider.
“Many people think of 3D as limited to the kind of immersive content we see with special glasses or an augmented reality app,” reads Adobe’s announcement. “But while those uses are important, they’re only the tip of the iceberg. Much of the content that we consume in two dimensions is actually created using 3D tools. A growing percentage of scenes in popular movies, such as the Star Wars franchise, and TV shows, including many animated series, are computer-generated in 3D.”
Although this announcement has arrived with mixed opinions, as some Allegorithmic users fear the tools may no longer be compatible with non-Adobe software, Adobe says the move is integral to “ensuring that Creative Cloud customers have the tools they need to shape their creative vision in a future in which 3D content is increasingly important.”
Adobe will begin to incorporate Allegorithmic’s Substance tools into Creative Cloud over the coming months.