What are the alternative applications available to create lighting effects?

[Outtacontext]

I realize Adobe is getting rid of their 3D and lighting effects as they move to a new engine.

I'd like to get ahead of this and find out which alternative applications I can use to create lighting effects and 3D now. Which of the Substance applications would be best for creating lighting effects? Can I buy just one of the Substance applications (they price all of them at $50/month!).

What other Photohshop alternative applications include lighting effects (this is what I need the most)?

[Earth Oliver]

Lighting Effects for doing what? Do you need 3D? If so, use Blender.

[Outtacontext]

I want to be able to add directional light to my Photoshop files just as I've been able to do with Photoshop's filter: Render-->Lighting Effects

[mikioi60]

I need that too. I have been using that almost every day for years and now it just does not work anymore...

[Trevor.Dennis]

I need that too. I have been using that almost every day for years and now it just does not work anymore...

By @mikioi60

Can you be specific, preferably with example images?  The thing with Lighting Effects is that it is automatic and does not know where shading and highlights need t be applied for best effect.  In fact, it's the sort of thing Neural Filters would be good at using AI to analise the image, so I wonder if that's something we might see in future versions?

I'll try and give some alternatives, but they require manual input, but that's what makes them all the better.  I'll use this drone shot taken from above my house a few weeks ago (I am in New Zealand so it is winter here).

If we copy the layer (Ctrl J) and set it to Screen, we have a much brighter image.  We don't want that so we'll add a layer mask and fill the mask with black to hide it.

Then we paint the highlights in where we need them.  If the affect is too much you can reduce the layer opacity and/or feather the mask with Mask Properties.

Would Camera Raw's Radial Gradient work for you all?  It's not the same as Lighting Effects, but it does work very well and it is quick and easy.

[mikioi60]

I have not find any good alternative. With the lighting effect you can move the light around and it lights up differently. I usually use a point light with a tint. I make that layer twice and use one as luminosity and one as color. I mask and adjust opacity as needed. I really like that tool. Hopefully you are right and they will come up with something in the neural filters. Meanwhile I have reinstalled version 22.2 of Photoshop which allows me to use it. But it is a little frustrating to pay for a product and then have to downgrade it. Here are a few examples of RAW vs finished. (of course other adjustments where made prior to adding the lighting)

[jane-e]

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@mikioi60 wrote:

I have reinstalled version 22.2 of Photoshop which allows me to use it. But it is a little frustrating to pay for a product and then have to downgrade it.

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You can have multiple versions installed — I have about seven right now. Use 22.2 for lighting effect and the current version for the rest.

Jane

[mikioi60]

You can only have one version open. This means I work in one version then
save the file and open it in the other one....frustrating and counter
productive.

[jane-e]

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@mikioi60 wrote:

You can only have one version open.

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I apologize, I forgot that Windows OS has that limitation (and only see "cross-platform" in your tags.)

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Which of the Substance applications would be best for creating lighting effects?

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To answer that question, I'll tag our Substance expert @davescm 

Jane

[Bojan Živković]

I believe that this kind of adjustments/effects can be done sucesfully inside Camera Raw filter as suggested by @Trevor.Dennis 

[mikioi60]

It is not even close to what the 3D filter can do

[Zesty_wanderlust15A7]

Depending on what you need, maybe Boris FX has it.

There's a ton of stuff in there, and seemingly added to all the time.

If you hate subscription, I think on a lucky day you can also buy a version for ±$100.

[steve D]

Its really frustrating to lose a much loved, and well used, piece of functinality. I wish Adobe would give a clear indication if and when the Lighting Effects filter will be returned. Meanwhile, I would consider  switching to another programme that has a similar function - if I can find one....

[Trevor.Dennis]

This not exactly an alternative for Lighting Effects, but the email we got from Adobe Creative Cloud on the 19th Jan 2023 had some useful give-aways including a lighting effect.  There was also a rain covered window effect and some arty strokes effects.  It comes in a number of image overlays that live in CC Libraries.  You chose one, add it to your project and try different blend modes (probably Screen) for the lighting effect.

https://creativecloud.adobe.com/cc/discover/free-assets/

[Helmut243151150cd5]

Affinity Photo has a brilliantly implemented lighting effect!

I don't know why Adobe is stubborn to reintroduce the solution they had befor they thought it is a good idea to reimplement it based on their instable 3D engine.

The lighting effect is NOT a 3D feature and was part of Photoshop almost forever. It worked very well and did not require a 3D engine at all.

I don't know about the abilities of the Photoshop product management today but after John Nack left Adobe, they caused a couple of epic fails like changing the transform controls behavior or removing the line tool proving that they have not really a full plan how important single features are to the users. In these two examples the had to backtrack, let's hope they have too for the lighting effect. Until then I recommend Affinity Photo.

[jane-e]

The lighting effect is NOT a 3D feature and was part of Photoshop almost forever. It worked very well and did not require a 3D engine at all.

By @Helmut243151150cd5

The lighting effects used the 3D engine. Adobe recommends using Photoshop version 22.2 (from February 2021) if you need more stable performance with Photoshop’s 3D features, including lighting effects.

I don't know about the abilities of the Photoshop product management today but after John Nack left Adobe...

By @Helmut243151150cd5

John Nack, Principal Product Manager, returned to Adobe three years ago in 2021.

Jane

[Helmut243151150cd5]

That's true Jane, but he is not responsible for Photoshop anymore. He worked on Sensei and now on Adobe Firefly.