Adobe has long been a major player providing software in
creative fields like photography, graphic design and film. But Adobe has been
working to build out more tools for making the three-dimensional worlds and
objects used in video games and, increasingly, the so-called metaverse, where
companies like Meta Platforms Inc are hoping to use augmented reality
technology to overlay digital content on the real world.
Adobe acquired software tools called Substance 3D in 2019
when it bought French firm Allegorithmic for an undisclosed sum. The tool helps
the makers of movies like Frozen 2 and games imbue the digital objects they
create with a wide array of lifelike textures, like wood or leather.
Adobe said that it has reworked the software so that it will
run on Apple's proprietary chips, a move that is likely to help Apple gain some
ground of its own.
While Apple's laptops and desktop are widely used in some
creative fields like music production, game developers tend to still rely on
PCs that can be paired with power graphics chips from Nvidia that help graphics
look more realistic.
But Apple's new chips have added new graphics processing
power, and Adobe plans to take full advantage of it in the new software, said
Francois Cottin, senior director of marketing at Adobe.
"For these kinds of use cases, vertical integration is
really key, from the app all the way to the chip," Cottin said.
"We've been working very closely with Apple on future-looking use cases. I
think Substance 3D definitely represent that."
Adobe also said Tuesday that it had signed up new customers
for its three-dimensional content creation tools, including German fashion
brand Hugo Boss and outdoor footwear brand Salomon Group. © Reuters