Adobe Photoshop has traditionally been the preferred tool for graphics artists, and with good reason. However, due to the application's 2D pixel-based method of handling graphics, other applications are needed when it comes to delving into the third dimension. For a relatively small price, Vertigo 3D's HotTEXT 1.5 plug-in will allow you to add impressive 3D text from right within Photoshop.
As any 3D novice will tell you, most of the 3D graphics applications are overwhelming and difficult to become familiar with. Fortunately, HotTEXT's interface is simple and straightforward, yet offers virtually every command you could want for creating and altering the appearance of 3D text. Simply enter the text and your ready to fine tune your creation. All the standard 3D commands are at your disposal, including rotating the letters or camera angle and zooming in and out. Light sources can be added with a simple click, and adding one of the several preset bevels takes seconds. You can choose the two colors (for the text and 3D protrusion) or apply a texture (the CD contains 170 of them). One of the more impressive features of HotTEXT involves binding the text to a path, allowing it to follow a simple curve or a spherical helix.
Despite its many benefits, HotTEXT has its fair share of shortcomings. The lighting effects usually make the textures far too bright when rendered. With many fonts (mostly complex ones), HotTEXT would drop characters, making them useless. HotTEXT's Font menu also automatically goes to the top when it's selected, causing users with lengthy font lists to scroll much more than needed. With a 3D accelerator installed the work area will appear blank until "Use 3D Acceleration" is selected from the preferences. Unfortunately, you'll need at least 4 MB of VRAM if you start applying textures. Also, the "acceleration" is very minimal; ATI's top-of-the-line NexusGA card offered only minimal speed gains when rendering (which usually takes a minute or two). Finally, if you plan on altering the 3D Text in Photoshop, make sure you create a new layer first, since HotTEXT neither automatically does this nor creates a selection around it afterwards.
Any Photoshop user who has been looking to reap the impressive visual benefits of 3D text but has been turned off by the cost or complexity of dedicated 3D applications will love HotTEXT. It's not perfect, but it's effective and packs a lot of punch into a $79 package. 
© 1998 The MacNN Review
