Texture Exporter and Photoshop CC 2015

As you may or may not be aware, Adobe’s latest version of Photoshop CC 2015 was recently released. There have been many changes to this version of Photoshop that unfortunately affect Texture Exporter.

If you have installed Photoshop CC 2015 using Creative Cloud, there’s a chance that it automatically removed CC 2014 and CC versions from your computer (there’s an ‘Advanced Options’ section where you can keep previous versions installed). The Texture Exporter Panel will still exist as before, but there is a major issue where Photoshop CC 2015 will crash when you click on the Setup, Export Options, Export, or Quick Export buttons.

You can still use Texture Exporter with Photoshop CC 2015, but you will need to use the Photoshop CS5+ version. Everything functions the same – except for the fact that the main panel is not floating (it will close once you click on a button). If  you use the CS5+ version, I recommend creating a hotkey so you can quickly open the main panel or create hot-keys for  launching the scripts individually. For more information on setting up the CS5+ version and hotkeys, please see the _readme.txt file that is included in the ZIP file.

Photoshop CC 2015 also introduces a new way of handling UI through scripting. Unfortunately, this also means that the UI does not appear as intended. Some of the issues I’ve seen include:
– main panel buttons do not display the ‘mouse over’ state
– other buttons do not have text (you can still see tool-tips to see what the button do at least)
– check box buttons look bad
– fonts are not formatted correctly
– Diffuse, Specular, Normal and Translucency groups in Global Defaults are cut-off in their sections (they’re still functional though)

I will update this post with any news on the situation. I also hope to provide you with a proper CC 2015 compatibility update in the near future.

Please note that I am currently working with Adobe to address these issues as quickly as possible. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and greatly appreciate your patience.

Thank you!

Texture Exporter Reviewed!

3dtotal just reviewed Texture Exporter, giving it a 4.5 out of 5 stars! For those of you who may not know, Texture Exporter is a Photoshop plug-in that provides an easy to use, customizable, and extremely fast way for you to manage and export your texture maps. If you’re looking for a great explanation on some of the features and how Texture Exporter can help you out with your texturing or game development, please check it out here.

I’d like to thank Danny, who’s working on a very cool looking 1st person exploration game called Eastshade, and 3dtotal for taking the time to put the review together. It’s always nice to get feedback on products you work hard on and I hope this will encourage some other artists and game developers to consider trying Texture Exporter out for themselves or even purchasing it.

I’m always open and receptive to all feedback, so if you’ve tried Texture Exporter out, please leave a comment below. I’d also love to see more reviews or thoughts on Texture Exporter in the future, so if you’re interested in reviewing it for your own website, twitch, youtube channel, or elsewhere, feel free to contact me.

Thanks!

 

Lee

Texture Exporter v0.9.5 Released

The latest version of Texture Exporter has been released! In case you’re not familiar, Texture Exporter is an add-on for Photoshop that provides artists and game developers with an easy to use, customizable, and extremely fast way to export and manage texture maps.

One of the more significant changes in this update is that the Free version of Texture Exporter has been completely overhauled. The Free ‘non-commercial’ version now contains the exact same features and functionality as the Indie version with the only limitations being a popup delay when exporting, and an export texture size limit of 64 x 64 pixels. Export settings are compatible between versions, so if you create a file using the Free version, you can export it using the Indie or Pro version (and vice-versa). This lets you properly evaluate Texture Exporter, while allowing an effortless transition between the Free version and the Indie or Pro versions. Click here to download and try out the Free version.

In addition to the Free version’s overhaul, here is a list of several important features that have been added to Texture Exporter v0.9.5:

  • TIF and JPG file types have been added. Texture maps can now be exported as TGA, PNG, TIF, JPG or PSD files. For 16 bit color precision, you can use PNG, TIF, or PSD files.
  • Relative Paths are now supported. This feature was actually requested by someone else, and I was happy to implement it. Relative paths allow for much greater flexibility when assigning export folders for your texture maps.
  • PNG files can now be exported with transparency.
  • Error handling has also been improved. For example, you are now warned if an exported texture map is read-only and given an option to browse to that file’s folder to correct it. This is a very useful feature for those of you working with source control.
  • For a complete list of changes, please see the _readme.txt file included with the latest version of Texture Exporter.

To learn more about Texture Exporter, please click here.

Happy texturing!

 

Lee

Introducing Texture Exporter

I am proud to announce that Texture Exporter is now available!

Texture Exporter is an add-on for Photoshop that drastically improves your texture creation work-flow by streamlining the setup, management, and export process. It is easy to use, fully customizable, and extremely fast. Using Texture Exporter will not only save you time and money, but allow you to keep your focus on making great art.

As a veteran game developer and artist with over 19 years of experience, I understand just how important it is to have great tools and an efficient pipeline when creating artwork. Most artists are under tremendous pressure to create outstanding visuals with unrealistic deadlines outside of their own control. There is never any room for error, but iterations are inevitable. This is when and where problems usually occur. Fatigue, frustration, or even complacency kick in, which can lead to many ‘simple improvements’ or ‘fixes’ causing critical errors or bugs that have a significant cost to the project and team.

Texture Exporter mitigates potential errors from artists by streamlining and automating the export process. Artists can still customize their textures the way they like, but all important information such as export locations, name conventions, re-size options, and file formats, are remembered and stored within the PSD file. Artists simply need to click on a button to export their texture(s), and that’s it.

Texture Exporter was created to provide artists and game developers with a highly useful, AAA-quality tool that is affordable to everyone – not just studios with multi-million dollar budgets. A tremendous amount of time and effort went into its creation, so if you think it could be of use to you, please consider purchasing it to help support my efforts and any future updates. I also welcome any suggestions or feedback you may have regarding Texture Exporter, so I can make it as useful and user friendly as possible.

Download the Free Trial, purchase the Indie version for only $15, or purchase the Pro version for $30. Buy it now and save 20% on our limited-time promotion for early adopters.

Thank you!

Lee

Website Updates

Just a quick note that the website will be undergoing some updates, improvements, and changes over the next week or so.

As part of the website updates, the Unorthodox Game Dev Tools will be taken offline and replaced with a rebranded, and much improved Photoshop add-on. The pricing model will be $15 for the ‘Indie’ version and $30 for the ‘Pro’ version.

Don’t worry if you’ve purchased the add-on previously. Early adopters will receive the ‘Pro’ version once it’s released in the new year, including all future updates for FREE. For anyone looking to improve your Photoshop texturing workflow, now is your chance to take advantage and save some money!

I look forward to unveiling the new add-on and sharing more information with you very soon!

November 2014 – Quick Update

I just wanted to do a quick update to let visitors know that I’ve been extremely busy working on a few things, which is why there have been no blog posts from me for a few months.

Please follow me on twitter or check back soon, as I will be making an announcement in the near future regarding big changes and improvements to the Unorthodox Game Dev Tools for Photoshop. While things have taken much longer than I anticipated, I’m hopeful it will have been worth the time and effort.

I have also been made aware of a compatibility issue with the tools and latest version of Photoshop (CC 2014). I believe I have addressed the issue for everyone who reported a problem, but if you are having an issue, please let me know and I will provide you with a temporary fix while I continue working towards the new and improved version (which is compatible with Photoshop CC 2014).

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

 

Quick Update – March 2014

Well, it’s been ages since the last update, so I figured I should pop in to let you know of some exciting things coming soon. Hard to believe it’s been 1 full year since the EA Montreal studio closed. Time flies when you’re having fun I guess!

While there is still no game to announce or even discuss at this point in time, things are progressing well on other fronts, including several updates and changes planned for the website in the very near future. Here are a few of the things you can expect to see shortly:

  • Disqus comments system. I noticed that there have been zero comments from anyone since I launched the website, so I will be updating things to the popular and user friendly Disqus comments system. I realize the traffic on the website is minimal at the moment, but this will hopefully help provide a foundation to support future growth and allow for better user feedback and conversations moving forward.
  • The website will be undergoing some potential aesthetic changes as well. Most likely a simple color palette change to brighten things up a bit, but possibly more. I’ll see how I feel about it when I get there.
  • Most importantly, I’m working on a texture tool for Photoshop that I intend to launch through Adobe Exchange and this website very soon. The tool should be highly useful to anyone who deals with textures for games or 3D assets in general. There will be a ‘lite’ version of the tool for free, and a full featured version as well (price TBD). Once the tool is ready, the website will be updated to provide plenty of information about it.
  • Beyond the texture tool, the next focus will be on a simple Unity 3D tool that anyone working on 3D should find extremely useful.

While the goal of the company is to develop video games, I am focusing on tools development in the short-term for a variety of reasons:

  1. To provide myself and other game developers (especially indies), with some simple, affordable, and powerful tools to help increase productivity while hopefully gaining some exposure for my own company.
  2. To gain experience with programming and going through the complete process of ‘shipping’ a product. So far, the experience has been very rewarding and I am definitely learning many things that will assist me with creating and distributing an actual game.
  3. To help provide a small amount of supplementary income for my own game development venture. I’m trying to be realistic here, but I’m hopeful that it will provide at least enough income to cover the tool’s development costs. I’m living off my savings at the moment, so there is a tough road ahead. Any additional income will help me extend things before money runs out, and hopefully allow me to create a quality product that people can enjoy.

Quick Update – New Logo

It’s been quite a while since my last post, so I thought I’d give a quick update. Things are progressing well, and while there won’t be any game announcements from me for a while, I am currently in the process of creating some new content for the website to share.

Firstly, the logo has been updated! The old version’s font was a little too whimsical and difficult to read in my opinion, but I’d be interested in hearing your own feedback and thoughts in the comments below.

I am also working on a post where I will be sharing some knowledge and tips about the texture creation process. Specifically, I will be discussing the importance of creating and using a texture guide when developing a game. Look for that to go up sometime next week.

Last but not least, I recently did an interview with Night Dive Studios (publisher of Wizardry 8 on Steam). I will post the interview in its entirety here in the very near future, but for now, you can check out some snippets from the interview on their Facebook page.

Please follow me on Twitter to stay informed on future site updates, or check back from time to time.

Welcome.

Hello, and welcome to the Unorthodox Entertainment website!

My name is Lee Haneman, and I’m finally following my dream of starting an independent game development company after working in the industry for over 17 years. This is a brand new and exciting venture for me, and I look forward to the upcoming challenges that await.

The main purpose of this website is to chronicle the company’s journey, while providing additional information and updates on upcoming games. You can follow on Twitter and Facebook, or contact me directly. I invite everyone to join in with their comments and feedback along the way.