Page 15 - Enhancing CAD Drawings with Photoshop

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xiv INTRODUCTION

What You’ll Find
In Chapter 1, you’ll get a quick introduction to the basic concepts and tools used in Photoshop. You’ll
learn about pixels, modes, bits, channels, layers, painting, adjusting, filtering, text, shapes, paths,
transforming, and more.
Chapter 2 delves into the subtleties involved in working with color on a computer. You’ll learn
about modes, gamuts, color spaces, calibration, characterization, and device profiles. In addition
you’ll learn how to plan your work flow to ensure consistent color printing, and you’ll learn profes-
sional tips for managing color.
Chapter 3 introduces you to the digital darkroom and teaches retouching skills that you can use to
improve every photo you take. You’ll learn how to work with digital film, adjust tonal range, balance
color, strategically sharpen and blur, and more.
Chapter 4 shows you how to extract entourage objects from photographic backgrounds to be used
in architectural illustrations, renderings, plans, or elevations. You’ll clean up the entourage and
assign alpha channels to preserve the object boundaries and learn how to use entourage in a 3D model
using Autodesk VIZ.
Chapter 5 looks at how to enhance AutoCAD plan drawings with the power of Photoshop. You’ll
add tone, color, pattern, gradient, transparency, and shadow to line drawings that pop the presenta-
tion up to a new level.
Chapter 6 examines the traditional elevation line drawing and dresses it up with Photoshop’s layer
style effects, shadows, reflection and refraction, and entourage. Your clients will understand your col-
orized elevations much more readily after you master the techniques presented in this chapter.
In Chapter 7, you’ll learn the art of compositing whereby you transfer 3D objects in Autodesk VIZ
to image layers in Photoshop. You’ll then use Photoshop to make the objects appear realistic with
real-time layer style effects, adjustment layers, and clipping groups.
Chapter 8 opens the door to non–photo-realistic illustrations that you can make in Photoshop
based on a 3D model from Autodesk VIZ. Illustrations stimulate the imagination and can have a
range of appearances from pencil sketches to watercolors and painted looks.
Chapter 9 prepares you to show digital work to your clients by producing prints, e-mailing
images, generating a web photo gallery, creating optimized web pages, and presenting slide shows.
You’ll finally learn strategies for protecting and cataloging your intellectual property with metadata,
watermarks, and passwords.

What’s on the Companion CD
The CD that accompanies this book includes all the files you’ll need to use the tutorials and exercises
throughout the chapters. The CD contents include native CAD and Photoshop files plus various types
of image formats.
The companion CD also contains AutoLISP and MAXScript programs used in tutorials involving
AutoCAD and Autodesk VIZ. Screen-captured computer videos are included that briefly describe
techniques for each chapter.
The free Acrobat Reader and a trial version of Photoshop CS are also included on the companion CD.