EufyMake

Custom 3D Texture Tutorial

Tutorial 1: Customizing 3D Texture from a 2D Image using Photoshop

Want to move beyond the default 3D Texture and gain precise creative control over your embossed effects? This guide shows you how to use professional software to refine your 3D textures, turning great designs into stunning, tangible art.

The key is editing a Grayscale Depth Map, where white represents the highest points of the texture and black represents the lowest.

Phase 1: Obtaining Your Grayscale Depth Map

Your creative process begins with a grayscale map. You can acquire this map in several ways, either downloading from our editor (Create pattern / relief texture in the editor and download depth image )or by creating a more detailed one from scratch using professional software（such as Zbrush, Blender and Adobe Photoshop).

Phase 2: Fine-Tuning in Adobe Photoshop

Now, the exciting sculpting"process begins. We will use Adobe Photoshop to edit this grayscale map.

Open the Grayscale Map: Open your exported file in Photoshop.
Understand the Tools and Their Effects:
1. To "Raise" the texture: Paint with a white brush or use the "Dodge Tool" to lighten specific areas. The brighter the area, the higher it will be in the final print.
2. To "Lower" the texture: Paint with a black brush or use the "Burn Tool" to darken specific areas. The darker the area, the lower it will be.
3. For Smooth Transitions: Use a soft-edged brush. Alternatively, after editing, you can apply a subtle "Gaussian Blur" filter (a radius of 0.5-1.5 pixels is recommended) to create smoother height transitions.
Common Editing Techniques:

Technique	Steps	Examples
Technique 1 Enhance the Subject, Mute the Background	Use the "Object Selection Tool" or "Magic Wand Tool" to create a precise selection of your main subject.
	Create a new "Curves" or "Levels" adjustment layer. Photoshop will automatically use your selection as a mask.
	Slightly drag the curve upward or move the white input slider in Levels. You will see the selected area brighten, effectively "raising" its height.
	Conversely, you can invert the selection (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + I), create another adjustment layer, and darken the background to create a stronger contrast.
Technique 2: Manually Paint Fine Details	Create a new layer for non-destructive editing.	-
	Select the "Brush Tool" and choose an appropriate brush tip.
	Paint with a very light gray to add subtle raised textures, or a dark gray to create engraved scratches.
	Adjust the layer's Opacity to control the intensity of these hand-painted details.

Save Your Modified Grayscale Map:
1. Once all edits are complete, export the file.
2. Remember: Again, choose PNG or TIFF to preserve quality.
3. It's good practice to save it with a new name, such as project-name_custom_depth_v1.png, for version control.

Phase 3: Importing Back into eufyMake Studio

Now, we will import our meticulously sculpted depth map back into the eufyMake Studio to witness the result. You could go back to your project window, and import the Custom Grayscale Map.The 3D preview window will instantly update to display the new 3D texture based on your precise edits in Photoshop. Finally, if you are not fully satisfied, simply return to Photoshop, make further adjustments. This iterative process can be repeated until the effect is perfect.

Tutorial 2: The Ultimate ZBrush to Physical Relief Workflow

This advanced tutorial is designed specifically for ZBrush users.

If you want to translate the lifelike details of your ZBrush sculpts into a tactile 3D texture on any flat surface, you've come to the right place.

We will dive deep into using ZBrush's powerful Alpha GrabDoc feature to create a seamless workflow with Photoshop and eufyMake Studio.

Phase 1: Generating a Depth Map (Alpha) from a 3D Model in ZBrush

This phase leverages a core ZBrush feature to snapshot the depth of your model from the current view into a high-quality grayscale image.

Model Preparation and Orientation:
1. Open or import your model in ZBrush (Tool > Import).
2. Drag your model onto the canvas and immediately press T to enter "Edit Mode."
3. Crucial Step: Define the Relief Angle. Orient your model so that the side you want to be at the front of the relief is facing the screen. This exact view will become your final embossed effect. Hold Shift while rotating to snap to clean orthographic views (front, top, etc.).

Set Document Size (This determines output resolution):
1. The quality of your depth map is tied to the ZBrush canvas size.
2. Go to the Document menu.
3. Turn off the Pro (proportional) button.
4. Set the Width and Height to your desired square resolution, for example, 2048 x 2048.
5. Click Resize. A confirmation dialog will appear; click Yes.
6. After the canvas resizes, press Ctrl + N to clear it. Drag your Tool back onto the center of the canvas.
7. Press T to re-enter Edit Mode, then press F (Frame) to automatically scale and center the model to the new canvas.
Generate the Depth Map (GrabDoc):
1. This is where the ZBrush magic happens.
2. Open the Alpha menu.
3. Find and click the "GrabDoc" button.
4. Instantly, ZBrush will generate a new grayscale map in the Alpha palette on the left. The part of the model closest to the camera (the screen) becomes pure white, and the part furthest away becomes pure black.

Export the Alpha (Depth Map):
1. In the Alpha palette, click on the newly generated map to select it.
2. Within the Alpha menu, click Export.
3. Important: When saving, set the file format to PSD (Photoshop Document) or TIFF (16-bit). These formats will preserve the full 16-bit depth information generated by ZBrush, giving you maximum flexibility in Photoshop.
4. Name the file project-name_zbrush_depth.psd and save it.

Phase 2: Optimization and Adjustment in Photoshop

While the Alpha from ZBrush is already very high quality, we can still perform artistic tweaks in Photoshop to perfect it for the final product.

Open the Depth Map: Open your exported project-name_zbrush_depth.psd file in Photoshop.
Check and Refine:
1. No Inversion Needed: Unlike some rendering workflows, the map generated by GrabDoc is already in the correct format (near is white, far is black). You do not need to invert the colors.
2. Levels Adjustment: Although ZBrush Alphas typically use the full dynamic range, you can still open Levels (Ctrl/Cmd + L) to check the histogram. If there are gaps at either end, move the black and white sliders inward to boost the overall contrast for a more defined relief.
3. Artistic Touches: This is your chance to get creative. Want to sharpen the edges? Use the Filter > Sharpen > Unsharp Mask with a small radius. Need to flatten the background completely? Use a selection tool to select the background and fill it with pure black.
Save the Final Grayscale Map: After all modifications, save a new version as project-name_custom_depth_final.png, again choosing 16-bit/channel during export if the option is available.

Phase 3: Verification and Application in eufyMake Studio

This is the final step where your digital art becomes a physical object. You could open eufyMake Studio to import a simple, solid-colored image to act as the canvas for your print. After you import your Grayscale Map, you could choose the file you finalized in Photoshop. Once you are satisfied, you are ready to print!