Question: Having finally signed up to creative cloud, which seems incredibly good value, I started to wander how the artwork Adobe use to promote their products is actually made... Its quite 3D, and looks very slick (see <http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:4TQFdMFdN40J:www.adobe.com/uk/products/creativesuite.html+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk>) 

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/4HHp3.jpg)

I am specifically referring to the 3D "Rods" that seem to be bursting out from a point. 

Would I be correct in thinking that (ironically) these are not made in any of the creative suite applications? I know PS and AI have basic 3D capability, but these look to be beyond those capabilities to me....

Answer: 
You can be make this using a 3D app which support (directly or by plugin) populating an object (the rod in this case) onto another object (f.ex a ball object) like a flat surface with a wide-angle camera. There is absolutely no need to use fractals, displacement and so forth.

I setup this scene in about 3 minutes in Vue Infinite just for the sake of demo (further light and camera adjustments ans so forth would make it more identical):

![Rods rendered in Vue](https://i.stack.imgur.com/RlqaD.png)

You can download a free version of Vue Pioneer here:  

[Vue Free version](http://www.cornucopia3d.com/products/vue/vue_2014_pioneer/?page=download)

(I am using Vue 10 Infinite - I am not sure if the free version supports population, you will need to check out the different versions at [E-onsoftware](http://www.e-onsoftware.com/))

I am also willing to share the file I used here if anyone is interested.
This could be done using fractals (quite tediously though).Although you may very well be right to think that there is a 3D app behind the underlying graphics) 

But again i think this not an easy design to replicate even by using [photoshop's capabilities to generate fractals](http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/tutorials-effects/how-to-simulate-fractals-in-photoshop/), **because replicating fractals is essentially harder than making one yourself**. 

I'm thinking a lot of layers would have to be used for the different the bars which seem to be coming out of the center (i guess one would just have to make at least one instance of each bar manually ) then using the fractal simulating technique **( `Ctrl+Alt+T` `>>followed by>>` *desired transformation* `>>followed by>>` `Ctrl+Shift+Alt+T`(many times until you get the fractal you want) )** and figuring out the placement of the transform center, one maybe able to generate the desired fractal. 

Check out [this fractal art work](http://xyrus02.deviantart.com/) and [tutorial](http://xyrus02.deviantart.com/art/Making-of-WHWF-262881512) on making fractal art.