How can I make a GIF of a 3D image in CS5?

Photoshop itself can’t handle 3D artwork, but if you have access to a 3D modeling program like 3DS Max or Maya you could make the model there and save a bunch of renderings. You’d rotate the image a fraction of a degree, save the rendering to a file, and repeat until the object had rotated 360 degrees. After saving all the renderings, you’d have to combine them all into one animated gif. As far as I’m aware, Photoshop doesn’t do animated gifs, so you’d need a program like The Gimp. You’d import all your renderings into Gimp and put them in order, then export the animated gif. Voila!

Whoa…

Those things look tough aas shit to learn, and I don’t thonk my pc could handle them if I did get them (legally or not)

Could I take a GIF of the T.A.R.D.I.S with no background and make it into a 3d model with one of those? I would need to figure out how to make the to and bottom though.

@XOIIO um… well, there is technology these days that will do something like that, but even those methods won’t give you any of the surfaces that aren’t showing. I assume you only have a single photo of the TARDIS, in which case a 3D generated model of it would be missing at least 3 of the 6 total faces. The TARDIS is a famous enough object for there to be people online who have already modeled it in 3D. You could try to find a 3D model file (.3ds, .rla, etc) and import it into Rhinoceros and use the animation tools to make the renderings I was talking about. Rhino isn’t nearly as intense as the other programs I mentioned (in both ease of use as well as PC requirements).

Photoshop CS5 can import 3D files actually. There’s plenty of tutorials if you google for it. And I’m sure you can find a tutorial to make it into a gif, although I’d use after effects personally for that.

I’m assuming you have a 3D model on file… Photoshop can only import it and manipulate it/place it.

Ah, you’re right. Photoshop CS5 Extended can import 3D files – I forgot. Anyway, I don’t think Photoshop will allow you to rotate the 3D image and save a series of renderings. As far as creating an animated gif goes, it looks like you were right about that too! Photoshop fully supports animation sequences – whaddaya know? I guess I’ve just never used it for that before. Truth be told, tho, Photoshop is not really an animation tool. After Effects might be a better bet, but I’d stick with Gimp if I were you. Any luck finding a TARDIS 3D file online?