Getting Started
Adobe Dimension gives designers the ability to quickly composite 3D and 2D elements in a scene, customize models, specify materials, and create realistic lighting. Once the final staged scene is assembled, the advanced rendering engine in Dimension will output the scene to a two-dimensional Photoshop file complete with realistic textures, materials, shadows, and reflections. Dimension is perfect for advertising, product design, scene visualization, abstract art, package design, or creative exploration.
About Classroom in a Book
Adobe Dimension Classroom in a Book (2020 release) is part of the official training series for Adobe graphics and publishing software, developed with the support of Adobe product experts. The lessons are designed to let you learn at your own pace. If you’re new to Adobe Dimension, you’ll learn the fundamental concepts and features that you’ll need to master the program. And if you’ve been using Adobe Dimension for a while, you’ll find that Classroom in a Book teaches many advanced features, including tips and techniques for using the latest version of the application and creating realistic scenes with 3D models.
Although each lesson provides step-by-step instructions for creating a specific project, there’s room for exploration and experimentation. You can follow the book from start to finish or do only the lessons that match your interests and needs. Each lesson concludes with a review section summarizing what you’ve covered.
Prerequisites
Before you begin to use Adobe Dimension Classroom in a Book (2020 release), you should have a working knowledge of your computer and its operating system. Make sure that you know how to use the mouse and standard menus and commands, and also how to open, save, and close files. If you need to review these techniques, see the documentation for your Microsoft Windows PC or Apple Mac computer.
To complete the lessons in this book, you’ll need to have Adobe Dimension installed. It will also be helpful to have Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator installed for exploration in a couple of the lessons.
Installing Adobe Dimension
Before you begin using Adobe Dimension Classroom in a Book (2020 release), make sure that your system is set up correctly and that you’ve installed the required software. You must license the Adobe Dimension software separately. For system requirements and complete instructions on installing the software, visit helpx.adobe.com/dimension/system-requirements.html.
A couple of the lessons in this book use Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. You can install Photoshop and Illustrator on your computer using the Adobe Creative Cloud desktop application, available at adobe.com/creativecloud/desktop-app.html. Follow the on-screen instructions.
Starting Adobe Dimension
You start Dimension just as you do most software applications.
To start Adobe Dimension in Mac: Click the Adobe Dimension icon in the Launchpad or Dock.
To start Adobe Dimension in Windows: Click the Start button in the taskbar, and in the alphabetical list under A, click Adobe Dimension.
If you don’t see Adobe Dimension, type Dimension into the search box in Spotlight (Mac), in the taskbar (Windows), and when the Adobe Dimension application icon appears, select it and press Return/Enter.
Online content
Your purchase of this Classroom in a Book includes online materials provided by way of your Account page on adobepress.com. These include:
Lesson files
To work through the projects in this book, you will need to download the lesson files by following the instructions below.
Web Edition
The Web Edition is an online interactive version of the book providing an enhanced learning experience. Your Web Edition can be accessed from any device with a connection to the Internet and it contains:
The complete text of the book
Hours of instructional video keyed to the text
Interactive quizzes
Accessing the lesson files and Web Edition
You must register your purchase on adobepress.com in order to access the online content:
Sign in or create a new account.
Click Submit.
Answer the question as proof of purchase.
The lesson files can be accessed from the Registered Products tab on your Account page. Click the Access Bonus Content link below the title of your product to proceed to the download page. Click the lesson file link(s) to download them to your computer.
The Web Edition can be accessed from the Digital Purchases tab on your Account page. Click the Launch link to access the product.
Note
If you encounter problems registering your product or accessing the lesson files or web edition, go to www.adobepress.com/support for assistance.
Note
If you purchased a digital product directly from www.adobepress.com or www.peachpit.com, your product will already be registered. However, you still need to follow the registration steps and answer the proof of purchase question before the Access Bonus Content link will appear under the product on your Registered Products tab.
Restoring default preferences
The preferences file stores information about various command settings in Dimension. Each time you quit Dimension, the selections you make in the Preferences dialog are saved in the preferences file.
To ensure that what you see on-screen matches the images and instructions in this book, you should restore the default preferences as you begin each lesson. If you prefer to preserve your preferences, be aware that the settings in Dimension may not match those described in this book.
To restore your preferences to the factory default, do the following:
Start Adobe Dimension.
Choose File > New to create a new, blank file.
Choose Adobe Dimension > Preferences (macOS) or Edit > Preferences (Windows).
Click Reset Preferences.
Click OK.
Additional resources
Adobe Dimension Classroom in a Book (2020 release) is not meant to replace documentation that comes with the program or to be a comprehensive reference for every feature. Only the commands and options used in the lessons are explained in this book. For comprehensive information about program features and tutorials, refer to these resources:
Adobe Dimension Learn and Support: helpx.adobe.com/support/dimension.html is where you can find and browse Learn and Support content on Adobe.com. You can go there directly from Dimension by choosing Help > Dimension Help.
Home screen: In Dimension, the Home screen contains various links to tutorials and other learning content.
Dimension tutorials: helpx.adobe.com/dimension/tutorials.html lists online tutorials for beginner and experienced users.
Getting Started with Adobe Dimension YouTube videos: In Dimension, choose Help > Learn.
Dimension blog: theblog.adobe.com/creative-cloud/dimension/ brings you tutorials, product news, and inspirational articles about Dimension.
Adobe Support Community: community.adobe.com lets you tap into peer-to-peer discussions, questions, and answers on Adobe products.
Adobe Dimension product home page: adobe.com/products/dimension.html provides information about product features and system requirements.
Resources for educators: adobe.com/education and edex.adobe.com offer a treasure trove of information for instructors who teach classes on Adobe software. Find solutions for education at all levels, including free curricula that use an integrated approach to teaching Adobe software and can be used to prepare for the Adobe Certified Associate exams.
Adobe Authorized Training Centers
Adobe Authorized Training Centers offer instructor-led courses and training on Adobe products.
A directory of AATCs is available at learning.adobe.com/partner-finder.html.