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jjS SOLIDWORKS
Photorealistic Rendering Using
SOLIDWORKS
AND OTOVIEW 360
Learn the fundamentals of photorealistic rendering at
your own speed, as you progress from simple to more
complex renderings.
~
jjS SOLID INORKS
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Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
About This Book ....... . . .. . . . ....... . .. . ...... .. . ............ . . ........ . ... . . . .. .. .... . . . ... ... .2
Prerequisites . . . ... . . ...... . .. . . .... . .... . ..... .... . . ...... . ... ... ......................... .. 2
Pro duct Visualization ...... .. ..... . ... ... ........................ .. . . .. . ....... . ... . . .............2
Pro duct Visualizat ion Tools . . . . .. . .. . .... . ....... ...... ... ...... . . .. ....... . ....... . . .. .. . ...... . 3
Appearances.... ... . . .... . . ..... .... . . ... . .. .. . . .. . ..... .. .. .... .. .............. .. .. .. . ... . . 3
Display States . .. . ... ......... . . . ... . . . . ... .. . .... .. .... .... ............ . . . . ......... .. ..... 3
Photorea listic Rendering .... ........ ... .. . ... ... ..... ....... . .......... . . ...... . ..... . .. . .... . .. 4
Right Bra in versus Left Brain .... ... . . . .. .... .. ... . .. . ... ... . . .. .. ... . ....... . ....... . . .. . .. . . . . . 4
Right Brain ... . ... .... . ........ . . . . ........ . . . ...... . ........ ..... . ........ . ..... . .... ... ... 4
Left Brain ....... .. . . .. . . . ... .. . .................... .. ............. . ..... . . . . . . ... . ... . .. .. . 4
Putting It Together ........ . .... .... .. ..... . .. . . ... .. .... . .. . ......... . . ... ........ . ... . .. . . . 4
What Is This Book About ? . . . .. . .. . . ....... .. ..... ... .... .. .. ... ..... . ...... . ...... . ..... . ....... 5
Cameras ...... . .. .. . .. ...... . .. . . .. . . . . .. . . ..... .... . ... ..... . ....... . .... .... .. . ............. .. 5
Rendering Results.. .. . . ... .... . . . .. ..... . . .... .... .. ... ..... . ....... . .. .. .. .... ... . ....... . . . .. . 5
Instructional Design Philosophy . .. . .. ..... . . .. . .. . . . ... . . . .. . ..... . . .... ... .... . ..... . . .. . . .. 6
Using This Book . . . ... . ....... ...... .... ... . .. ..... . .. ........ . . .. .. . .... . . . . ... ....... . .... . 6
About t he DVD............. ....... ... .. . .............. . . .. . . . . . ...... . ....... . .. . ........... 6
Images ... .. .... . . .. ... . . .... .... . .. .... ............ ... ....... .. ......... ... . . . ... . .. .. ...... 7
SolidWorks Versions .......... . .. . ... . . ... ... . .... . ... . . ..... ... ....... . ..... . .. ... . . ... . ... .7
Third-Party Software .. ... ..... .... .... . ... . .. ....... .......... . .... . ...... . . . . .. . .. .. .... ... -7
Conventions Used in This Book . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. . . . .. ..... . . . . . . ... .... .... . . ............ ... 8
OpenGL Shadow ............. ... ... .. ... . .... . .......... . .... . . .......... .. ... . ..... . .... . ..12
Software OpenGL .. .. .. .... .. .. ............. ..... . ...... . ... ... . ... ... . . .... .. ..... . ... . . ..... .. 12
ReaiView . ......... ... . .... ...... ............... ... .............. ... . ..... ...... .. . .... . . . ...... 13
ReaiView Shadows . . . .... ... .... . . . ..................... . ....... .. . . . ........ ...............14
Graphics Cards ........ .. .. ..................................... .... . ............. . ... . ....... . ..14
PhotoView 360 ... . .............. ..... ............... ...... ............... .. ................15
Product Visualization Display Comparison ... . . . .... . .......... . .......... . . . .. . ....... . ... . .... ..16
Elements of Product Visualization .. ......... ..... ... . .. .. ......... . ... .... . .. ... ... . . . .. . . . ......16
Model ........ .... . .... .. ..................... . .. .... ... . .. . . .. .. . . .. .............. ... .. .. ..16
Viewpoint ........... ..... ....... .. ........ .. .................... . . .. .......... . .... . .. ... ..16
Appearances ... ... .. . .. .. .... . . ......... .. . . .. ... ... .. ....... .. ..... . ............ .. .. .. . .. . . 17
Scenes . . .. . . .... .. ......... ... . ... .... . ..... ......... . . . .......... . .. . . .. ...... . . . . . .. . .... 17
Lighting ... .. . ..... . ... ... .. . .... ........... . .. .............. .. . .. ............. . . . . . . .. .. . .. 17
Monitor Corrections ..... . ............. ... . .. ... . . . ... .......... . .. . . ... . . ....... . . . .... . . . . .. .. . 17
Monitor Adjustments ......... ... . . ................................. . ............... ...... ... 17
Color Correction . .............. ...... ................................................ . ......18
An Adjustment Alternative ... .. .......... .. .. .. ....... . ........... . .. ..... . .. .............. ..19
Case Study: Display and Appearances .. . ... . ................... .. ............. . ..... . ...... ... . . 64
Case Study: Appearances from Materials . .. .. . .. .. . .......... . .. ....... . ... .............. . ... ... 68
Appearances from Materials .. . . . .... ... . . ....... .. . . .. .. .... . . ... ......... ..... ... ...... ... 68
Removing Appearances ..... . ... ... . . ...... .... ....... .... .... . . . .... . .. . ....... . . .. . . .... . . 72
In Summary .... . . . ........... . ....... . .... .. ... . .. . .... ..... ... . ..... .. . .. . . ... ....... ..... 73
Editing Scenes ..................... .. ... . . ... .. . ........ . .... ... ........ ...... ..... ........... . 73
Render and Preview Quality . .. ........... ... . ......... . . . ..... . .... . ..... .. ...... . .. . . ......... . 75
Case Study: Quality Sett ings .... .. . .. . ........... ..... .......... ... . ... .... . . .. . ........... . .. ...77
Final Render Window ....... ..... . . .......... ... ........ .. . . ..... . .......... . ... . ..... . ... . . 84
Comparing Resu lts .. . . .. . ... . ..... . . . .. . .. ... . .... . .. .. .................. . .. .. ...... . ......... . 85
Statistics Tab . . . ... . ............... . ........ ... . . . . ................. . ...... ... .... ..... .. . . 85
Compare and Options Tab ... ...... ....... ...... ... ..................... .. ..... ... ......... . 86
Case Study: Computer Monitor ........................... ... ...... .. ..... . . ... . .... . . ......... 102
St ages in the Process . . .... .. . .... . .... ..... . . .............. . . . . .. . ..... . ...... . . .. . .. .. .. 102
Perspective View ... . . . .... . .. . . .. .... . .. . . .. ....... .. ............ . ..... .... ......... .. ... 103
Modify Perspective View ............ . ............ ........ ......... .. ... ... ... ... ...... .... 103
Creating Custom Colors ........ ..... .............. . . .... . ....... ...... ...... . ...... ....... .... 106
Defini ng a Color ... .... . . ........ . .......... . .. ....... . . . ......................... .. ... .....107
Custom Folders ... . . ........ . . . .. . ... . ... . . .. . . . ..... . ... .. . . .. .. . . ... . .... . . ... . .. .. . . . .. . 110
Hierarchy Review ...... .. .... ............... . ..... .. .. .. . ... . ... . ... ... ...... . .... . ..... . .... .. 117
Chapter 7: Decals
Decals ........ ........ . . . . ......... .. ........ . .. ..... . .. .......... . ... .. .... .. ... ...... .. .. .. . .152
Print Screen ................................ ... .. . .. . ....... . .. . ... . ... .. ..... .. . .. . . .... ..152
Case Study: Monitor Face ... .. . .. . .. . . . .. . .. . . ........ . . . .. . . .. .. .. .. ... . . ....... .. ...... ..... .153
Applying Decals ... . . ... . .. .... ..... . . ....... . . .. . .. . ... . .. . ....... . ...... . ... . ... .. . ... .. . 156
Decals PropertyManager .. .... ... . .... .......... .. . . .... .......... . .. . .... .. ..... . .. . . . .. . 156
Decal Files .. .......... . ... . ..... . . ......... . . . ...... ... . . ...... ... ............ .. . .... ..... 160
Decal Mapping ...... ... ... . .......... . .... .. . . .... . . ...... . .... .. .. . . ..... . .. ... .. .. .... . ..... 162
Applying Decals .......... . ..... ... . .. . . ...... .... . . . ...... .......... ..... ... . . ... . . .. ..... 162
Case Study: Label Mapping . ... ..... .. . .. . ................ .. . .. . ... . . . . .. . . ..... .. ....... ... ... 163
Case Study: Multiple Decals ..... .. ..... . . ......................... . ............... . .. . .. . . .. .. 166
Adjusting Decals ... .... .... ........ . . .. . . . ... . .. . . . .... .. .... . ....... .... . . . . . . . ........ ...167
Image Masks ......... .. .... . ......... .. . . .. . . . ........ . ......... . . . . ......... .. .. . . . .... . 169
Decal Visibility ................. . ..... ......... .. .. ............ .. ............. ......... .... 169
Add a Decal with a Mask ... . .. ... ... . ..... . ........ . . . ........ ...... ..... . . . ........ ... ... 169
Decal Order ... .. ....... ....... . . ..... . . .. . . . ... .. . . .... . ... ... . . . . .. ..... ... . . .. . .. . .. . .... 175
Case Study: Gradient Masks ........... .. . ..... . .. .......... . .......... . ...... ... .. .. ..... .. .. . .176
Solution .......... . ...... . ....... . ....... ... . .... . ... . . . .. .... . . . .. . .. ......... . . .. . .. . .... 177
Chapter 8: Viewpoint
Viewpoint .. ........ ... . . . . . . . . ... .... .. .. ... . . . . .. .. . .. .. . . ...... . .. .... . .... .. ....... .. ..... 184
Positioning t he Viewpoint ... .. ....... . ........... .... . ... .... .. ........ ...... ... .............. 184
Middle Mouse Button Functions .. . . . ........ ... . .. .. . .. .. . ....... . ... . ........ . ... ... .. .. . 185
Arrow Keys .. ... .... ....... .... ............. . ...... . ... . ... . ...... . ......... ....... .... . . . 186
Adjusting the Arrow Key Movement .. . .. . .. . . . .. . . .. ... ... . .... . . ... ...... . .... ..... .. .. . . . 186
Named Views .. . ... . . .. . ...... . . .......... . .... . ..... .. ... . . .... . . . . ....... .... .... .... . . ... .. .187
Perspective View ............ . .. .... . . .. . .. .. . . ... . .......... . .. ... ... . ....... . .......... .. . . . .187
Modify Perspective View ..... .... . .. . ...... . . .. . ... ...... ... ......... ................... . .. 187
The SolidWorks Camera ... . .... . ..... . ..... . ............. . . . . . ... . .... ... . ... ... . .. . .. . . ...... 189
Topics .... ...... ...... .. . ............. .. . . .. ... .. . .. . .... . .......... . . ..... . . . .... . . ... . .. 189
vii
Adding Cameras ........ . . . .... . . .... . .... . .... . .. . . .. .. .. ... .. . . ............ . . . .......... 189
Aiming and Positioning the Camera .. ... ...... . . .... .. . .. .. ... . . ..... ..... . .. .. ... ... . ..... 190
Case Study: Cameras . . . .. ..... ......... . . . ...... . ............ . ...... . ..... . ... . . . . . .... ..... .. 190
Locking t he Camera Position....... . ......... . .............. . .. . .... . ....... ... ........ ..... 191
Camera Lenses ... .. .. .... . .... .. . . . ... . ... ... .... . .. . .. .... . . .. . ...... . . . ... . ..... . .... .. 194
Field of View ....... .. . . ........... .. ............ ....... ....... ..... ..... . ... . . .. . .. . ..... 194
View Rectangle .. . ......... . ..... ... . .. . . ...... . .. .... .. .. . .. ..... . ....... . .............. . 195
View Rectangle .... . .. ...... ....... ... ......................... .... . ....... ... ...... . ... . . 199
Camera Rotation ... . . . . . . . .. . .. . ............ . .. . ....... .. .... . ... ... . . ...... ...... ........ 200
Camera Aspect Ratio ......................... ... ........ . ....... .. . . .... ... ... . ........... 202
View Area ........ .. . .... ... . .. . . . .. . ......... . ..... ............ . ..... . .... . .. .. .......... 208
Apparent Depth ..... .... .... . .... . . . . .. ..... . ......... . . .. .. . .. ........ ....... ..... .. .. ... ... . 209
Case Study: Apparent Depth ......... .. . . .. .. . .. . ..... . .. ......... . . .... .. ... . . . . . ... .. .. ..... . 209
St andard Lens ........ ... .. ........................... . . ..... . .... . ..... ..... . .... . ........ . ... 211
Depth of Field ............................... . .... . . .. .. ... . .. .. ... . . . . .......... ... ........ ... 211
Use of Depth of Field . .......... .. .. .. ........ .. . ................ . .......... .. ........... .. 211
Case Study: Setting Depth of Field . .... . . .... .......... . .. . ....... . ............ .. . ... . . .... . .... 212
Case St udy: Gett ing Behind the Walls .... .. .......... . .... . . . .... ............ . ....... . . ..... .... 217
Case Study: PowerPoint . . . .. . ......... ... .......... ..... ........ . ............ . ................ 276
::>ost-processing Images ....... .. . ... ... . . .. . ......... .. .... . . . .. .. ..... . . .... . ................ 278
Alpha Channels ......... ... ........ ..... ............ ... ......... ..... ......... ....... . ....... . 278
Case Study: Alpha Channel. .. .......... ... ......................... ... ......... ... .... . ... ..... 279
Save Laye red Image ..... . .. . .. . .. ....... .. . .. . . . .. . .... . . . . ... . ...... ... . ... ..... . . . ..... ..... 281
Bloom ........... . .... .... ........ . ........ . ... . . .. .... . .......... . .. . ..... . .... . ....... . .... . 283
Using Bloom ....... . .............. . ....... .... . .. .................... . . ...... . ........... . 287
Reflection and Refraction Options ................. . ..... . .... .. .... . ... .. ................. 324
Secondary Reflections ...................................... ... ..... . ..................... 325
Ray Tracing Depth ... .... ............................ .. ...... . .. ... . ....... ... ........ .. .. 325
Refractions .. .. .... ..... ... .................... ... .. ......... .. ..... ..... . ..... ....... ... . 328
Custom Render Settings...................... .... ......... . ..... ....... .... .... ...... ..... 330
Alternate Choice ... .. ........................... .. ........................... . ............ 332
Liquids ..... . .......... . . .... . .... .. .... . . .. ....................... . ............... . .......... 334
Caustics ............... .. .... ........ ............... .... ... ........ ................. ... ...... . 335
Types of Caustics .... .... ...... . ..... . ..... . ...................................... ........ 335
Caustic Settings ................ . ... . ........... . .. .......... . ............................ 336
Case Study: Caustics ... ... ....... ....... . ........... . ..... ...... ............... .... ...... ..... 337
Rounded Corners ... ... ...... .. ..... .. ... . ..... . .. . .... . .......... . ... . ....... ....... . .... 405
Missing Files ........... . .. . .......... . .. . ... . . . .. . . . . . .......... ... ........ . .. ... .... . . . . . . . . .406
Search Order .. .......... .. ... . . . ..... . ....... . .. . .. . . .. ..... . ....... ..... . . . .... .. . . . ... .406
Handling Missing Images .... . ........ .......... ......... .. . ........... ............. ...... .406
Indirect Illumination and Quality............ . ... .. ...... . .. .... ... . . ......... ..... .......... 432
Ambient Occlusion .. . ... ....... .............. ... ................ .. .. .................. ... .. . .. 434
Case Study: Illumination Controls ............ ........ .............. ..... ..... . ......... .. ...... 435
Case Study: Photo Studios and Area Lights . ... . ... .............. ....... ............... . .. .... . . 438
Case Study: Point and Spot Lights ............. . .. . ....... .. ...... ..... ......... .. .... . .. ... . .. 447
Point Lights ....... .. ................... . .. .. .. .. ................ ...... .. . ............ . ........ 449
Point Light or Spot Light? . .......... . . ........ .. . . ......... .. .. ... .......... . ...... ..... .. 452
Spot Lights .............. ........ .. . .... .............. .... ...... . ... . ................... ... ... 452
Photo View 360 Light Characteristics .. ..... . ... ........... .. . . ..... . ...... . . . .... . .. . . . .... .. . . 454
Brightness ...................... ..... .................. ....... .......... ...... . ......... . . 454
Soft edge . .. .... . .... ........ ... . .. ...... .. .. . . .......... ..... .. .. ........... ... ... .. ... . . 454
Spot light radius .... ... .. . .. .. . ...... ........ ... ... .... ............ . . . . ...... . ........... . 454
Shadow quality ..... ... ........... . . . ............. .... . .... .. .. ....... .. .. ... . ..... . . . .... 454
Fog ................ .... ........... ..... ...... . . .................................... . .. ... 454
Image Size ... ... .. . .. ... ... ... .. .... ... ... ... .. ... .. ....... . .. .... .. ... . . . . ............... 478
High Dynamic Range .. .. ............... ... ......... .. ....... ... ........ . ... . ............. . 478
Histograms .. . .. ... .. .. ..... .. ... ......... . . .... .. ... .. .... .... . . . .. ... . . ... .. .. .. .. . ..... 479
HDR Photographs .. ... ... .. ... ... ... ......... ... ... ... ... .. ... .. . . ... . .. . . ... ........... . .480
Tone Mapping ........... . ....... . ..... .. ......... ... .. . ..... ..... ............ . ........... 482
Gamma Correction ......... .. .... ........ . .. . . ... ...... .... .. . ............................ 483
Image Processing .. .... ... . ... ... .... . . . .... . . ............................................ 485
Case Study: Image Processing Controls .... .. ......... .. .... . ....... .... .. .... .. ... .... ... .. ... .486
Input Levels and Offsets . ................ . .... .. . ..... . .. .... ..... .... . . . . . ......... .. ... .486
Input Levels ....... ... ... ........ ... .. ..... .. .. ......... .. .. . ..... ......... . .. . ..... . ..... 492
Saving Images to a File ....... . ............................. .. ... .. ..... ...... ................. 495
Post-Processing in Other Software .. .. ... .. .... ... ... .. ... .. .... ... . ..... ... ......... .. .... 495
File Types .. ....... . .............................................. .. . . .. . ................ 496
Which File Type Should You Use? .............. ... .. ............................ . ........ . . .... 496
File Type Variants .. ...... . ... . . ... . ... . ...... ......... .. ...... . . . .. .. . . . . ..... .... ........ 497
File Compression . . ... ... ....... ..... ..... .. .. ... ... ... ... .. ... ... .. ... . . . .... . ........ . .. . 497
Choosing a File Format ............................................. ..... .................. 499
Methods to Increase Rendering Quality ... ... ... .. .. .... ... ... ... .......... .... . ....... . .... sao
Color Management ....... .. . . . ..... . . . . ...................... . .... . ... .. ... .. . .. . . . . .... .... .. 501
Monitor Correction .... . . .. ........ . ........ . ........... . . . .... .. .......... . .. . . .. . . ....... 501
Printer Correction .. . . .......... .. .................. . ........... ... . .... ... .. . . ..... .... ... SOl
Set Affinity .............. . .................................... . .... ............ ..... . . ... . 501
Scheduled Renderings ... . .. . ................................. . . ......... ... ................. . . 503
Scheduling Renderings ......... . ................................... . ... .. .......... . ... .. . 503
Case Study: Render Scheduling ... . ...... . . . .. .. . .... . .. .. .... .. .... ... . .. . .. .. ...... ....... . . . 503
Network Rendering . .... . .......... . . .... . . ... . ...... .. .. . ........ . . .............. .. ... ... ..... .512
Network Rendering Process ... . ..... . .. . .. ........ ........... . .... . .......... ... .... ...... .512
Install and Ready the Client ....... ... .......... ...... ......... . . ...... . . .. . ..... . .......... .513
Render Settings in the Coordinator Computer ..... . ...................... . ..... .. ......... . .513
Client Workload . .... .. ... .. .. .. .. ... . .. ... .. ... ... .... ... .. .. .... ... ......... . .. . ....... .. .513
XV
Render Settings in Client Computers ................... .......... ....... .......... ........ . 514
Final Render Process . . . .......... . . ..... ... . . . . ......... ..... . . .. 0 0 0 .515
When to Use Network Rendering ..... ..... .... 0 0 0 0 0 0 .515
HSV Color Mode l .... . . .. ......... . .. ... .... . . . . . .. . .............. ....... .. ........... .. .. 535
CMYK Color Model. .. . ..... .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. ....... . . .. .. .. . .. ... .. .... .. . . . .... . ... . . . ... 536
Color Depth..... . ......... ... ........ . .. . . . ........ .. .. . . .. . . .. ... . . .. . ... .. .. . ..... . .. . . . 536
Understanding RGB Color.... . ....... . .. . ..... . . . .... .. .. .. . ...... . . ... .... . .. .. . . .. . ... . . . . ... 537
HSV Model Definitions .... .. . . .. .. . ... . ... . .... . ... ....... . .. .. ... .. . ...... .. .... .. ... .. . .... . 540
Hue ................. . ........ . . . . . .... . . . ................ . . . ... . ... . . ... . . . . .... . . .... . .. 540
Saturation . . ... ..... ...... . ....... . ........... ... .. . ... ... . . ...... . . . . . ....... . . . . .. ... . .. 540
Value ............... . . . ............ .. ........... . . . ...... ..... .... .. . . ... ... . .... .. . . ..... 540
RGB to HSV Transition ............... .. ................... .... ......... ... . ... .. .. .. .... . ..... 541
Defining Color in Design Tables ......... . ..... ..... ............ . ..... ... .... . ..... . . . . . .. .. .. . . 543
hexadecimaiDefining Colors in Hexadecimal ... .. .. .. . . . . ...... . . .... ...... .. ... . .. . ... . .. .. . ... 545
Color Swatches . .......................... . .................... . ... . . . ... . . .. . . . . ..... . . .. 545
Creating Color Swatches ............... . .......... . ....... . . . .. . ... .. .. . .. . ... . . . .. . .. . . . . 546
Where do you find color schemes? ..................... . ....... . .......... . ... . . .. ............. 546
Web Resources ..... . .... . ..... . ....... . ...... . . . . . ..... . .......... . .... ...... . ...... . . . . . 546
PowerPoint .... . ......... . .......... . .. . .............. . .......... . . . . . . ..... ..... . ........ 547
Paint M anufacturers ..... . .. . . ..... . . .. . ...... . . .... .. . . . . .. .. . ... . ............ .. .. . . ..... 547
Color Names ................ . . .. .................................. . .. . .. . .. ............... 548
Color Matching Systems . ........... . .... . .. . ..... . .. . . . ........ . ..... . . . . . . . .. . ... . . . ... . ..... 548
Color on the Web ... .. .................................. . .. . ...... .......... . .. .. .. . . . .. . . . . .. 549
Specular Spread . ... . . . . .. ........ ........ . . ...... . ..... . ..... ..... .. .. . .. . . .. .. .. . . . . .... 556
Reflective Amount ... . . .. .. . . .... . ................... . ......... ... . . .. . . . ........... . ..... 556
Blurry Reflections ... . .. . .. .. . ........ . .. . ... . . . ...... . .. . ...... .. .. . .. . ......... . ..... . ... 557
Transparency Amount ...... ....... . ........................ .. . .... ......... . .............. 558
Luminous Intensity . ..... ... ...... . ... . . ..... . ... . . .. .. .......... . ...... .. . .. .... ....... ... 558
Additional Controls ........ . ..................................... ... .... ...... ... ... . .. ... 559
Index of Refraction............ ........ ... . . ........... . . . . .............. . ........ ...... ... 559
Refract ion Roughness .. ... . ......... . ................... . . . ..... . ......... ............ .... 560
Product Visualization
In early 3D CAD software, there were limited methods to display the 3D CAD model. These were
generally some form of lines representing t he edges of the model or shaded faces. As 3D CAD systems
developed, the methods to display, or visualize, the CAD model have improved and expanded. Within
core SolidWorks we now have almost all the tools available t o us.
What are the different types of visualization? These could include the following:
Seeing through our model
Checking for smoothness
Showing the model to colleagues
Organizing the model by manufacturing types
Adding an image into a presentation for a design review or marketing pitch
Photorealistic renderings for marketing materials
Introduction 3
-------------------------------------------------------
Product Visualization Tools
The tools and capabilities available in SolidWorks to visualize computer models have changed
significantly since SolidWorks was first released in 1995. In the first versions of SolidWorks, t he only
way to visualize a model was through OpenGL,either shaded or wireframe. This is t he method still used
today for shaded models.
In SolidWorks 2004, Real View was added to do real time rendering of SolidWorks models, using
technology available on the video cards using the GPU.
In SolidWorks 2009, there was a dual path for rendering using either Photo Works inside of SolidWorks
or PhotoView 360 as a standalone package.
In SolidWorks 2011, Photo View 360 became the single rendering engine used inside of SolidWorks.
Photo View 360 uses the Nexus rendering engine from Luxology, LLC. With this change, most of the key
features of rendering were moved into core SolidWorks for a consistent workflow. For t hose familiar
with rendering in PhotoWorks, the current tools and user interface are very much the same as they were.
Gone however are some of the more complex settings in favor of a much more stream lined set of tools.
Appearances
Originally, product visualization was done using four databases:
Color
!:1 Textures
ReaiView
PhotoWorks materials
Appearances were introduced in SolidWorks 2008, which combined color and textures databases. In
SolidWorks 2009 all appearances were merged into a single database.
Display States
In SolidWorks 2006, display st ates and the display pane were added to allow multiple visualization
setups for assemblies. independent of configurations. In SolidWorks 2008. display states were added
to eDrawings, and in SolidWorks 2010, display states were expanded to include parts.
4 Chapter 1
Photorealistic Rendering
What is photorealistic rendering? Photorealistic rendering is photography using a computer. If it is
photography, why use the computer instead of a real camera? There are two basic reasons we use a
computer to do photorealistic rendering:
The subject does not exist in the physical world.
The product we are designing has not yet been built but we need to show what it will look like for a
marketing campaign, progress review, t rade show, or any number of other reasons. Using SolidWorks to
provide t he model and SolidWorks and Photo View 360 as a camera, we can create images of the model
that look like a photograph.
To add special effects that are not available or achievable in the physical world.
The effects that can be created on the comput er are not limited by the laws of physics. For example, we
can make true point light sources, lighting instruments that are not visible. and lighting instruments that
cast light on an object but do not create shadows. We can also make solid objects transparent to see
what is inside or behind them.
Right Brain
The artistic part of photography covers the placement and view of the subject, how the subject is lit,
where the shadows fall. how the scene is composed, and more. To be a really great photographer, you
must see the final image in your head before you actually take the picture. If you can't. you may still take
some great pictures, but it is more trial and error. and a lot of image files to delete!
Left Brain
The technical part of photography is how the camera works and how the laws of physics apply to the
process. Some of the t echnical topics include understanding concepts such as exposure as a function of
f-stops, shutter speed, and film speed, and how to compensate for backlight or color temperature of
light.
Putting It Together
If you are very artistic but not very technical, you may be able to visualize what you want the photograph
or rendering to look like but not able to produce it because you are not able to set the camera up
correctly.
If you are very technical but not very artistic, you may be able to take pictures that are properly exposed
and have very vibrant color but are uninteresting or do not show off the subject to its fu llest.
Introduction 5
Cameras
In regular photography, there are many cameras available from the simple disposable camera to the very
expensive cameras with many automated and advanced functions.
If we picked a group of people at random and gave them all a cheap disposable camera and told them
to take pictures, the results might yield a few really good pictures, a tot of average pictu res, and so me
really bad pictures.
If we gave the same group the best cameras money could buy, the resu lt would probably skew to the
side of good pictures because the better cameras had automatic features to eliminate some of the
problems encountered with the cheap cameras. Some of the people could also use the addit iona l
capability of the good cameras to zoom in and frame t he subjects better, or to change exposu re to
create or eliminat e motion blur. There will still be some bad pictures and some really good ones.
Rendering Results
Obtaining a suitable rendered output is very subjective. When we design parts and assemblies with
SolidWorks, our goal is to achieve the design intent. Knowing if we have achieved the design intent is
very objective and should be able to be answered with a yes or no. If 10 different people review a design,
based solely on the design intent. alllO should agree on whet her or not the design intent was achieved.
Unlike design intent, knowing if we have achieved our rendering goat is very subjective. Subtile
differe nces in lighting, focus, position of the objects against the background, visual highlights, de pth of
field, can cause different people to see the output differently. If we had 10 different people review our
rendering output we might never get a consensus as to whether it meets the rendering goal.
Additiona lly, it can take many times more rendering passes to refine the output than it does to make a
change in the part and rebuild it. This, coupled with the fact that rebuild times are general ly less than
rendering times, can add up to a tot of time spent rendering to get acceptable results.
You should continue t o experiment with the various settings available within the SolidWorks and
Photo View 360 software even after the chapter objectives have been achieved.
6 Chapter 1
-:p The Design Library is a convenient way t o access the parts and oes.gn Library
2ssemblies used in this book. After you install the files from the DVD, st art ~ ~ d ~
SolidWorks. 00 tJl SohdWorks Content
ttJ ~ Photorealistic Rendenng
In SolidWorks. click Tools, Options, System Options, File Locations. [~l @) Oes1gn Library
l:f.l 'f1 Toolbox
ffi 8 3D ContentCent ral
Under Show folders for, select Design Library.
Click Add. J 0 J
Chapter l O Chapt er ll Chapterll
ln the Browse for Folder dialog box, browse to where you installed the
files. J __:; :_:;
Chapter 13 Chapter 2 Chapter4
Select t he Photor ealistic Rendering folder and click OK.
Then click OK to close t he System Options dialog box.
:;; ~ ~
Chapter 5 Chaptor6 Chapter7
Images
The screenshots in this book were made with the software applications
Chapter 8 Chapt er 9 Rendered
running on Windows7. If you are not using Windows 7. or if you have a Images
different theme setting, you may notice slight differe nces in the
ap pearance of the menus and windows. These differences do not affect the performance of t he
software.
SolidWorks Versions
All visualization settings used in th is book were done with SolidWorks 2013. Service Pack o. As some of
these settings may be refined between service packs. you may not get exactly the same results if you
are using a different service pack.
Third-Party Software
In various parts of this book we utilize t hird-party software applications to accomplish certain tasks or
perform certain fu nctions. The applications we have used are not the only ones t hat can be used and our
use of them does not constit ute an endorsement of t hose products.
8 Chapter 1
Convention Meaning
Sans Serif Bold SolidWorks and PhotoView 360 commands and
options appear in this style. For example, PhotoView
360, Final Render means choose the Final Render
option from the PhotoView 360 menu.
Serif Feature names and file names appear in this style.
For example, Idler Arm.sldprt.
17 Do this step. The numbered steps of the case studies are
indicated by sans serif bold type with the numbers
themselves accented in color. This helps t o
distinguish the step-by-step procedures from t he
explanatory text that is interspersed through the
chapters.
Visualization Methods
OpenGL
OpenGL is the first method for visualization of models in SolidWorks. In OpenGL, models can be
displayed as shaded, wireframe, or a combination of the two. It does not require special hardware and
can be software-emulated. All modern graph ics cards, regardless of the cost. have OpenGL capabilities
and therefore the calculations for OpenGL are normally done on the Graphic Processor Unit (G PU) of
t he graphics card. These effects show:
Surface shading including color, ambience. diffusion, specularity. and transparency
Basic texture mapping techniques
Diffused ground shadow
Visualization Methods 11
_ sing OpenGL to display the model provides both wireframe and shaded views of the SolidWorks
..-;odel. OpenGL is usually used when creating models as the shaded options provide a solid-looking
-;10del and Shaded with Edges shows the boundaries or the individual faces, which help when creating
=eatures. When in either Shaded or Shaded with Edges. a single-direction shadow can be shown under
:'le model. With OpenGL, there are no reflections visible on t he surf aces and all lighting is provided by
:::::r ect lights in SolidWorks.
A scene can be used in OpenGL; however, it does not . ....~ . ~ . . .,. ' ~ .
. '
provide any lighting and there will be no reflections . - . '
-' .
12 Chapter 2
If all the lights are turned off. the model will be black,
yet the scene still appears to be lit because it is a
separate image.
OpenGL Shadow
With OpenGL there is only one shadow and its position
will be determined not by the lights, but rather by the
scene f loor. The sce ne floor can be aligned with any of
the t hree primary planes of the model, a user-specified
plane, or the bottom view of t he model.
Where to Find It
Menu: View, Display, Shadows In Shaded Mode
Heads-up View tootbar: ~ - View Settings, (gJ Shadows In Shaded Mode
Software OpenGL
Software OpenGL disables the graphics card hardware acceleration and emulates the calculation of
shaded models using t he CPU, essentially eliminating the graphics card from t he process. Software
OpenGL is used when the graphics card is not certified or for troubleshooting when a problem is
suspected to be caused by the graphics card. Because RealView is calculated by the graphics card GPU,
there is no RealView when using Software OpenGL.
Where to Find It
Menu: Tools, Options, Performance, select Use Software OpenGL.
Note Use Software OpenGL can only be selected or cleared when there are no documents open.
Visualization Methods 13
Real View
KeaiView incorporates OpenGL but takes it to another level. More realistic effects can be achieved such
as dynamic environmental reflections in the appearance, self-shadows, a ground shadow and a ground
eflection, as well as more advanced texture mapping techniques. All of these effects are handled by the
GPU of the graphics card. Most modern cards, in the professional workstation class, can display all the
effects of ReaiView. ReaiView supports:
Advanced shading
Reflections (environmental)
Self-shadows
Ground reflection
Advanced texture mapping and bump maps
~eaiVi ew provides another level of visual realism. With
~ea iView, surfaces become more realistic as they now
;;;,ow reflections in real time.
:::
'
~-~
RealView Shadows
Real View only casts a self-shadow and floor shadow for the first directional light. The shadow is more
accurate than the diffuse shadow of the normal OpenGL view. Notice t he thin gap as it appears in the
shadow as a result of the part line gap of the glue gun model.
First Directional L
Gap in shadow
Graphics Cards
How do you determine if your graphics card supports Rea lView? The ReaiView icon shows the capability
by its color.
~ RealView graphics are supported.
SolidWorks tests the quality and performance of many graphics cards and provides a listing on the
SolidWorks website at www.solidworks.comjswjsupport/videocordtesting.html. This list should be
consulted before purchasing a graphics card to help choose a certified card. Additionally, the list should
be checked to determine the correct graphics card driver. Note that the latest driver on the
manufacturer's website may not be a certified driver, so it is important to check the SolidWorks list first.
Visualization Methods 15
The not es column of the list will show the capabilities of the card based on the keys shown below:
Key :
. , Card pust!!d all tl!.sts Qt SuppotU all Rea iV\ew featuras
~ Pasn<h.1th llmltiiltion s (SoQ! Neta s ) (L!,l S upports R.~~IVie.wwlth llmitatioM
Sig nificant stability or ri! palnt problem s 41>! S upports pre2.00S R.eaiVIw features
S Us SolidWorks gra phics card display se.tti ng s ~ Multi-hnd hardware accelruad
PhotoView 360
::JhotoView 360 is distinguished from Real View in t hat it is not a process of the GPU, and photorealist ic
-enderings can be achieved regardless of the graphics card used. This is because it is entirely calculat ed
-:JY the CPU on your PC and is rendered in a sequential event and is therefore not dynamic. Therefore.
10u cannot pan, zoom, or rotate a rendered model. Photo View 360 renderings are more photorealistic
:i1an RealView because light rays and reflections are more accurately calculated. The use of High
Jynamic Range {HDR) environmental images allows Photo View 360 users to achieve photo-realism.
::JhotoView 360 rendering supports:
Self-reflection (reflection of objects in one another)
HDRI (environmenta l) lighting
::JhotoView 360 provides a fully ray-t raced rendering
:::t: the SolidWorks model. Unlike Rea lView where t he .
. . 1
-
_,.,.I ~
Ray-traced Transparency
Ray-traced Textures
Bump Map Textures
Self-shadow
\
Shadow based
on environmental
lighting
Ground Reflection
Ray Traced Reflections
OpenGL RealView PhotoView 360
Model courtesy of Product Solutions Ltd.
Model
The smoothness of the model surfaces is determined by how finely the tessellation data is created.
Viewpoint
The viewpoint is the position from which we view the model. In photography. this is the camera position.
In SolidWorks, the viewpoint can be controlled manually by using pan. zoom, rotate and roll, or by the
use of cameras. Wit h the manual tools, perspective can be added. adjusted. or not used. With cameras,
perspective is a result of the lens used and the camera-to-subject distance.
Visualization Methods 17
Appearances
.; ppearances control how the model surfaces react to light and color. Appearances can be applied at
:arious levels {assembly, part, face) and follow a strict hierarchy. Appearance properties such as color,
:l!umination, mapping. and surface finish can be controlled t o change the way the surface looks.
Scenes
Scenes are used for two purposes: to place the model into some context and to provide environmental
.ighting and reflections to the model. There are three ways we can use scenes:
Real-world scene
When the intent is to show the model in the environment where it will be used when built. it can be
rendered using a background image.
Studio scene
When an image may be used in a catalog or brochure, it might be rendered against a solid color or
gradient background.
No scene
If an image is to be used in some postprocessing program to combine it with other images, we may
not want a background that would have to be removed later, so we can render without a background.
Lighting
Lighting can be provided from direct lights or from the environment. In OpenGL and Real View, models
are lit with direct lights only. In Photo View 360, lighting may be from both direct and environmental
sources.
Monitor Corrections
The image on your computer monitor may not look exactly like the images printed in this book. If all the
steps were followed correctly, the difference in color and brightness can be traced to the way the
monitor and Photo View 360 are set up.
Monitor Adjustments
Most computer monitors have adjustments to control the color, brightness, contrast, size, and position
of the image on the screen. Some even provide color standards to help adjust the monitor output to
faithfully reproduce colors.
Before attempting to produce consistent print images. you shou ld adjust t he monitor fo llowing the
manufacturer's instructions.
After the manufacturer's instructions have been followed, we can make additional corrections to fine-
tune the monitor to match the printed material.
18 Chapter 2
Procedure
In the next few steps, we will do an initial set of adjustments on your computer monitor.
Make grayscale adjustment.
Open the file Grayscale.tif in the Chapter 2 \ Case Study folder using any imaging software, such
as Microsoft Paint. Adjust the monitor brightness and contrast so that you can see alllO vertical bands
as separate shades of gray.
0 1 2 3
Color Correction
Computer monitors create colors by mixing the three primary additive colors red. green and blue. That
is why it is called RGB color. When all three colors are on full, you get white; when all three are off you
get black.
Most printing processes use subtractive color where the range of colors is created by a mixt ure of cyan,
magenta, and yellow ink.
For more information on color, see Appendix A.
Monitor colors.
J sing the controls on the monitor,
adjust the color so that the rendered
;nage matches the printed image as
: lose as possible .
. .,te The part and its colors should
.:JOk exactly the same when viewed
_sing OpenGL, RealView. or rendered
;ith Photo View 360.
An Adjustment Alternative
::you have access to the Internet. visit the website www.photogropherusa.com/screencheck. This sit e
::J~ovid es an expanded version of the grayscale chart and colors used in the preceding steps.
Photo View 360
Lighting
Light ing is primarily provided by the environment but additional lights may be added in the same way
a photographer adds lights when t aking photographs. PhotoView 360 uses the same lights that are
added in SolidWorks. Photo View 360 has the sophistication to t race light rays and reflections.
Scenes
Each SolidWorks model is associated with a scene, for which you can specify properties such as
environments and backgrounds. Scenes help to put products in context.
Decals
Images. such as company logos. can be applied to models.
Output
The PhotoView 360 software can output to the screen or a graphics file.
PhotoView 360 23
. 1ere to Find It
CommandManager: Office Products>PhotoView 360
:llenu: Tools, Add-Ins... , PhotoView 360
p..ocedure
Click Tools, Add-Ins. Add-Ins ~
~the Add-Ins dialog box, select Photo View 360.
Active Add1<1s l StartUp I
8 SolidWorks Premium Add ins
: :ck OK. D ~ CirOJitWorks
IFi ~
[tl e Photnv~ew 36o OJ
~~r':; ScanTo30
D~ SolidWorks Design Ched<er
0 I} SoidWorks Motion
t5
[]
[)~ SoidWorks Routing D
O (j SoidWorks Simulation []
D SolidWorks Toolbox []
07 SoidWorks Toolbox Browser D
ow solid\lllorks utilities D
[] So&dworks Workgroup PDM D
D liaToiAnalyst El
El SolidWorks Add-ins
0 Autntrace D
D Solidl'lorks Aow Simulation D
[\lj~ SolidWorks Forum 0
D Soid\lllorks Plastics 0
0 SolidWarks XPS Driver D
El Other Add ins
0 30tontrol 10
0 30VIA SolidWorks Plug.;., 0
! OK
I I ~ I A
24 Chapter 3
~
"'"""
~
..,...,
r
~ ~~ CommandManager
d ~~rt<olor
If'-' colorZ ..
r:, ...) color<)>
~...) color<4>
l, ,..) cctor<.S>
f'ti..,J color<~6>
tt.-.....J co!or<7>
it;""\) colo:<S>
1; -..j color<9>
~.;!-...) c:;olor<lO>
ti....:J colordl:>
lt-r~ color<ll>
tt....) c:ol0f<l3>
G...,) color<l4>
rtr~ color<l5>
$-ft blue II"glou pl"tk<2~
s ..J color<16>
~-....J c~or<l1>
,_;....,J cuior<l8>
tV-~ c.olor<li>
.rr....) color<20>
~ color<21>
PhotoView 360 25
Customize Menu !
L-~-------------~
:OmmandManager
==-.der Tools can also be
:::::essed through the
Edit
"'
Copy
~
Paste
&
Edit
ta ,j Integrated
Eot
~ %
Preview
e ~ ~
Fnal Options Schedule
~
Reca~
Appearance Appearance Appearance Scene Decal Preview \V"IIldow Render Render Last
- - ;;JmandManager. Once the Render
:Ji.splayManager
--= J isplayManager provides an outline view of the appearances, scenery,
=~:als, cameras, and light ing associated with the active SolidWorks part or
~semb ly.
E;J~ Scene (Light Cards)
--=J isplayManager indicates which items of geometry are attached to which ! ~~
[ l_~
Background (Color
Environment (kitchen)
=:::::>earances and decals. $-ibJ lights
f <V Ambient
--2 J isplayManager also makes it easy to: j. ~ Directionan
l If' Directiona12
~Camera
Jnderstand the way in which appearance and decal inheritance works. J.. Walk-through
Select and edit appearances and decals associated with the model.
Access the appearance, scene, lighting, camera, and decal properties.
111 -:-ransfer appearances and decals between components, features. and faces.
26 Chapter 3
Eetting Help
_ - :.12 product visualization help t opics are found in the SolidWorks help system.
- ""'= -=? files are bot h shipped with SolidWorks in HTML help format and are available online. This
_- = ~ ::nproved search and display functions, as well as a consistent look and feel with Microsoft's
-= 1elp.
=-e : o Find It
=--~= Help, SolidWorks Help
- -:.e Bar: Help g
Dynamic Help
Dynamic help is provided t o assist you in understanding ~ ::-q
the effects of various controls. Dynamic help can be <I? x -i13
enabled separately for appearances, decals, and Basic f~1
PhotoView 360 Options.
Reflection amou<1t:
t he slider is moved.
[o~~-'~'-~~--' -~-~~1
Discussion Forum [ ]Bkny reflectioos
The SolidWorks Discussion Forum is ava ilable to all Transparent amount:
Options
PhotoView 360 has its own options dialog box. Options allow you to customize t he Phot oView 360
software to reflect your preferences for default settings. Opt ions are divided into Output Image
Settings, Render Quality, Bloom, Contour Rendering, Direct Caustics, and Netwo rk Rendering.
For a complete listing of all t he sett ings available th rough the Photo View 360 Options dialog, refer to
the Help menu.
Where to Find It
11Menu: Photo View 360, Options
Render Tools Toolbar: Options ~
DisplayManager: PhotoView 360 Options ~
PhotoView 360 29
::edure
Open a new SolidWorks part.
~oView 360 Options can only be set if a pa rt or assembly docu ment is open.
jl r1 Use background
1 .J ratio
aspect
- _- :onsistency, set t he options as follows:
-.~?o n
successful completion of this chapter,
ou will be able to:
Jescribe the basic steps to render a model with the
SolidWorks and PhotoView 360 software.
A::l?IY appearances to a model, feature. and face.
~a ~ply a scene to a model.
.;.dd a llght to the scene.
~end er a model using Photo View 360.
[:Jmpare rendered images using the Final Render window.
32 Chapter 4
Preview
Preview the rendered output using the preview window or integrat ed preview.
Adjust
Creating a good rendering may require adjustment to the scenery. lighting. and appearance to get the
image the way you want it.
Final Render
The model is rendered to the size and quality set in the PhotoView 360 Options.
Choose output
PhotoView 360 rendered output can be save to a variety of file types as a colored or alpha chan nel
output.
Postprocessing
The PhotoView 360 output is not always the final product. The Photo View 360 output may be used
with other programs for add itional effects.
Basic Visualization Workflow 33
-=-! be different; for instance a brass appearance could have a surface fin ish of cast, rough, sat in, or
:: :shed.
=- =~to SolidWorks 2011, PhotoView 360 used a separate set of appearances. With SolidWorks 2011 and
.=.::=:- versions, all product visualization, including Photo View 360, uses a single set of appearances.
- -erefore, when we apply a material to a part or assembly, the appearance associated with the material
,..., . ] e used in OpenG L, RealView, and Photo View 360 rendering.
: as desired. Turn on
:;efault Appearance
- S:>lidWorks 2009 and later. all surfaces must have an appearance assigned to them. ln versions prior
-: .:::oog, parts did not have to have an appearance but could have a color or texture applied directly to
ry.
::-e part. If a part without an appearance was rendered, the default appearance was used, but not
=::<:ched to the part.
- en you create a new part, the default appearance will automatically be attached to the part. Out of
--:;box, the default appearance is called color. If you open a part created in an older version of
~::idWorks, either t he default appearance color or texture will be used with the legacy data contained
- :'le file.
:-:earance to get the
:.J can set any appearance to be t he default.
User Interface
eo or alpha channel - ..11ost every function in product visualization is part of SolidWorks and can be used without
::::l otoView 360 being installed or added in. There are three places in t he user interface to add, modify,
2 1 d display visualization information: the Display Pane, DisplayManager, and Task Pane. In many cases.
:;u can access t he same information from all three.
CJrput may be used
34 Chapter 4
Display Pane
The Display Pane is used to view display visibility settings of parts and
~ Space Navigator-1 (Defaul
assemblies. . ~ Sensors
1hJ Annotations
Where to Find It ! j ~ Front
~ Top
FeatureManager design tree: Click to open the Display Pane and ~ Right
to close it t.
Ongon
~ (f) Base-1 <1 >
It: ~Trim Ring-1<1>
DisplayManager e ~ Button-1 <1 >
The DisplayManager provides an out line view of the key propert ies used 1 ciJ ~ Button-1 <2.>
ffl~ Center Controll<1>
for product visualization associated with the active SolidWorks part or iJJ ~ (-) Rubber Base-1<1>
assembly. The DisplayManager has four different sections: . &liMates
~f/
View Scene, Lights, and Cameras
PhotoView 360 Options v;ew Appearaoce<
View Decals
The informat ion in the DisplayManager makes View Scene, Lights. and Cameras
it easy to: Phot oView 360 Options - - - - - - - J
Ident ify which appearances and decals are associated with which geometry.
Understand the way in which appearance and decal inheritance works.
Select and edit scene properties, appearances, and decals by name.
Transfer appearances and decals between items of geometry in the tree.
Turn lights on or off in SolidWorks and the PhotoView 360 rendering.
Set PhotoView 360 Options.
Where to Find It
FeatureManager design tree: Select DisplayManager tab ~
Basic Visualization Workflow 35
/iew Appearances
~e View Appearances tab lists all the appearances attached to t he model and can be sorted by:
: :l)efaul
blu~ pohsh~d ABS plastic l blue polished ASS plast1c ';l ~ wnn
~
blu~ polish~d ABS plastic<2>
green glas5
;}.
ffi
blu e polished ASS plastic<2>
blue polished ABS plast1C<3> :B .
f ..J yellow h1gh gloss plastic
b lu e polished ASS plastic
'_;~ $.
yellow high glo" plastic @ blue polished ASS plastic<4 > 1: blue polished ASS plastic<2>
~ blue polished ASS plastic<3> [+' ~ blue polished ABS plastic<S> 00 ~ green glass
yellow high gloss plastlc<2> +1 blue polished ASS plastic<6> 1: J yellow high gloss plastic<2>
yellow high glos. pla.stic<3>
yellow high g loss plastic<4 >
~ blu~ polish ed ASS plastic<4 >
$ ..
tk j
blue p olished ASS plastic<7>
blue polished ASS plastic<S>
color
@
.
:)
E' (]Face
blue pol ished ASS plastic<3>
blue polished ABS p lastic<4>
yellow high gloss plastic<S> [- \.J color<2> fh -..) yellow high gloss plastic<3>
yellow h1gh gloss plastic<6> s J color<3> I# J cream high gloss plastic
color @J color<4 > !! b lue polished ABS plastic<S>
color<2> ...) color<S> ~ J yellow high gloss plastic<4>
color<3> . FP .,J color<6> ~~Features
cotor<4> i$ -;J color<7> :tJ blue polished ABS plastic<6>
[ ~ yellow high gloss plastJc<S>
color<S> It] ...) color<8>
e \) matte steel
color<6>
color<7>
matte steel
color<9>
color<lO> :J. blue polished ABS plastie<7>
&, , ) yellow high gloss plastic<6>
color<8> 8 ~ Parts/As.emblies
color<9> til ,) yellow high gloss plastic<7>
color<lO> matte steel f!: b lue polished ASS plast1c<8>
~ . . blue polished ASS plastiC<S> 4i red high gloss plastic ffi Jcolor
~ red high gloss plastiC e- ..1 yellow h1gh gloss plastiC !tHJ color<l>
- ~ blue polished ABS plastic<6> @ J yellow high gloss plastic<2> e0 color<3>
: .J cream high gloss p lastic
- ~ blue p olished ABS plast ic<7>
_ yellow high gloss plastic<7>
~ ~ yellow h igh gloss plastic<3>
$J .) yellow high gloss plastic<4 >
!>) ..) yell ow h1gh gloss plast1c<S>
.!.J
ffi \.) color<4 >
IJ
red high gloss plastic
c olor<5>
- ~ blue polished ABS plastic<8> $ .,) yellow high gloss p lastic<6> $0 co lor<6>
color<ll> IJ 4,) yellow h1 gh gloss plastic<7> 00 V color<?>
iJ ,.J color<8>
itJ 0 color<9>
IJ -,.) y ellow high gl oss plastic<8>
!; blue polished ASS p lastic<9>
IJ ..1 y~llow htgh gloss plastic<9>
@..,) color<lO>
d.-l \ color<ll>
View Decals
All decals applied to the model and the face they are applied to are listed.
The order in the list also indicates which decals are on top of the other 2 tj Decals (fop mam sheH)
E' TruckGnll
decals. .I:Jl
Face
I!J .@logo
!J Face<2>
+ @ Decal< (fireman)
---;::,
- -J:-
View Scene, Lights, and Cameras
Scenes, lights, and cameras are listed and controlled by this tab.
-= ~ Scone (3 Point Orange) - : : .:J
Scene Vd) Background (Environment) 2' ~
Both the background (that which is seen behind the model) and t he e Environment (3 point orange)
1.'- b}Lights
environment (a spherical image surrounding the model) are listed and can ~ Scene Dlum1natron
be controlled. Q Amboent
Q' r$1 Diroctionall
l.l' r$' Dored:lona12
Lights - ~Camera
Lighting from the scene and direct lights are shown here. For direct lights, ~ Cameral
~ Cam ....2
their stat us in both SolidWorks and Photo View 360 is shown. ). Walk-through
r=. ~ Snapshots
Cameras 0 Home
Snapshots
Snapshots capture the state of the graphics area including the view orientation, zoom, hide/show state
of components, section views, and exploded views. They are only available in assemblies.
Basic Visualization Workflow 37
<Image~: ~--1
~nd (Environment )
::-:e preview and final render or use custom settings for
...
&-onment {3 point orange)
Sr.:er ltumination
rDent
l:lectlonaU
--:10re controL
Bloom
IDef.U::::epa~:
~~
d::J
C:\SolidWorks Step-by-Step
L" Dir~:Color. . ~
--------'
c irect lights through transparent objects.
Network shared directory:
- hide/show state J sed to share the rendering task across multiple aro.-.""Se .
,.
J.tes. computers.
38 Chapter 4
-------------------------------------------------------
Task Pane Appearances. Scenes. and Oecals
The Task Pane is used to apply appearances, scenes, and decals. ...
The choices in the Task Pane are the same whether Photo View 360 is
: :; e Appemnces(color)
~ U legacy
added in or not. ffi ~ Plastic
ttr ~ MI!tal
(tj ~ Pairrt~
. .teli!!l!m
$ ~ Glass
'4j L1ghts
&., ~ Fabric
(f) ~ Orgamo
tl ~ Stone
~ -te Misct.llaneou!i
ees
' t.e
Scnos
BasiC Scenes
~ Studio Scenes
~ Presentation Scenes
~ Custom Seen..
i!:J Decals
t@ logos
-=-
~ Custom Decals
matterubbe:r
_.z There will be places in this initial case study that you will be told to make adjustments to
~ ,.
i..-c;es. Scenes. and Decals
:-::::~erties without a full explanation of why you are doing it or specifically what the expected result is.
~es(color) --ese details will be covered later in the book. For now, the important t hing is to understand the overall
-~ te!C'J
~ i'ioslx:
::-:::::ess and to gain an exposure to the different elements of the rendering process.
~:x:edure
Open the assembly. Specular
::::il the SpaceNavigator Assembly found in the highlights
-~apter 4\ Case Study\SpaceNavigator folder.
~ \fiscelaneous
ia,. Orient the model.
~'""""Scenes 3-=.ect the Isometric view.
& smdioScenes
Turn on OpenGL.
=~eaiView is on, turn it off by clicking View, Display, RealView
;;cphics. This is a toggle, so the same icon turns ReaiView on and
::ice that t he model is uniformly gray because all the parts use the default appearance. While there
~-=specular highlights from t he lights, there are no reflections seen in the surfaces.
Appearances __ ::e;a:as
Appearances affect the way a surface reacts to light. In a part, they may be applied to parts, features, - --= -::::":16
bodies, or faces. In an assembly, they may be applied to assemblies or components. Appearances are of -~~...rt
two general types, Procedural and Textures. Appearance types will be discussed in Chapter 5: Applying
Appearances.
To apply an appearance:
Drag the appearance from the Appearance Selection area of the Task Pane (see page 41) into the
graphics area to apply the appearance to the entire part.
Drag the appearance onto a part, feature, or face, and then select where t o attach the appearance
using the Appearance Target I WI ~ ILl ~~ fl ~ I.
Select the part, feature, or face, then double-click the appearance in the Appearance Selection area
of the Task Pane.
Select the part, body, feature, or face, then right-click the appearance in the Appearance Selection
area of the Task Pane and click Add Appearance to Selection(s) ~ .
Select the part, feature, or face, then right-click the appearance in the DisplayManager and click Add
Appearance.
Note If you press and hold the AIt key when dragging an appearance onto a part. body, feat ure, or face,
the appearance's PropertyManager will open.
Where to Find It
Menu: PhotoView 360, Edit Appearance
Render Too ls Toolbar: Edit Appearance It]
Task Pane: Appearances, Scenes, and Decals tab ~
Basic Visualization Workflow 41
---- ----------------- -- -- ----- ------------------------
.!..ppearances, Scenes, and Decals Tab Appearc:snces. S.cenes, and - ~ ttD 1
{; t:o parts. features, - -e Appearances, Scenes, and Decals tab of the w lil
.;ppearances are of -::sK Pa ne lists all the appearances that are c e Appear.mces(cofor)
Chapter 5: Applying :: ailable to be applied to the model. '+' te Plastic
+' ~ Metal
' ~ Painted
- '-e top pane is the Appearance Library where sxe Rubber
~ Matte
::::::earances are listed in Appearance Folders. ~Gloss
-'-e appearance tree s hows all the folders Appearance ~ Texture Appearance
:Jcge 41) into the -., ~ G lass Folders
:-_-ently loaded. Each folde r can be expanded by Library : ~lights
: :<ing the plus sign next to it to s how the sub- iF <.e
Fabnc
c.=-. the appearance '! t4 Organc
=:: ::!ers. The bottom pane is t he Appearance ;E <.e
Stone
+' ~ Miscellaneous
c.,ce Selection a rea :::.ection area. l+_ ~Scenes
5 @ Decals
l Logos
:earance Selection
6 Add an appearance.
If an appearance is to be applied to an entire part. the easiest method is to drag the appearance into
the graphics window.
Click the Appearances, Scenes, and Decals tab on the Task Pane.
Click the plus sign to the left of the Appearances folder to expand it. Do the same for the Plastic
folder, then select Textur ed.
Drag the appearance PW-MTll 000 into the graphics area to apply it to the Button part.
- -.e -:p;:;
t t0 Low Gloss
SN_BUTTON (Default< ..te Textured
~ Sen&Ors te Clear Plastic
$- </ Desrgn B1nder te Sat1n Finish
clJ ~ Annotations te EDM
e ~ Solid Bodies(!) -te Patterned
jQJ Sulface Bodies te Composite
~= Material <not specified> ~ Mesh
~ Front ~ Wax
~ Top
i ~ Right
l.. Origin
Turn on ReaiView.
c;Jpearance into -_-on Real View by clicking View, Display, RealView Graphics in
-E 1enu.
::: part.
Select part
10 Add appearance.
The next part is the SN_HANDLE_CAP part which needs an appearance that will look like rubber. We
will add the appearance PW-MTllOOO to the entire part by t he same drag-and-drop method used
previously.
Drag the PW-MTllOOO appearance from the Task Pane and drop it on the SN_HANDLE_CAP part.
Select Part in the Appearance Callout.
Note In the real SpaceNavigator, the SN_HANDLE_CAP has a rubber coating. There is no
requirement to use an appearance that is the same as the actual part. Our only goal is to make the final
rendered image look correct.
11 Add appearance to selection.
Examine the part SN_CAP_INSERT and Top Face
notice that there are three surfaces that will
need to have the same black medium
gloss plastic appearance applied to them as
was used on the SN_UPPER_HOUSING
part. --
Select the three faces.
In the DisplayManager, right-click the
appearance black medium gloss plastic
that is attached to the Trim Ring.
Click Attach to Selection(s).
---
Note We could have added the appearance
t o the entire SN_CAP_INSERT part as was
done in the previous steps; however, we are
adding to the specific faces just for
demonstration purposes.
:.5
Basic Visualization Workflow 45
- :""'e Appearances, Scenes, and Decals tab of the Task Pane, locate the appearance satin finish
s-Ainl.ess steel under Appearances, Metal, Steel
....;}Seen parts
- - .s asse mbly contains the parts SN_FOOT and SN_SUPORT
- ich are under the assembly and will not be seen in the rendered
e-.1. We have already seen in step 12 t hat the default appearance
:: .or is attached to this part. Do we need to change the appearance
-::something that is more appropriate? If we need the flexibility to
-: .,der this assembly in other views, then we should change the
::::;Jearance to something more realistic. If the Isometric view is
_s:::ng to be the only rendered view, then it is not necessary to
: -:ange the appearance because t he part will never be seen.
46 Chapter4
-e.
S (I black medoum glo plastic
~ SN_SUPPORT_&-l@SpacoNavigator As<embly,
~ ~ Face
black m edium gloss pla<tic<2>
-!;;ii Face
, [ ] Face<Z>
' -I:J Face<3>
8 ~ Part</Asemblies
ciJ (I PW-MTUOOO<Z>
$.,.) color
(!l j color<Z>
$~ color<3>
$ (I PW-MTI1000<3>
~-..) color<4>
ttl J <atin finO<h stainless steel
~ black medium gloss plamc<3>
piasbc<2>
: Open the part.
:c:.:il the SN_FOOT in its own window.
'~l .. I I:J:IJ:ltit::..:
Jecals
::.=:::a Is are image files that can be added to the model just as actual decals are placed on t he final
::-3duct. Beside the image used as the decal, a second image ca n be used to mask the first image so t hat
'"-:Iy certain areas of the decal image show through, very much like a st encil.
-the next few steps. we will add the 3D Connexion logo to the t rim ring of the assembly.
48 Chapter 4
The Mapping controls are used to size and position the decal on the part. f ~owse... I
Select the Mapping tab. ~J
; [Mask lmage
Select the face shown. @ No mask
U !mage mask file
(") Selective color mask
Note The model is shown in the Isometric view.
If) ~cat image alpha
There are two things we need to do with the decal. First is to size and position it correctly. The second
is to show only the white letters and logo and not the blue background.
Basic Visualization Workflow 49
=~ :::e handles to size and position the decal as shown. If you are having trouble, enter the values
-= ~ below in the Mapping tab.
t1apping
[ Cytndrical
Axis direction:
0 Rt width 1l> ~tion
D Rt height to selection
ISelected Rererence J ...., -
lfare<l > I D . u.OOOrrrn ~
itg~ I I I I !11 j II I l_j _~ i-'1"!''.4
~ -
,... 106.oodog
- -
~ ro ; z.500mm --r:~
t 0:: T:) )': t .J -~ ' 4 fyn l I I 1 I ! I I I I II 1 11 ljd~fi~
Aspect rabo: 4.80: 1
0 Mirror horlzontaly
I erowse... I
1
Save Dea>i .. J
l8age
'lomas!:
;;;.age maslc file
Sdective OJior mask
Click OK.
The blue background has been removed and
only the letters and logo are showing.
Sa:nes
5::-es are made up of the things we see in t he rendering that are not the model. They can be thought
LT~. .~~t;r:~
~ ~,
::-=s a virtual sphere around the model. Scenes are composed of backgrounds and environments.
3:: :. .".'orks has numerous predefined scenes to make viewing the model more realistic.
Turn on ReaiView.
Soft Sp otlight
Soft Tent
Basic Visualization Workflow 53
~ '
Appearances(color)
- =J isplayManager. click View Scene, Lights, and Cameras ~ .
~ '~. - '
~
q
Sanes _-.=..= Scene are listed both the background that we see behind the model t=; ~ tii~Uit~ilm!
'<& Basoc Scenes
-~ -::-e environ ment. These can be edited to adjust their positions and Q Background (Envoronment)
-.e Studio Scenes @ Envoronment (soft tent)
""C. Presentation Scenes
:::::=~ies. ' ~ Loghts
Decals
~ Camera
:::-:~~ ~-c:i ck Background and click Edit Scene. J.
Walk-through
l L Browse...
I- j
I Floot ~]
' [ :":Roor reflections
./ Roor shadows )
Aigl floor ,.., th:
Soft Tent
l"'.-) (xz 3
Roor offset:
12J1!1Oi(n iU:'If t!! I ! )J! I j i j
:
I l li!:e!!i!ifpl
I
~
54 Chapter 4
Lights
There are two different lighting methods, direct lights and environmental light ing. In OpenGL and
ReaiView all light ing is fro m direct lights. When the model is rendered using Photo View 360, primary
lighting is from t he environment but direct lights can also be used to light en shadows, focus attention,
or simulate specific lights that might be part of t he finished model.
By default, all direct lights are initially off in
Photo View 360. Once Photo View 360 is added in,
the View Scene, Lights, and Cameras tab in t he
DisplayManager will show an additional set of !:il ~ Scono (Backdrop - St udio Roo m")
$ ~ light
icons.
To turn lights on or off in either SolidWorks or
'*<j/
~ SpoU
Ambient
D~rection a n
~ Scene Illumination
9 Ambrent
~ ~ Oire:ctionall
~ !>oinU ~~SpoU
PhotoView 360, right-click it s icon and select ~Camera Qi ~ PoinU
eit her: j,_ Walk-through -~Camera
' j,_ Walk-through
Spot
l -..,
~--
.. .
_
Point y.L"y:
In our model of t he Space Navigator, the model will be lit by the environmental light. Because
environment al light ing is from large sources. it does not provide well-defined shadows. We will use one
of the directional lights to create a shadow to help define the size and shape of the model.
There also needs to be a blue light inside t he model that will be visible between the
SN_UPPER_HOUSING and SN_HANDLE_CAP In addition to direct lights. there are several
appearances t hat can be used as light sources. We will use one of these lighting appearances t o create
the blue internal light.
Basic Visualization Workflow 55
1ide components.
g. In OpenGL and -:: - ::<e it easier t o se lect the surfaces of the SN_LOWER_HOUSING, hide the
:~zNiew 360, primary :=::::_:JPPER_HOUSING, SN_HANDLE_CAP, and SN_CAP_INSERT parts.
!::ows, focus attention.
: Add an appearance.
~.: =-~ the two s urfaces s how on t he SN_LOWER _HOUSING.
'* ~ "ile.___
(j ~ I@
- -=Appearances, Scenes, and Decals tab. locate the Blue
~ a? pearance unde r Appearances, Lights. LED.
"-
~ Sccn<o (Backdrop- Studio Room*) ::-:__::.e-click the Blu e LED appearance to attach it t o the
"- ughts
;oo..: Sc~ne Illumination : : ::..Jrfaces.
') Amb1ent
~ ~ Directionat1 : Snow components.
~~ Spotl
0 -& Po1ntl =:::-.. the components that were hidden in step 28.
Umera
1t ' !k-through -:-sxler the Model
~otoVi ew 360- On C" 31at the model is set up in SolidWorks and Rea lView, t he next step is t o render it using
=>-c-:N\ew 360.
Turn on PhotoView 360. Add-Iru ~
I'>
- =~ Too l s, Add-ins and select PhotoView 360.
Off in
Active Add-tns IStart Up A
q ~
f!~ (} ~ (j '1f ~ l ~t_:::;>conToJU
0 '"' SOOdWorks Design Checker
'=!
0
~ Photo'iiew S.c.nToD Soldl'iorks . . So!id\'i orks So~dworks .ToiAnalyst
. . .5o!id''.iorks 0 & SolidWorks t.fution 0
~ Motion Roulin9 Sinulation Toolbox
0 ~ SolidWorks Routing D ~~
~
~~
.. l LaiCUt 'I' sliefet\ I EVa!uat~ t R!lndl;.r Tool$ I Office Products r- O (jl SolidWorks Simulation
0 SolidWorks Toolbox
0
0 I
'tl'
0 SolidWorks Toolbox 6rO\NSer 0 I
0~"! SofidWorks Utilities 0
0 SoiidWorks Workgroup POM 0
~
.
O~To!Analyst 0
. 8 SolidWor ks Add-ins
'c
0 Autotrce 0
0 So!idWorks Row Simulation 0
0 SoltdWorks XPS Driver 0
P~-
~
Because
tows_ We will use one I OK l
-----~ ~~~~~- ..
I Cancel l
~--------------"4
A
~e model.
-+oe
E;-e a re several
c;=~pearances t o create
56 Chapter 4
The PhotoView 360 Options are accessed by clicking ~ in the ~ Ecfr t Scene..
Display Manager. t\ij , Edrt DeU>L.
Preview
I~~;_, ilntegr~ted
1
Previe~.v
PreVleN
Wind_ow
There are two choices to preview the rendered output , by a separate ei
preview window or right in the SolidWorks graphics window. If{E i Final Render
Opt1ons ...
E0 ! Schedul e Rend"...
F 10
ina utput
~ Recall last Rendered Image
1
I; i
Once Final Output @ is selected, t he model will be rendered in its L .l Customize Menu
own window, separate from SolidWorks. While t he model is being rendered, SolidWorks can still be
used to make additional changes to the model.
Render Preview
In order to see what the final rendering will look like, PhotoView 360 can preview the render either in a ,
separate window or in t he graphics area. It is also possible to have neit her preview in use if desired. You
can use either preview method to preview appearances, scenes, and lighting rapidly before committing
to a full-size rendering.
The choice to use the preview window or the integrated preview is a personal one as both provide the
same information. Throughout t his book, the preview window will be used strictly for ease of capturing
the images for publishing. It is your choice as to which met hod you prefer and choose to use.
Basic Visualization Workflow 57
~view Window
;er interface: --e ::review window shows a
=-=5essive (real-t ime) render of
-nodel. It can be used --:-: -;-;odel. Once enabled it will
:r--c::.., active and continue to
=- -2 the image while changes are
-.a:e. The preview window can be
~ ~ ~~~I 81 -~ "?:::i or resized in the same way
a!:: :.-y other window. Smaller
_:;w sizes produce faster
= 2:w results.
II
peoanc~
2-e to Find It
-.nee
IJQII!..r.tnce
=:nder Tools Toolbar: Preview
.'tmdow !i1
'""'-
.'::;nu: PhotoView 360,
-I!
""-
:lreview Window
-
~~e"h
illindow
.._
~M>d......
"""\Serlu
Integrat ed Preview
Using the integrated preview shows the progressive render output in the graphics area. Every time the
model is moved or changes are made, the model will render again.
Where to Find It
Menu: Photo View 360, Integrated Preview
Render Tools Toolbar: Integrated Preview ~
.SolidWorks
e
Edit
~
Edit
~ ~
Edit 1 ln~ated
~
Pr"'"'"
e
Final
~ ~
Options ~
r
Re<al
Appear"""' Sa!ne Decal Preview l'!ndow l!nder Render Lost
Render
- :}X
f .,
~-
-=-::;-eating models in SolidWorks, we genera lly work without perspective so that parallel edges look
; c:rea. Every time the ::. ;:;, on t he screen. When rendering, we are t rying to make the model appear as it does in the physical
: :herefore. perspective should be used.
- urn on perspective.
- - ::-perspective by clicking View, Display, Perspective. This is a toggle, so you turn it on and off with
-.:; s=.11e command.
X =>erspective is less obvious in this model because there are no straight edges. If the model had
r
I ...
-= .....
-=~t edges, such as a cube, the perspective effect would be more obvious and important to the final
~=-:ng.
~
=xamine the preview. ~ Space Navigator_&.SLDASM Photoview 360 201... l =-HID ~
-~ X
-: -~ve all the key elements. but we can make t his
':.::-::=:-with a shadow to help set the model apart from
Pause IJ!--
~
-~ ::cckground.
-L- ~ --= Soft Tent scene has two directional lights. By default, they are turned on
1:;1~ Scene (Soft Tent)
~
!
- SolidWorks 9' , but they are turned off in Photo View 360 r$J . To create a '
1
~ Background (Enwonm!
Q Environment (soft tent) '
:;;.-<::ow. we will turn on one of these lights, and its shadow. for the rendering. e-GJ lights
)"X Seen~ lllumination
<;V Ambient
9' r$J Directional!
9' <$/) Directional2
~ Ca m~a
Ji. Walkth rough
::"Spective view or
:ew > Display >
- Go Chapter 4
D IEditColor... j
Arrilient:
I: J
o
Brightness:
1.
!0.45
' 'j
Specularoty: -
,,.. . ShadoY1 quaity:
L ~-
!flO f t 1
_,:.
I ! Ill ) !J I I Wj lt1i
0.4
r~~
I u Lock to model
-21.
I
I Longi~:
' 7.62deg
I0 Latitude:
28.7Sdeo
-
="2
,.....
~
~
~--;-- --- R
.ooclog >:- - -- e graphics area, the light position is IL19htPosroon - R,
~
s .::.e and can be moved by dragging. ;:]Lock to model
,__
i G) Longi tude:
~ 'CJTJIWjiS
.: -:; the light to t he position shown or [68deg
---'
..s2 c.:'te PropertyManager to type in the
.. - ~ -~~-;-- ~~ - ' t: .
0 Latitude:
:o=s .::ion.
, l7deg
- T ~--~ T ) - T _3. 1
l:
J: : < OK.
~
62 Chapter 4
Save t he image.
.rradiance passes -c- the rendering process is complete, the Final Render window will show the complet ed render. To
jSe, the fina l ::e _seful, this image needs to be saved to a separate file.
l'till see depends
1as eight cores,
::::= Save Image.
- e the image Space Navigator. The default file type will be JPEG and the default directory will be
-.: ~ndered Images folder because we set those in the Photo View 360 Options.
~
- -::, :he gray square indicated. This is the appearance of t he part.
= OK. Annotations
~ Front
~~13
<$>- Right
-=-=~t:rance attached to the component (part at l. Orig~n
-= cssembly level). The upper left t riangle shows 1:'. ~ (f) l 02826l-1<1>
(, ~ 102826.21 <1>>? ~ ~ .Ll
-:= :::Jpearance attached at the assembly level. l+' ~ 10282631<1> ->? ~ ~ LI
[tl ~ 102826.4-1 <1> ~ ~ LI
---e :Jwer right t riangle shows the appearance ttl ~ 1028265 -1 <1> ~ g LI
-=:3-led at the part level. ~ 102826.61 <1>
rkr ~ g LI
00 ~ 102826.7-1<1> ~ g LI
~' ~ 102826.81 <1> ~ ~ LI
~ 81&\ MteGroupl
_ <$>- PLANEl. <$>-
I Remove Appeara-1ce _! ; ;.: ~~ LoaiCirPatteml
1
2.55 ~;...
.0 ~GS HSV
....-'
--------'
66 Chapter 4
---------- -- ------------ ----------------- - -- --------- --
3 Open the part. --
Open the part 102826.1 in its own window.
Because we applied the yellow color appearance
at the component level in the assembly, it is not
applied to the part itself.
5 Open ReaiView.
Click ReaiView ~ in the Heads-up View toolbar.
The assembly now has reflections from the environment and a
shadow based on t he first directional light.
Basic Visualization Workflow 67
3= ect the appearance polished copper from the ~ Solinoid Valve-1 (Default
-.? X -V3 1
.@) Sensors
:.J?earances, Scenes, and Decals tab on the Task ${AI
I Bllsic I Mvana:a l Annotation.< I
~~
-~e . ~ Front
: :i< OK.
- ~~~lion
~~~-
~ Color/Image Y~ ~
l
- 1 i~--~
l, -
.~ Top
Origin
$-'% (f) 102826.1-1<1>
~
~~ .
- -2 Display Pane shows the color attached to the :h '% 1028262 -1<1> ->? '% ~
~elected Geometry 1l
~ '% 1028263 -1<1>->? '% ~ Ll
-=- .l.. 0 Apply at component level ~ '% 102826.4 -1<1> '% ~ Ll
@ Apply at part document level $-'% 1028265 -1<1> '% ~ .Ll
.:: ;e open the part in its own window, it has the $-'% 102826.6-1<1> '%~ .Ll
I
102826.2-l.SI.DPRT
=::::earance applied. $ '% 102826.7-1<1> '% ~ .Ll
ffi '% 102826.8-1<1> '% ~ Ld
$- fil~ MateGroup1
i- -~ PLANEl ~
4J. gg LocaiCirPatternl
{ Remove Appearance
I I
Appeal:'aR9e ~
Appearance file path:
(;:] C:\program Fi!es\.')o!idWor
I Browse ...
I
!save appearance .. )
Procedure
1 Open the assembly.
Open the assembly Solenoid Valve-2.sldasm found in the
Chapter 4 \Case Study\Solinoid-2 folder.
This is t he same assembly we used in the previous case study
except for the material and appearances assigned. Examine the
FeatureManager design tree and note t hat all of the parts have
materials assigned at the part level.
The display is OpenGL and parts are displayed in different colors.
This appearance is assigned by the materials that were added to
the individual parts.
3 Choose RealView.
Toggle on ReaiView by clicking View, Display, RealView graphics.
ReaiView uses the RealView appearances defined by the individual
materials assigned to the parts.
Appearances from Materials
In the beginning of this chapter the differences between materials
and appearances were explained and we know that the appearance
can be much different than the material. However, when a material
is assigned to a part , that material has a specified appearance that
is assigned with it so that the part will look correct for the material
assigned. If the appearance is not what you want, for instance you :":a'
need steel for the material to have all the weight and FEA -.E
calculation correct, but you want to paint it blue, you can change t he
appearance.
Basic Visualization Workflow 69
ScldWori<sMa~ ~' ~ I
Appel>--.. [ OossHatdt COslx>m Appication Data I IFavori~s l
l
Ej St2Ei 1
(i] Apply appear-.. of: Tn Seamg Bronze
- ~ Iron
~
Appe~J.- :l ;.!':~ ;--;_1('-'V-~ ~t~.t"' ~....,
.@ AUnriJn Aloys
til Copper Aloys :::Yd v;;'h t~.-..:; f.-'~,-;-'!n.al r.: ~'r:!l.
: =: :< Close.
=::_rn to Edit Assembly.
Open the part.
:-:~n the part 102826.4 in its own window.
70 Chapter 4
6 Add appearances.
The part has t he material Acrylic
(Medium-high impact) attached. We
will now add some appearances to
different elements of this part which
will override the appearance applied by
the material.
Select one of t he wires. Double-click the material red high gloss plastic found in the Plastic, High
Gloss folder.
Repeat t he procedure to make the other wire whit e using the material whit e high gloss plastic.
-
--
Select the top level icon in the FeatureManager design tree and dou ble-click the appearance b la ck
high gloss plast ic.
1mePlastic, High
Removing Appearances
There may be t imes when we need to either edit or remove appearances. There are several different
met hods to remove appearances.
In the DisplayManager, select the appearance and press Delete.
In the DisplayManager, right-dick the appearance and dick Remove Appearance. -a::s-
In an Appearance Callout, click Remove X for the appearance.
In the appearance's PropertyManager, d ick Remove Appearance.
16 Remove appearance.
In the FeatureManager design tree, right-dick the
top level icon of the assembly and dick
Appearance Callout [e l.
- S.Ummary
.:.-=scan be displayed in three different ways:
:::2nGL
==c.:View
=:=:1dered in PhotoView 360
Basic
This controls the selection of images used for the background and environment. The scene floor can
also be oriented and adjusted.
Advanced
The size and rotation of the floor and the rotation of the environment can be controlled on this tab.
Once a scene is established. it can be saved for reuse as a custom scene file.
Illumination
The Illumination tab is only available when Photo View 360 has been added in. This tab allows the
brightness of the background and model to be controlled separately.
- -~
f Nessage
D Fixed aspect ratio
tBackground ~ Autc>ize floor
rUse nvronment
Width
Rendering brightness:
Environment 1': 6 ~.331 ~
n'' ''''',II'J ,II 'C :
~ C:'frogram Fles\Sold\'lorks 201
Depth Scene reflectivity:
I Browse .. l [0 179.331
iji IIIj IJ Jll 1 ,J1 I I II
;J
H@Miz
~.000 w/srmA2
-~~rll 11 11 ,,, 1 1 " , , ,,, 1
~j
'Jdrliwlk
Floo -"--
SaveSc-..
Basic Visualization Workflow 75
.: :-_clity of both previews and fina l renderings is controlled by two lists in Pr.,.;e.fl render quality:
== :lhotoView 360 Options. There are four choices: Good, Better, Best, and
jGood I
1 e scene floor can Frlal ren;jer quality:
tum. For each choice, PhotoView 360 adjusts a dozen different l~laxi!un I
Gomrr.aGood
a-eters, but at this point we will only look at four. The table below Ber.er
Best
:;oilier of 5 9 9 11
-=.:;1actions
-:rrect 128 512 1024 2048
.:mination
-=eys
..,;rti-aliasing Quality
- -.s adjusts the way diagonal lines appear because computer monitors create displays by discrete,
-~:tangu lar pixels. Anti-aliasing adjusts pixels on both sides of the line to make the line look
:.-oother.
'U mber of Reflections
, 1en light bounces off a reflective surface, its path must then be calculated to the next surface. If
-at surface is also reflective, the process continues. The number of reflections controls how far this
::-:~cess will be able to proceed.
:umber of Refractions
- , is is like number of reflections except that it is the number of refract ive interact ions that will be
:alculated.
direct Illumination Rays
:direct illumination calculates the lighting effect fro m surrounding geomet ry by sending out rays
=-om each visible surface and combining the effect from each of these rays. The more rays, the more
a::curat e the lighting contribution of the surroundings, but also the longer the t ime required for t he
:alculations.
76 Chapter 4
When selected, the number of reflect ions and refractions can be changed Preview render quaity;
[Good
independently from the quality settings. Each can be increased to a FNI r~ QUality;
maximum of 32. The use of these settings will be discussed in Chapter 12. ~ ~I
Gil CU.tnrn render ..,t1ings
:'::Er:
Number of reflections;
4
111' I' !(jiljj ]l i 1 ' HhffS111~
Number of retractions;
,a ~:~
fiku ,, .,, , 1,,,,, , ,1, 1'fi-
,.,..,
11!1 j I I I j I I I JI Jt 1! ll t l<tdi,. ~
-cc: 5I
Basic Visualization Workflow n
Turn on RealView.
-:- :m Real View by selecting ~ on the Heads-up View toolbar. Also make sure t hat Shadows In
:i cded Mode and Perspective are selected.
Kitchen Background
78 Chapter 4
While we have a quick render, the glass is not completely transparent because t here are not enough
refractions and we only have a single reflection from the coffee pot.
Basic Visualization Workflow 81
-=::i-aliasing: 16 _2amples
..ber of Reflections: .4
l-;;s tab will provide
.tber of Refractions: 9
"Ehave two layers of glass (the front and back of the glass) and light refracts at each surface, we
-=.ve enough refractions to see through all the glass. ln t he area where t he glass and teapot overlap,
e 51t must pass through eight glass surfaces as it goes through the glass and then is reflected back
:._- 1iewpoint. In the area where the light must pass through bot h glasses, nine refractions is still not
_._Tl so there is still an area that appears black.
~ere -are not enough
82 Chapter 4
-.:rti-aliasing: 128_29m~
.Jrnber of Reflections: lQ
....rrnber of Refractions: 11
,;;.direct Rays: 2Q48
of glass and the - :e the change near the base of t he glass because shadows are now t ransparent. letting light through
:2nt on the outside :c ::ase of the glass. The area where the two goblets overlap is now transparent as there are enough
??-_ :::tions to let light all the way through.
=dl discuss reflections and refractions in more depth in Chapter l2:Reflective and Transparent
I ;-c-.:earances.
..
I
-i
'>.
...~ -. /
, .,
"<-.7~i
"'5 . ..-.otrr ~
_
; ; . p-.
. ~
$. :;,-
.... ~""~;:
'-..... ~- .~ ~
.-'
84 Chapter 4
Image Processing
The tools provided on this t ab are used t o make nondestructive adjustments t o the rende red image.
These tools will be discussed in Chapter lO:Output.
Statistics
Statistical information can be displayed for each of t he rendered images.
~
3
a
l.<kl
..~Mil
3. ~
!'R<I!ll
~.'IJ>XB
-
...,~ -4,
~ ::::5::
.~ ~9
~
.\'<i~
Pol~ i!lz
.
~
J#it~
...
~~
El><>f!l<10
"'a4
~~~u ~
fl!~~
C2in&ab~ -.,;fM
~lim j;jjll
<4il"
s-
L~~f'l
r,M<
fu
:J:}j,
86 Chapter 4
While we stepped through each Render Quality position in this case study, you would more likely just
use two positions: one at Good to get a draft version of the rendering, and then jump right to either Best
or Maximum quality for the final output. Because the time to render at Maximum is generally twice that
of Best, in most cases Best will be good enough. With experience, you will be able to decide which is
right for the image you are rendering.
Wipe
The two selected images are overlaid and the top image is wiped away, revealing t he second selected
image.
c Spotlight
The two selected images are overlaid and the cursor turns into a spotlight which reveals the second
image. The radius of the spotlight can be controlled by the Spotlight Radius.
11 Side by Side
This displays the two images side by side. The images can be scrolled with the left mouse button ana
zoomed with the mouse wheeL
several different
second selected
~e rendered at
_-52 the left mouse button to move the images right or left and the
-=-.se wheel to zoom in. Using this method, zoom in on t he area where
~ ':.t.vo goblets are in line. You can now more clearly see the differences
~ ~e two images caused by t he different number of refractions in the
3.::st and Maximum quality settings.
88 Chapter 4
Use the mouse t o zoom and pan to show the images as below.
Again, compare the same area where the goblets are in aligned.
Basic Visualization Workflow 89
Introduction
Appearances are a core element of good product visualization and rendering. There are many
appearances available in SolidWorks, and each has a wide variety of adjustments that can be used to
fine-tune the way a model looks. In this chapter, we will look at the different types of appearances, how
to apply them, and adjust them.
The topics covered in this chapter include:
Appearance types
There are two general types of appearances: procedural and textures.
Appearance controls and displays
Appearances can be adjusted to change their disp lay properties and alignment t o the model.
Applying appearances
There are several methods to add appearances t o different parts of the SolidWorks model.
Appearance hierarchy
The hierarchy determines which appearances are visible when more than one appearance is attachec
to a model.
Perspective view
Viewing models in perspect ive adds realism to the renderings.
Scenery
Scenery provides a frame of reference for viewing t he model.
Appearances
Appearances affect the way a surface reacts to light. They may be applied to assemblies. components.
parts. bodies. features, or faces. Appea rances are of two general types, procedural and textures.
Appearances are far more than just t he color or pattern of colors you see on t he screen because they
also cont ain information about how the surface will reflect or refract light, transparency, mapping. anc
more. All surfaces of a model have an appearance applied.
ng Appearances
! are many -~er~ are many methods to apply an appearance t o a model. To apply an appearance:
-:at can be used to
:~g the appearance from the Task Pane into the graphics area to apply the appearance to t he entire
::appearances, how
:c.-: or assembly.
:~g an appearance and drop it onto a body, feature, or face in the graphics area. Select from the
- =::earance Target I1;;!1 rm ro r~ ~ fll ~ Ithe entity to attach the appearance.
So= :=ct the part. body, featu re, or face, then double-click the Appearance Selection area of the Task
-=:--e.
S= :=ct the part, body, feature, or face, then right-click t he appearance in the Appearance Selection
~a of the Task Pane and click Add Appearance to Selection(s) t't .
l the model.
~ ect the part, feature, or face , then right-click the appearance in the DisplayManager and click Add
~=~?earance.
-ks model.
: :f you press and hold the Alt key when dragging an appearance onto a part, body, feature, or face,
-.: :::;pearance's PropertyManager will open.
:!arance is attached
,.~arance Target
--= - ;Jpearance Target allows you to specify where
"E :::;pea ranee will be attached. When you drag and "' Pin
. =-= an appearance on a component, the Filter
' - - - - - - Component
-:::~::ranee target will appear. If you mouse over ' - - - - - - - Part
:.= :::;;terent targets, the appearance will preview ~----- Body
!d that are
-el. The material
stress calculated
v how t he part will
ent. For example, a
94 Chapter 5
Appearance Callouts
~Trtn Rilg-1-l@
e
Appearance callouts show the appearances applied to the select ed entity in I;:J Faae<l>~ ..
hierarchal order. This can be very useful when t rying to determine which ~Revolve l
l
Origin
ff.1 -~ Revolvel ~ TrimRing-1<1> ~~ ....
: ~ Filletl [] ~ Button-1<1 > ~u ...
1. <$>-
$- ~
Planel <$>-
rll
~ Button-1<2>
.., ~Center Control-1<1>
~ " ...
~ :3 ....
Extrudel
eJ FilletS (6 ~ (-) RubberBase-1 <1> ~~~
eJ 0 rn-!ilijl
Filld:2 Mates
eJ Fillet4
, Axisl ,.
_ _n_
1
CirPtternl
Part Assembly
Applying Appearances 95
~ - -il;i!
.:_,.weathered bri~}
" l( -{1;
~ ~ ~a texture appearance. t he basic mapping of the Basic ( Basic
-......,.,.
I
~
I Advanced Advanced
I
_-e to the surface. The tabs are: f~ Color y~ 1!\appilgl
{Image (GJ eo~or~f ~ ~ L
' 1::t!or/Image ,Selected Geometry :::t i IMessage- '~ J
I_ ::;~y appearances can have their colors modified. @Apply at component level
Scenes Select<><! Geomdry 1\
"Scenes 0 Apply at part doOJment level
@ Apply at component level
J:Dbon Scnes .epping Canisl:erl@Canis!Er Asse
O Apply at part docunent
::;Jping controls how appearance patterns and level
~cedures are positioned and scaled onto the model's ~ carister-lCConister Assla
:.J surfaces.
~
~ TriTt Ri"lg-1-1@...
IFaa.<l>Clfte. -- rdnced Properties [ Remov Appearance
~ Raoolve1
{JBody = -~iced properties include additional color/image and
~ TriTtRi1g-1. X ~c::::ing controls plus the ability to change the ..
,0-color ::::
[ Remove~ I
X Renove AI Cool>onmtA. ,
J- Jlation {the way the surface reacts to light) and the ~lapj>ing-Eontrols 1\
S t:est lll X Mapping styl:
__ -::::e finish. The tabs are:
:::alor/lmage - ~~
~ Cjl ~
-::ditional options are available to select different
~ages and to save a custom appearance.
~J[IJ
i
Mapping siz:
p:ot"1 (Default
~apping
!""" --ere is greater control provided to map the
.~
~
~ :::pearance to specific sizes and to flip the Mapping
~
t. :.Jpearance map to different orientations. ,255 ~
1<1> ~ g .Ll
!!J"l <l > ~~~ umination . 1255 t;
l<l> ~~ ~ --e Illumination tab controls the way light is reflected @RGB O HSV
1<2> ~~ ~
:a.troi-1 <1 > '% :3 ~ =--d refracted from the model. Color
.. 3ase-l<l> '% ~ !!1:'1
Surface Finish
1 e surface finish will give the appearance of roughness or a pattern, such as a knurl.
,!.ssembly
96 Chapter 5
LJ~-~ j
>:
.. l.OOmm
lil;ffJmo;;r;rcr.:uw;e-,....
"..] o.sp~ac~t""''''*l<J
Displacement dislarlce
l.OOmm
* Iff II I ! I I J I 1 1 I I I ! I I 1'"4ifuwl
;:::~~~~: /:~
Appea rance
Appearance fie palh:
I
(;;;J C:\"rQ9"om Fi<!s\SoidW;; j Surface Finish
I Br~ I
!Save ~ SiZe/Orlentatlon
Jl l'\
Reflection amount (Re.o!V"~ew
0.000
:J . ; ' T_T .1
,~ T
...:
l ll11ioous intensity:
T_
~~
[0 . 55.03l33333mm .: .
' '11 II !Jl II 'II il I li Ng~
Aspect ratio: 1.00 : 1
[] ~"OTor hori:ron12111y
o ~or verlic:aly
Reset to Image
1"'"5~,5.;. .-
Mapping
Illumination
- -'
255 t:~
j
,.------,~,
- :j
@RGS () HSV
Color/I mage
Applying Appearances 97
- :a::.-chy of Appearances
1below. - .r:: c:::e where appearances
-~:::lied affects the final
~ - he hierarchy in an
~ --=-~ly works opposite the
1 Advanced
e..c
:.: ::oes inside a part. Assembly Color
I
C<h~ 1~ Mapjlilg:
......lion __ c;>ply an appearance at
~fftsh '
35embly level. it overrides
Component Color
iooce Ftnish :::-: r appearances. If you
ez!hored brick "
en appearance to a part,
O)notric help
_ ::werridden by appearances
~ Sumce Finish
~mappOlg
:tt
: == to element s of t he part
""~~ --:: :s features, bodies, and
oo:m F-""
P 1!f'0U!1U41:tP -~
lloplacement mappi1g
Appearances Display
Texture, procedural, and hybrid appearances are
included together in the appearances folders and use
t he same icon. The only way to tell which type of
appearance you have is by the available properties.
l [ Basic
I Adv~
: -~-
Texture appearances are based on an image while 1 ll?'J!bonation
procedural and hybrid appearances are not. Hybrid J ~~l't1iltt
f ~ t~
I A;i;}01c>rj!mage
images may have mapping controls or controls to
Selected Geometry ~ [ ~ressage
change the colors of the appearance. 0 Apply atc~t!evel
ISelected Geomeby ~-
@ ::::::at part docunent
Procedural Texture Hybrid ' 11apping
ISpherical :
;;..
,. ~.9
,.,..., I I I I,. I
t ~~( , I I I
t~
I SizejOrientation
0 Rxed aspect ratio
EJ Rt width tD selection
-l
_..---' "" ['] Rt height tD selection
~ tti I I I I
~I
Qj [-;OOdeg
r 1 r r
:::r:::T&
0 fo'irror horizontaly
0 Mirror vertlcaly
i
I
I
I
I
I Reset
-
to !mage I
1?:-.:xedural Appearances
&:3001H@J - -:-:=Cural appearances define the applied colors based on the X, Y. and Z coordinates of each point on
'*I english brick ,_ -e s.. -face of the model. Notice that the top face of the model changes each time the extrusion depth
)C ,S :a 5 es. This is because theY value fo r the coordinates of each point on the top face changes as the
; - .....s:on depth increases. The bottom sections of the front and right faces remain constant because
,..~
~ J~Mappilg
:
i!asoc I Advan<ed
-
. -
--
-
-.ave the same X, Y. and Z coordinates in all three extrusions .
-=- :Jiocedural appearances, no user mapping is required. The appearance joins correctly on all the
~= Youcan see that t he appearance appears to go all the way through the solid and t he resulting
~ ~
-c?5 are just what we would expect if we took a block of wood and kept cutting away at the top face.
Geometry - ~
~ ~
:~ Tl
~ ' o.OOdeg ~
~ cc::t::l
~ 'O.OOdog f-,1
~....:::r...:u::::o:::J
1-/(lrientatioo ~~
J 'ilred ~ratio
C L33333333in f.;
fi;J.! I I I I I I II l i i!ijjiio1
C L33333333in f.".
M1 .f l i i I I !I!!J ! id.QJ'pt'
Aspect ratio: 1.00 : I
~ O.OOdeg
J I I I I I
A
(J O.OOdeg
')O::::L:I_i_ i_l_i
.! -:xture Appearances
1
-:: -:. . -e appearances are app lied like wallpaper. During application, they can be stretched, shrunk,
D) jQ,OQd~g ~
'!"i
1 I I l I
-:=.:ed, and reoriented t o make them fit the surface. The pattern will be duplicated as many times as
._;-or horizontally . . =-ssary to cover the entire surface .
::::;~or verkaly
ReS<!! to Image --e :.::>pearance used in t his example is an 8X 8 square grid. There
_ : ' 'lite circle to indicate the pattern center.
Pattern
-"E :.::>pearance was mapped differently to each of the three
;added to the same ce nter
-.:: .e faces. The texture appearance is a square, so it maps
~o different depths.
~~-" as a single instance on the top face. As t he ext rusion depth
--::-:ases, t here is no change to the map because it is applied
--=- ;:he extrusion.
--e ~ont face has the texture mapped to use one instance for the width and height of the block,
-::::hing the pattern as necessary.
100 Chapter 5
The right face has the texture mapped to the same scale as the top. The pattern is centered on the face
Because the face requi res more than one instance of the pattern in the leftmost example, t he patterr
actually moves up the face and addit ional amounts of the pattern are added to cover the face. The
reverse happens in the rightmost example as less than one instance of the pattern is needed. The cente-
moves down the face and part of the pattern is not used.
Applying Appearances 101
:,e ,.,ay to think of the differences between procedural and texture appearances would be to consider
_ :::onstruction techniques to build a wooden shelf. If you use a single piece of solid wood, this would
e a procedural appearance because the grain is continuous throughout the shelf. If you round a
- : - or edge, t here should be no discont inuities in the grain. If instead of a solid piece of wood, we
...:.2:: a composite material, like particle board, and then added a layer of laminat e, this would be like
_,:: ~g a texture appearance. If we bevel an edge of shelf, we do not have to make any adjustments t o
E ::~ocedural appearance, but we may have to apply an additional inst ance of t he texture appearance.
102 Chapter 5
_ e !o Find It
.:.:.~: View, Modify, Perspective
_dure
~en the part.
:e: :~e monitor assembly found in the Chapter 5\ Case Study\Monitor folder.
Dlange the view. Onentation
~
5 2 to the named view Render View. Press the space bar and double-click ~~~ 4:1
~ ..:,r View in the list. i;t#t5\!J.
"Normo! To
"'Front
Set the perspective. "Bad<
"left
- :- perspective, click Perspective ~. "Right
"Top
'Bottom
"'sometric
1ew, Modify, Perspective and change the value t o 1.5. "Trinetric
"Dimetric
~[_
!t ~
UA~
106 Chapter 5
'12-8 -oa--
@B.GB C !:!SV
:Fining a Color
: olors can be created by specifying values for Red, Green and Blue (0-255). or Hue, Sat uration and
..:.:::-..;nance (o-240 ).
appears in the target box we selected. orrrrrrr r---- Hue: ,60 Red. 210
rrrrrrrr ! Set: 0 Green 210
Click OK to close t he Color dialog box. Def,ne Cuctom Co:o., Color Lum: 198 Blue 210
OK II Cancel ( :: Jldd to Custom Colo_rn :: J
Applying Appearances 109
~ j ~:
~ l>;B,GB "') I:ISV
I
- Save the appearance.
c-e the new appearance monitor light gray satin finish plastic and save it to the Monitor
_ .::=;- found in the Chapter 5 \ Case Study folder.
Filename: f!Olf.Mff5SS
_ .._
IJJI!!ffiii+.M!effiff5l!Cir.:t I
Custom Folders
When we create custom appearances. decals, scenes. and lighting schemes, we save them to custom
folders rather than the existing folders found in SolidWorks. We do this to prevent the folders from
being deleted during an update or new SolidWorks installation.
When we create a new custom folder, SolidWorks will warn us that t he new folder is not visib le in the
Task Pane and offer to make it visible.
The monitor folder will now be listed in the Appearances section with a
!TJ e Appearan ces(color)
$-te Plastic
&..-..(:@ Metal
blue folder icon to indicate that it is a custom fo lder.
f.:J ~ Painted
S ~ Rubber
SohdWori<:; 11J.te Glass
00-~ Lig hts
1 Thefolder 1; teFabric
LU 1 rtl ~ Organic
[c\$Oitdworks stepwby-!.Otep guid~\product
visualiution\ c hapter 5\case study\monrtor) ( Ge Stone
S ~ Mise neous
where you have chosen to save this. app ea~nce is not : ~monitor
currently visible m the Appeari!nces folder of the Task
Pane. I;: #! Scenos
llJ -~ Decal s
Do you \!Vish to m~ke the folder visible?
t visible in the
.._
,...nces(color)
leta!
._i.
.ned
abber
gilts
lbnc
<gonic
=.xamine the DisplayManager.
~ neous
IDnltor ::view the appearances as History, we can see the
"II; _-the three appearances were added. When viewing . .. "'' i T:.1:11f:'"'...--:-..:
.:::erarchy, we can see that the appearance applied to Sort order. IHierorchy ~I Sort order. i_H_i!;tO.'Y ~I
~TJ""lJ im 'Tl . 1\lnil!oF!o!
-=overrides t he appearance applied to a feature,
- ~ overrides the appearance applied t o the part.
$-...;) monitor light grey satin
e. - bJ Face 0.. I ~ LCD monitor 15
black low gloss plastic
II
It gtey satin finiSh
I @, Extrudel -li:J Face<2> '
i!&astic l-.f!:J Dome2
8 ~ Parts/A..emblies
~- PW-MT11010
L ~ LCD monitor15
Note We could not apply the appearance t o the feature LPattern2 e ~ black low gloss plastic
; !;;il Face
because it also contained the geometry for the dimple face around the S monitor light grey satin finish plasbc
1
il Face<2>
button. e Oome2
~ Extrudel
CJ Face<3>
f !l;i Face<4>
t IWI Face<S>
-1!;1 Face<6>
G;l Face<7>
!;I Face<8>
1 .ij;l Face<9>
!;l Face<lO>
fJI Face<ll>
I;J Face<l2>
.IJ Face<l3>
~ 2-se we added the appearance from the Task Pane, it became a Sort order. jH1story -I
.:c..::~e instance of the appearance. If we had attached it to the first f;1 (t PW-M111010
15 . ~ LCO m onrt:orl5
Jlastic .::::-::e in the DisplayManager, the eight faces of the trim strip would d (t black low glo" pfil5tic
~ .:een attached to the first instance of the appearance. iJ Face
!)' satin finish plasbc S .j monitor hght grey satin finish plastiC
l:iJ Face<2 >
.(]1 Face<3>
1W Face<4>
~ Face<5>
J:jl Face<6>
li;jJ Face<7>
IQ Face<8>
Li Face<9>
liJ Face<IO>
j;l Face<ll>
C Face<l2>
liJ Face<l3>
el Dome2
~Extrude!
8 ~ monito r hght grey satin finish plastic<2>
iJ Face<l4>
li] Face<l5>
IJ Face<l6>
iJ Face<l7>
.iJ Face<l8>
C1 Face<l9>
.iJ Face<20>
IU Face<21>
Edit an appearance.
=..:.::::use we have two instances of the appearance, each can be edited
'"'C.-=::Jendently of t he other. We want to make t he t rim strip lighter than the
~:: :J n s .
1J..~: ~~-odil.:
=:< OK.
1 - ._ ,,
I
@B.GB . J tiSV~ I
114 Chapter 5
27 Add to an appearance.
We want to use the same appearance on two of the indicator lights. Sort order. IHistory
B- lf.TJiiilllli
Select two of the indicator lights. In t he DisplayManager, right-click the j L ~ LCDmonitorl5
Green LED appearance and click Attach to Selection. These two new $-. blade low gloss plastic
surfaces are attached to the single instance of the Green LED ap pearance
so that editing this one appearance changes the appearance on these two B.
~"'\) monitor light grey satin finist
$ ~ light grey satin finish plastic
Green LED
i- ~ Extrude25
l.-[g
indicator lights and the power button. Face<22>
l.fi31 Face<23>
Applying Appearances 115
- =monitor base and arm will use the same appearance as the Sort order. IHierarchy I
:;:.::ons. Efl" ~ Components
8 -'\) monitor hght grey satin finish plastic
~ LCD monitor Arm-l@monitor
: :-;e FeatureManager design t ree. select both the i ~ LCD monitor Base-l @monitor
l......-:J monitor Base and LCD monitor Arm parts. ~ @Face
$-. Green lED
- :::e Task Pane. right-click the monitor light gray satin finish i @-0 monitor light grey satin finish plastic<2>
~ light grey satin finish plastic
:-?.stic appearance and click Add Appearance to selection(s). 1 ID . black low gloss plastic
~==:J $ ~Features
$-V monitor light g rey satin finish plastic<3>
m
onrtorl5
=...::mine the DisplayManager. Notice that the appearance is
=::2ched to the components in the assembly. This appearance will
1 f i.
Green LED <2>
e ~ Parts/Assemblies
Jlo<s plastic
!h.
Efk.J color
,tu: grey satin finish f ::-.-=rride any appearance t hat might be added at the part level. $_...)
color<2>
..On finish plastic
PW-MT11010
!25
2>
3> ::: Open the base. -~--A~_:_. ---?
==en the part LCD monitor Base in its own window. Sort order. jHistol)l I
Eh,) color
--e DisplayManager shows the default color appearance attached to this part l ~ LCD monitor Base
::
Applying Appearances 117
chy Review
:-.c:::ter 4. the hierarchy of applied appearances was discussed. This order is:
-.ssembly
:::;nponent
)Vere::
-::::e
l5
=::ature
~.::dy
~-t
.....E.-:mes it may be difficult to see the differences between some of these, so we will do a simple test
.==~.ying appearances to our existing assembly.
~ ~ G reen LED<2>
a ~Part
$- color
$~ color<2>
liJ
PW-Ml11010
Applying Appearances 119
~ ~~!~.-~
So rt order. j Hierarchy y J
I
~ Component.s
~ \.) monitor light grey satin finish plastic
ltl .
11} ~ blue high gloss pla<tic
8 !;;il Face
Green LED
riJ_,_) monitor light grey satin finish plastic <2 >
1> V
ltJ monitor light grey satin finish plastic<3>
.3> t i 00 ~ black low gloss plastic
~ ~ Features
$....,) monitor light grey satin finish plastic<4>
:4> lit. . Green LED <2>
8-~Part
lf\) color
$ '~:!) color<2>
lit ~ PW-MTllOlO
-.: assembly level. appearances applied to the assembly override everything else. At the part level it is
_st the opposite. An appearance applied at the part level does not override anything.
120 Chapter 5
Topics
The topics covered in this chapter include:
Texture appearances
Texture appearances are two-dimensional images that are applied to a model like wallpaper.
a Texture mapping
The method in which the texture image is applied to the surface can be adjusted by stretching anc
rotating the image.
Textures
Textures are 20 graphic files that are applied like wallpaper. They are applied to t he surfaces of the
model by shrink-wrapping. The method used to shrink-wrap the text ure is called mapping. SolidWor~
supports five types of mapping: Automat ic, Projection, Surface, Cylindrica l, and Spherical.
SolidWorks supports the use of the following image file types fo r textures:
Windows bitmap (* .bmp)
Portable Network Graphics (*.png)
High Dynamic Range(*.hdr)
Tagged Image File (*. tif)
TARGA (* .tga)
RG B (* .rgb)
AdobePhotoshop(*.psd)
Joint Photographic Expert Group [JPEG] (* .jpg)
Hybrid Appearances
Hybrid appearances have repeatable patterns and have some characteristics of procedura l appearanc:3
and others of texture appearances. Like procedural appearances. they can have t heir color changed. L::~
texture appearances, they are mapped to the su rfaces of the model.
Note Color can only be changed for texture appearances by editing t he original image used to crea,.=
the appearance. With hybrid appearances, the color is changed in the appearance's PropertyManage-
Appearance Mapping 123
three of
s.
E :atterns sized and lined up correctly. Rather than start on
-~:hing complicated like the part at right. we will use a simpler part
....,.- ::) learn what each of the controls does.
/tl..,.
.....
) l4
~'"'""" .
~~-----~_r---:::::#;/
.. .
>.
r~~----.-. ;
-
~..... ...._..-''
'
!f.
--::c :}roject will use a simple model to map a texture appearance to the various surfaces. Our goal in
:5 ::ase study is to learn about mapping methods and adjustments rather than producing a realistic
1ing and ~ c:oring.
of the
tidWorks
)earances
nged. Like
ro create
vtanager.
124 Chapter 6
Procedure
We will use a simple part that contains examples of t hree
common types of surfaces:
Planar
Cylindrical
Spherical
Procedure
1 Open the part.
Open the part Texture Part found in the
Chapter 6 \ Cas e Stu dy fo lder.
3 Turn on RealView.
Select the Appearances, Scenes, and Decals tab in the Task Pane.
Locate the appea rance checker pattern in the M iscella n e ou s , Pattern folde r.
-.=xture Mapping
-.::-applying a texture appearance to a SolidWorks model, the SolidWorks software examines the
c::: of the underlying geometry to select the best mapping to shrink-wrap the 20 texture around t he
- -:Jdel.
c:::Jing can be done automatica lly, or we can force the fit by applying surface, projection, cylindrical.
;;;:-:erical options to selected surfaces. Mapping can be referenced to the current view, a selected
..:::.: or a selected plane. These control the direction from which the appearance is projected onto the
~:e.
:-e to Find It
-..=;:>earance's PropertyManager: Mapping tab
--=:nmatic Mapping
-=llatic texture mapping selects one of the three
~
.:.::21 coordinate axes (X, Y, and Z axes) whose plane is
-;:s: closely aligned with t he surface of the geometry
:::::::h point and maps t he appearance normal to that
=.-e.
-
~ )( ~ .,:t )( ~
~ lhnnation
II Advanced
~~Fnstl
option. lected Geo~by
rs;-
@ car/lrMge 'I~ Ma!>Pi"19
Texture Part.SI.DPRT
""'
I
For Mapping, select Projection and XY for projection Selected Geometry jl
r
~
direction. This maps the texture to the XY (Front} Texture PartSLDPRT
I Removo ~"'~ J
Mapping ontrols
Mappilg style: ""'
i I Remove Appearance I ~
- ~~
r1apping If
IProjection
:
.
~[I] ci
-
IXY
Mapping size :
O.OOOin .
- -:
-~[1]-
I O. OOOin
It
'--
nun ! I I I ! Jill I ll fdtttr
Other orientations.
== each of the other projection direct ions and examine the effects on the model.
llt.an<:l!d
-=(
~~
----
~
"
~
XY YZ zx
-----,
-----:1
..
~
~
....:-
"'"".. ,.1,.
r
- T-.&p
~-.:t ~ ~ q a;J . t)&:r ~- W
;tretche5
d by
Current View ,J
(Isometric)
Texture Orientation
Mapping reference and mapping type are used to orient the texture map to the model.
Mapping Reference
Mapping refere nce determines the start position of the image.
Projection Direction
Mapping a texture by projection is done normal to the selected references. Using the XY direction is
projecting normal to the Front plane.
Selected Reference
Mapping a texture to a selected reference {face or edge) causes the t exture to be projected normal t:
the plane or along the edge and onto the model.
Current View
Text ures may be mapped relative to a view. Th is is like putting t he texture on the face of the compute
monitor and projecting it onto the surface.
Once a texture is mapped to a view, and applied. the view orientation of the model can be changed
without affecting t he mapping.
Mapping Type
Mapping type determines how the texture is applied to the model surfaces. After the texture is oriente:
by the mapping reference, the mapping type specifies how the t exture will be applied to the surfaces
X, Y, or Z axes.
The Automatic texture space is
appropriate for most planar
irection is geometry.
j normal tc
!is orientec
e surfaces.
: ylindrical The text ure maps all po ints
onto a cylinder.
13'
~
,
130 Chapter 6
~~~~
.
:: :! :1
'
Steps to Correct the Mapping
To adjust the mapping in this model. we will apply the appearance to each surface individually and the:-
adjust the mapping to the specific face.
This process takes some trial and error to achieve the desired result.
Initial Texture Size and Alignment
Because texture appearances are created by using a rectangular image and repeatedly pasting it on~
the selected surface, the initial size and position of the image and the resulting mapping values may~
first seem confusing.
When the texture appearance is first applied to a surface, the initial placement will be such that the
center of the pattern is in the center of the selected area. The initial size should place a whole numb:!
of images across the major directions. If Fixed aspect ratio is selected, there may not be a whole numh-:-
of complete patterns in one of the directions, depending on the size of the surface.
Removing Appearances
After applying an appearance, you may decide that it is the wrong appearance or it is appl ied to the
wrong entity. If it is the wrong appearance, you can edit the appearance to change it. In some cases. .::
single instance of an appearance may have been applied to multiple surfaces causing difficulty in th.::.
mapping process.
Appearances can be removed from any part, assembly, feature, or face.
Where to Find It
DisplayManager: Right-click the appearance, Remove Appearance
DisplayManager: Select an appearance. press Delet e
Graphics Area: select the part. feature, body, or face where an appearance is attached,
Appearance ~. click Delete x in the callout
Appearance Mapping 131
::r.Ernove appearance. ~ 15 m ~
=:rst remove the appearance we have on this model and then reapply the --- 0
..
e.=.-=1ce one surface at a time. Sort order. IHistmy I
No appearances asSigned. Go to
e J ;splayManager. right-click the appearance checker pattern and click the Appearance tab of the task
pane and drag an appearance
re Appearance. from the hbrary to th e model inj
the graphics area
~
se all geometry must have an appearance. we are warned that there is I Open Appearance Library I
-=-:.y no appearance because we just removed it.
p en Appearance Library.
1that t he ~
ole numbe;- !.,--
~@RGB- f"\ HSV
tole number
Add an appearance to a surface.
S= ::d t he indicated face, then double-click the
:::::earance checker pattern in the Appearance
:d to the
==-= ::dion area of the Task Pane.
1e cases. a
ulty in the _ Adjust the mapping.
= ~efault. there is an even number of complete squares
- ::1e vertica l direction. and because of the dimensions of
-=model. in the horizontal direction as well.
- :he OisplayManager. right-click the checker pattern
:=:Jearance and select Edit Appearance.
:;:;.ect Advanced and then the Mapping tab.
132 Chapter 6
Click OK.
lOOnvn .:
IiI I 11 l I ! Jjijpnlt
d ratio: 1.00 :1
lcl.g
:-c.. . ge the orientation to the Front view.
T C
lmlr horiz<>ntl!ly
.:C =:t the Mapping tab.
lmlr verticaly
- -:: 40 mm for the height. This is the same value we used on the
Reset to Image
-.=::ern on the right side.
:r::_s the pattern until there is a black square positioned in the
-:::er right corner.
-:e You may need to reposition the texture t o keep the black square in the
_:::;er right corner.
~ =:Jrient the model to the Isometric view. 6 49.000mm f:
UH!l '.P'' U"'P rBzt:JP-
0 '10-:iiComn ~ :-
: :k OK. litH.~
ASj)Oct ratiO: 1. 22 : 1
~ O.OOdeg - , > 1
j.
'" JMO-ror horiz<>ntaliy
0 ""'or vertiaoly I I
. I R~tto~ =.!_j
134 Chapter 6
19 Repeat.
Repeat this procedure on the other three planar faces as
shown.
Note Unless we are going to render this model in other
views, there is no need t o apply appearances to the faces
that will not show.
Appearance Mapping 135
drical Mapping
--e ::ylindrical texture space maps all points onto a cylinder. This texture space works well for geometry
~ :a is axis-symmetric.
Adjust the pattern height t o 40 mm t o match the height on the planar faces. Mapping
!cylindrical
Clea r Fixed aspect ratio. Axis a.-ection;
Drag the pattern handles until the width of each black and white area is G '------~
Projection reference:
essentially square.
Adjust t he value for About Axis until the squares line up with the adjacent faces. I Update ID ~ l
,. [6Q.3053~ r.
,_'CT_..LI_ L.:.._1__C__.
t ["ti".l7i35s&;;;,; .....
Jij(l l I ljfi!_l !) I !JlfsftfUw
I5"1Ze/Orientation
[ ] Fixed aspect ratio
I::] Fit width ID selection
I EJ Fit height ID selection
;I ~
1
I13[ Li tflJJ lf
[J 14. ZOOmm
t
.
.-;..
1I I !.jd'#fi.W
[J Mirror ho<izontaly
0 Mirror verticaly
I ResetiDimage
Spherical Mapping
The spherical texture space maps all points onto the surface of a sphere. Spherica l mapping can bema=
-.-=~
difficult t han the other types of mapping because of the additional controls.
~=
22 Select the spherical face. 5
Select t he spherical face and apply the checker pattern
ap pearance.
Appearance Mapping 137
ldatetl;~ I
:K.F=: t: J:.....:L.t: f.
5S6nm :-
1 fi I ! l lj f j{td1if11W
IPO(tratio
tD selection
"' tD selection
mn r:,
I I I I''' lti}rljllMi ::1 spherical mapping we have additional adjustments to orient the pattern. -~ .... ~
~'''"I III 'd3.J.:..
-abo: 0.35: 1
:= -st try to use the drag handles to get the size and location of the pattern
= -ect. Then use the PropertyManager to make the small adjustments
'~"""
~ lBO.O<ld<!:g
. j:.. T .
l I
-
ldog ~:,
)-T_T_' - e-:essary to fine-tune t he patt ern. ~ 45.00deg
ar horizontaly
:e Whether the alignment is correct is a subjective judgment. If the squares
l _ l J
ar verticaly
Size/Orientation ~
lleset tD Image := 1ot line up to your satisfaction. continue to adjust t he mapping values unt il [ JFixed "'1)eCt ratio
::.J are satisfied. [J Fit width tD selection
tJ Fit ~t tx> selection
ng can be morE
- -ay take a great deal of trial and error to determine the values that make a iiiTII"
<;O.OOOrrrn .:
1 11!! 1 1 ii'lill 1"lll'i
!
I
-.,model render t he way you would like it to look. It will be rare when you hit
[[J 37.300mm ,: \
- :c: correct values on the first try. Also, there are several combinations of 'R?!-H I I I I I I I I j il I !! Jl'i1ll''!i''
Aspect ratio: 1.07: 1
-.=;:>ping size and offset values t hat will give a satisfactory result. ~ O.OOdeg .-
1 - .
2- Save and close the part. fj lBO.OOdeg ~=
1
d} 3.00deg !
I
1 .
CJ Mirror horizontaly I
n MiTOI"verticaly J
I Reset tD Image~
138 Chapter 6
Procedure
1 Open the part.
Open the part Projection Mapping practice found in
t he Case Study fo lder of this chapter.
This is just a simple block with length and width
dimensions in millimeters.
Appearance Mapping 139
not important ::::.= =:t the front face of the model and then select the Appearances, e ~ [il ...
g the surfaces ::C::Oes, and Decals t ab on the Task Pane. S e Appeara nces(color)
-= ;ppearance Selection area. Hold ing the Alt key when applying an
orm map if we .::::-::: arance causes t he PropertyManager t o open.
the model.
:::e : :t Advanced in the PropertyManager and then the Mapping t ab.
color
ecessary to
--=Horizontal location direction is shown with a red arrow and the
stical location direction is shown with a green arrow. These correspond
ch the patt ern
-:: :~e icons next to the spin boxes.
- -.;: :llue and magenta rectangle shows t he size of the seed inst ance of the
:.:::ern. The width {blue) and the height (magenta) are in units of length.
- [o.DOOnm ~
.....~ - - - - - - - - -....- 1 IPrJt lli 1 I I fj lljjl (i~Qtui
!o.OOOmm f.-1
t iiiiJ:iJ. J JJ I'( tlj!t t!d@llii~
ate/Orientation
I 1m ~;~~~ ~~:::;j
Asped ratio: l.OO : 1
~ 'o.OOdeg ---~.
'1-I- r .!._.....} J..::a
LJ Mtror hornon1211y
0 Mirror verti<:aly
I Reset to Image
140 Chapter 6
If our intent is to get two instances of the pattern in the vertical direction and 0 Fixed aspect ratio
0 Fit width tn selection
three in the horizontal direction, we can do this without trial and error. 0 Fit helglt tn selection
,....,
0 25.000rrrn
The part is 50 mm by 75 mm. To get two instance in t he vertical direction, each ' '
pattern instance must be 25 mm. Th e same is true for the horizontal direction 0 25.000mm
- ..
''
==
Appearance Mapping 141
.... horizontal y
:ror vertiealy
Reset to IrQage
- =.ack. G T
- -::2 12.5 mm for Vertical Offset and press Enter. lt ,,!;;~li i !!H~ij
Examine the preview.
--e :Jreview window now shows a white square in t he lower right
:=~er. The blue and magenta rectangle shows that the seed
~-::2rn has moved up one square.
Cylindrical Mapping
With cylindrical mapping, an edge of the pattern is applied to the cylindrical face in the same direction
as the axis of the cylinder. The pattern is then rolled around the cylinder.
Procedure
1 Open the part.
Open the part Cylindrical Mapping practice found in the Case
Study fo lder of this chapter.
This is just a simple cylinder with length and diameter dimensions in
even millimeters.
2 Apply appearance. 50
Select the cylindrical surface and apply the same checker pattern I
appearance (default texture).
3 Preview.
The edge of the pattern is aligned to the Front view and then wraps
counterclockwise when the cylinder is viewed from the top. - - :J
e:
l::~~!ill~
[0
: :.< the Mapping tab in the PropertyManager.
1.00 : 1
Aspoct rabo:
- ~5enta represents the height of the pattern.
Q (lSO.OOdeg Ml
~:cuse the height of the cylinder is 50 mm and I ~ ::I::J,)J -c_-;_:::j
Change the Isometric view. There are eight complete instances of the pattern.
8 Create a spiral pattern.
s-ae/Orientatlon *
The Rotation changes the angle between the 0 Fixed aspect ratio
axis of the cylinder and the axis of the applied ::::1 Fit width to selection
EJ Fit hoigh t to selection
pattern. The result is a pattern that spirals
around the cylinder.
a 1s.2so;;;;;;--
UIQlftf
t I l_Jtlj
~:,
j il 'Q!J.!III.
[0 ~SOOmm-- r-:
When you change the Rotation. the other ifj ! I !111 I !Ill I 1ffJi:tai4
Aspect ratio: 0. SO : 1
mapping values may have to be adjusted to get Q 7.00d- ; - - ~-
~ 1 T ~_:_1.._1__ T ; j
t he pattern to come out evenly.
D Mirror horizontaly
Type 7.0 degrees fo r Rotation and press Enter. 0 Mirror verticaly
Click OK.
Note The numerica l values used in this step are "close" but not exactly right. If you would like to be me-
precise you can experiment with small adjust ments and also examine the completed model found in t--"
Completed folder.
Appearance Mapping 145
- -crical Mapping
-~-Ical mapping is similar t o the process used by map and chart makers to represent the earth on a
- :: ece of paper.
m be ;---':"::
Jund if'
146 Chapter 6
The rectangular pattern is applied to the sphere by wrapping it around the sphere, much like the way 2
cylindrical map is wrapped around a cylinder. In the world map example. this wraps the map around the
equator giving us line contact between the texture and the sphere. The map is then shrunk around the
sphere so that the top edge of the map converges on the North Pole and the bottom edge of the ma;::
converges on the South Pole.
North Pole
Equator
South Pole
Procedure
1 Open the part.
Open the part Spherical Mapping practice found in the Case Study
folder of this chapter.
This is a sphere with a diameter of SO mm.
Appearance Mapping 147
Q [ 9o.OOdeo :
~ -'-'---
0}~ :
~~ .-r-r..::cr:::::
o~1irror horozont~y
0 Mirror verticaly
[ Reset to Imoge
I .
148 Chapter 6
MiTor 1-Mlrizontaly
to keep the height constant while we MiTor vertic211y
change the width. Reset II> Image
Decals
Decals are artwork that is applied to the model in SolidWorks. They are in some ways like textures ir
that they are applied to the surface of the part, feature, or face, and may be mapped according to thE
type of surface.
Decals differ from textures in that they are not tiled, and they can have parts of the image masked.
Masking allows only defined areas of the appearance of the underlying part to show through the deC3.
image.
Decals can be made from the same types of files used for t extures:
Windows bitmap (* .bmp)
Tagged Image File (* .tif)
TARGA (*.tga)
RGB (* .rgb)
Portable Networks Graphics(* .png)
High Dynamic Range (*.heir)
Adobe Photoshop C'.psd)
Joint Photographic Expert Group (* .jpg)
Decal size. position, and overlay order can be controlled with the Decals PropertyManager.
Where to Find It
Menu: PhotoView 360, Edit Decal
Render Tools Toolbar: Edit Decal [fiD
DisplayManager: Right-click in the View Decals tab. Add Decal
Task Pane: Drag a decal from the Decals folder in Appearances, Scenes, and Decals
Print Screen
The Print Screen key is used to capture the image
on the monitor and paste it on the Windows
clipboard. There are a variety of other
commercially available graphics programs that
include the capability of capturing images from
the screen. Print Screen is used in this course to
eliminate the need to purchase any additional
software.
Decals 153
"':; It
~
:::=a::i. ) ifferent locations depending on the specific keyboard, but it is usually located to the right
~::tion key F12.
-Screen
_ ::-,ant of Print Screen where only the active window is copied to the Windows clipboard.
Procedure
1 Create an image for the decal.
We will use a screenshot of the monitor model we created in Chapter 4.
Open the file Monitor.sldasm in the Chapter 7\Case Study folder. This is the completed projec-
from the previous Chapter s.
Turn on ReaiView.
lr -- ~~ -- - 4 t:1.0 C""'el
" t
e~-ut~
.....
-c- 4- ' ltllol
........
-
~
o- .#a...
~u,M
t .flFJIMI:
..;e o.,..w
.......
.]_ ~St-
ll ~
~
......- t i
. ~ s.:-
"'"""'
"' ....
~ c-o.:..t.
Procedure
1 Create an image for the decal.
We will use a screenshot of t he monitor model we created in Chapter 4.
Open the file Monitor.sldasm in t he Chapter 7 \ Case Study folder. This is the completed proje::-
from the previous Chapter s.
Turn on RealView.
On t he keyboard press Print Screen.
!!!
I
100% ::-
Decals 155
.._ -_son the version of Paint you are using. you may get a :Paint 29
~=-= 1dicating t hat the image on the clipboard is larger than
-q. If you do, click Yes.
(?;) The ifna9e in the cipboard is l<orger than the bitmap.
Would you like the bitmap enlarged?
If____:tes - :1 No Cancel
e--
... .14
~- Mett
~ ~ OIIIllrill
.., ..,a -.....
~ <iJ CIMt
;j
. ~, ......
..
-
~ ~-
... -4 -
~
ct- ....--..
-~
V ~-
..,_
o.
~ C-Ot<ok
Applying Decals
To apply a decal the steps are:
Select the part, feature, or face on which the decal will be applied.
Select the image for the decaL
Create a mask.
Map the decal (adjust its size, orientation, and position).
Adjust the illumination properties of the decaL
Decal images can be created from any of the image file types supported by SolidWorks.
Decals PropertyManager
The Decals PropertyManager is used to apply and adjust decals. It has three tabs: Image, Mapping. C""
Illumination.
Image
The Image tab is used to select image files and decals. If a mask is t o be used, we can also select tte
method of applying the mask. Custom decals may be saved with t he file type * .p2d.
Mapping
The Mapping tab provides the method of applying the decal to the selected surface and the ability -
move and size it
Illumination
The Illumination tab controls the way t he decal will reflect light The defa ult setting fo r decals is to
underlying appearance. This makes the decal reflect light based on the appearance properties of n
face to which the decal is attached.
Where to Find It
Menu: PhotoView 360, Edit Decal
Render Tools Toolbar: Edit Decal ~
11 DisplayManager: Right-click in the View Decals tab, click Add Decal
Task Pane: Drag a decal from the Decals folder in Appearances, Scenes, and Decals tab
7 Apply a decal.
Select t he fa ce of the monitor
;o select thE
.' Selective color mask
Use daa image alpha
-'dwlnel
the ability t:
'.1ap the decal.
:-:: the Mapping tab.
ab
158 Chapter 7
Select Projection from the mapping types. This will project the image onto the
surface. l S..lectedGeomeby
!Projection ~:
To size the image, we need to know the size of the face where the decal is being - @:._oo;;., - :
"Ufi.''' 1t 1 111Hdjta
applied. Rather than measure the size of the face, we can start by letting the 1
I t fO:ixmn - ~
decal fill the entire face. then reducing the decal size slightly. j lit1I .i t j1
i_ _ _ _ _ _ _
!p
ij N nw tJ
~iortentat;on ;::
In the Size/Orientation sect ion, clear Fixed aspect ratio and select both Fit
l Ftxeda~drabo
width to selection and Fit height to selection. G!J Fit width to selection J
\ 0 Fit hew# to selection
6 r433.a9999866mm
IJnJ flll_li(li_j! Jrll"'w
[[J 269.81.;;)144lmn -
~~,,I 11! U f)fiif-
Aopectratio : 1.61: 1
1
Q Jo.OO<le9
~_T_"_,....,.._,.........,
-
0 Mi"ror horizoot:lily
0 r-wror verticaly
r
, R~..<!t !Oirr.3!ie
'-------
12 Reduce the mapping size. Sl:te/Orientation
Notice that the decal size is 433.89 mm x 269.81 mm. D Fixed aspect ratio
I'J Fit width to selection
Clear both Fit width to selection and Fit height to selection.
Type 420 mm for width and 260 mm for height.
0 Fit height to selection
~ r=
D ~l!tlllJ~
-
This gives us just a small gap around the decal.
[CJ l:;olf.7=~=-
Aspect ratio: 1.62: 1
Q. 1o.!Xlde!i
'1-:r-....::r_r_~
0 Mirror horizontaly
0 M<ror verticaly
1 Re-..etto Image
Decals 159
~.._
- "' can take the illumination properties of the appearance to which they are
- eel. or they can be adjusted separately.
-my fIllu mination ~
- s decal represents t he picture on the monitor. it should have its own CJ D)malllie help
from within t he monitor. We can create this effect by using the Luminous l 0 Use underlying appearance
- 5
-::3:5ity pro perty to make the decal emit light. Increase t he Luminous intensity
I
DiffUse Amount:
SpeOJ!arcolor:
~"""'
~
SpeaJiar spread:
!o.o1
Q I I I I I
tB
1= r r = f 4
~ ReflectiOn amount :
'' 1 ~''drliiIW
10 .00 ~
!:i ,,,.... ,....-,, t4
iDn
r:trabo
D Blurry refledions
~ Transparent amount;
~ ~.oo
r ,---,.... tB
,.---, ., T t4
~ ~
luminous n tensity:
; " m~wu
:4131ml ---
!0.25 w/srm" 2 llH
1-~ I I !lfi t1f.ai
o: 1.61 : 1
----: r
--
~ Examine the model.
crizontaMy - t= decal is bright er t han the rest of the
.r.icaly -.::::el and can be clearly seen in the floor
to ~'llal;e s ection.
iDn
ct r<ltio
' sekction
D selection
I
~9!jJ
r.-
Tt!!Tf1jijjiiii
fT
o: L62: 1
[;
_ :::r__-:r_::c9
crizontally
erticaly
t iD !mage
160 Chapter 7
Decal Files
Decals, like texture appearances, require two or three files: the decal image file. a mask image (if usee
plus the decal file. The decal file contains the settings used for the decal. such as the illumination st} :
and individual settings and the location of the decal image file. Decal files have the extension* .p2ci.
16 Save the decal. ~ Save As
Right-click the Screen Shot ftQ JJ.
deca l in the DisplayManager ~
Organize
-- --
SolidWorlcsCom... CustomOO<:als
Neo.v folder
~ [ <-,. j j ~arch Custom D~cots P
Decal Mapping
While applying the decal to the Monitor, we used one type of mapping. Before proceeding with the nex:
case study, we will explore the decal mapping options in more depth.
The mapping of decals controls their placement, size, and orientation. While t here are many similarities
to mapping texture appearances, there are a few significant differences:
Only one instance of the image file is used, there is no tiling.
An additional mapping type called Label is available for decals.
Mapping Types
The fo llowing methods can be used to map decals.
Label
The decal can be mapped to multiple contiguous faces similar to placing an adhesive label to a
physical part. This type of mapping is also known as UV mapping. When you map the decal to multip =
faces, the fa ces must have linear contiguous edges.
Projection
The decal is applied to a selected plane and then projected onto t he selected model faces.
Cylindrical
The decal is mapped to the cylinder in the same way textures are mapped to cylinders.
Spherical
The decal is mapped to the sphere in the same way t extures are mapped to spheres.
Applying Decals
Decals can be applied t o t he model from the Appearances, Scenes, and Decals t ab of t he Task Pane. T--c
following methods can be used:
Drag and Drop
Drag a decal into the graphics area and the Decals PropertyManager opens.
- - ..:!:
Drag a decal onto a face and the decal will be applied to t hat face and the Decals PropertyManag=
opens.
Double-click - -...'""::r
-
Doub le-clicking a decal opens the Decals PropertyManager.
If faces are selected before double-clicking a decal, the decal will be applied to the face or faces
Decals 163
3bel to a
-=-from the Appearance Selection area of t<, e Appearancos(color)
~ro~~~
imp roved logo
labels logo
5 Select geometry.
In addition to the one selected face (the one we dropped the decal
on), select the additional five faces shown.
Note The decal preview has been removed from the graphic for
clarity.
Top View
Cancel.
: .ck Cancel and close the part without saving.
166 Chapter 7
Procedure
1 Open the assembly.
Open the Battery Assembly from the Chapter 7 \ Case Study\Battery folder.
~ply appearance .
(ewill explo::: .;: .:: start by applying an appearance to the entire model. This will control the areas that are not
which decal.s =-ed by t he decal.
Face
~Masks
.,-,.. se image files are always rectangular. masks allow us to filter out pa rt of the image. Masks are
and white. or grayscale images. When combined with the decal image, only the part of the decal
::;rresponds with the white part of the mask will show through. The part of the decal covered by
:: :::::k part of the mask will not show through. When using graysca le images. the gray value
=--,ines transparency.
.........<ing Techniques
? : are two ways to select the area of the image that will be masked out. Additionally, you may choose
_s:: the entire rectangular image as the decal by not masking out anything.
_se Remove Color t o mask the selected color out of t he deca l. That is. t reat ~ =calimaoeaipha
E:rf lbnila~
..
c~
=-r pixels in the decal which have the selected color as transparent.
--e Pick Color eyedropper (2] is used to select colors from the decal
0EEffiE
I
~
!Re1110ve Color
~~ ::~evi ew.
se decal image alpha channel uses the alpha channel of the decal image if it is available.
:er...al Visibility
-:il several decals are used. one on top of another. it can be difficult to see the decal you are working
,. . ) ecals can be hidden just like parts in an assembly. Hiding the decals can also speed up the rendering
~:ess by reducing the calculations needed to produce the output.
10 Copy images.
Copy the following images from the Chapter 7 \ Case Study\ Battery folder t o
SolidWorks Common\ Custom Decals:
Battery Label l.jpg
Battery Label 1 Mask.jpg
Battery Label 2.tif
Battery Label 2 Mask. tif
11 Add another decal.
Return to the window with just the battery part.
Select the face of the battery and click Edit Decal ~.
Click Browse and select the Battery Label l.jpg from the Custom
Decals folder.
=.-d the center gray box. To remove the remaining parts of the image, we f~~ H1lbiW1aticrf l
:: :>lack and white image mask. r~ !mage
r-tessage ~
- :he Image tab. Browse to select an image mask fie.
See the 'Dea!! Preview' to 1liew the mal
decal.
-;;::: Image mask file.
3rowse under Mask Image and locate, then select, the
-=:c_y Label l Mask.jpg file in the Custom Decals fo lder.
E _:ecal Preview shows that only the gray letters and the gray rectangle will
:::n the model. The red crosshatch area shows t he t ransparent area of
::::al.
!mage file path: I
I;;;) C:'$oidWorks S~y.Step Gt.i ~
E:ecal and mask images are shown below. You can think of the mask as a
I Bro"~=J --~- I
: .:. The black areas are the solid part of the stencil and the white area is L !saveD~~
e-e the image ca n go t hrough. ~
. (! Eineskfile)
u e COIOi iMsk
0 Use decal image atlha chamel
Decal I
f"tlil<il'il\\l!ilii .
. ~
lii(.,,~~
Mask 0 Invertnesk
f-lask file path:
I6:J C:l,'ioidWorks Stop-by-Step GtJi
j Browse... I
Save the decal.
: :< Save Decal and save it to the Custom Decals folder.
: :< OK.
172 Chapter 7
I POWERED BY SOLIDWORKS I
-.e
Decals 173
POWERED BY SOLIDWORKS
-<52the drag handles to rotate, size, and position t he decal over the gray box in t he
=:ious deca l.
Save .
.:.:. 2ct the Image tab.
: : k Save Decal.
: :k OK.
174 Chapter 7
22 Save.
Save the part file. then make the assembly window active.
:lrder
-_,::- in which decals are displayed on a part fe ature, or face is determined by the order in which
.=:ear in the Decals fo lder in the DisplayManager.
:.e-==, at the top of the list is displayed furthest from the surface of the part feature, or face. The
=:: : 1e bottom of the tree is displayed closest to the surface. When several decals are applied to
-;:face, the order is the same as if we had physically applied the decals to the model; the last one
e= s furthest from the surface.
:.. ::=:-?Osition multiple overlapping decals on a part, feature, or face, and change the order in which
:; =:-;: displayed.
:::-.c:5e the position of a decal, right-click t he decal in the DisplayManager and select:
_,-e Decal Up (away from the surface)
_,e Decal Down {closer to t he surface)
_:e Rendering Speed
~e decals slow down the rendering process and are not necessary while the scenery and lights are
~ ~djusted, we can hide all three deca ls.
Examine the image of the canister. Not ice that the lid and body are predominantly red, but the cove-
turns to orange as we approach the edge and the body turns orange near t he botto m.
~ =t:Jly appearance. I _ ~~
s:: ' --e porcelain appearance found in the Stone, Stoneware folder to the /J
- ; ::ouble-clicking the appearance while holding the Alt key. - .z_- 3
~E 3. I >
c:,or section. select t he color red.
:K
=--eview the render.
=:-er render preview t o examine the part The
5 _niformly red. If we were to apply an orange
::rc1ce to the part. the entire part would be
-;-= f we just added an orange appearance to the
=c:s around the outside of t he cover, they would
-::-ge and the rest of t he cover would be red, but
::_ld have a very definite line between the two
-:
.-e want is for the red color to smoothly t rans ition to orange as we approach the outer edge.
--:ion
apply a decal that is pure orange. By using
:::: .. we can use the underlying appearance's
--at ion properties so that t he decal will have
,.. sc;ne look as t he rest of the canister cover.
I use a gradient mask which goes from
=: lack at the center to pure white at t he
=-edge. This will cause the orange t o be
ed out in the center and fade in as we move
r::.c. ,ty from the center. Decal Radial Gradient Mask
.: ::eca l and radial gradient mask will look like the images at right
The gradient mask was made in another image program because it cannot be made in SolidWorks.
Copy images.
_ ~he t hree image files needed for the decals from the Chapter 7 \ Case Study\ Canister folder
--e Custom Decals folder.
: :'a.Ilge DecaLjpg
?.adial Gradient Mask.jpg
-=-:::tear Gradient Mask.jpg
178 Chapter 7
i bl CC:\~~I<s ~~ I
j Browse. .. I 0Invert mask
jSave Decal.. . I Maskftiepoth:
~ [ C:\SdidWorl<s COITV!lCr
1Browse ... j
.:.pp!y appearance.
:ile same porcelain appearance to the entire part and change the color to red .
J , _ :_]
Image fle path:
QJ [c~orksc;;;..,.~
l 1 erowse... I
l ~veDec~ ... J
I
0Invertm<~sk
l . t>rowse ... I
L___- --
Click OK.
Decals 181
c-llrt mask
'le path;
~orks C~
--- -
'- i
=-=
-SF-_
Viewpoint
Establishing the viewpoint is important to getting a good rendering of a product. In photography, this
the view we see in the camera. In the computer we tend to think of rotat ing the part or assembly, bt.::
the reality is that the model does not move, only our viewpoint changes.
There are two ways t o establish our viewpoint in SolidWorks. The first is to use the Pan, Zoom, RotatE.
and Roll tools to establish the view. The second way is to use a camera, just as if we were taking a
photograph. Both methods can achieve the same results as far as t he view of the model on the scree-
however, the camera option will give us some additional tools to create more rea listic images, such ~
depth of field.
When we use the Pan, Zoom, Rotate, and Roll tools in SolidWorks, our general perception is that we ; r
moving the model. This is usually the result of looking at the model through a computer monitor tha:
stationary on our desk. Reality however is that the model is fixed in model space and we are moving c..
point of view through these tools.
~ Zoom to Area: Zooms in on a portion of the view t hat you select by dragging a bounding box. T-:
center of the box is marked with a plus(+) sign.
[g) Zoom In/Out: Zooms in as you press and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse up. Zoe.....,...
out as you drag the mouse down.
~ Rotate View: Rotates the view as you press and hold the left mouse butt on and drag t he mous~
around t he screen.
[g) Roll View: Rotates the view about an axis normal to t he screen as you press and hold the left me
button and drag the mouse.
!) Pan View: Scrolls the view so the model moves as you drag the mouse.
Viewpoint 185
Wheel
'~tl -= Function Button
-:sc ~otate Press and hold the middle mouse Press and hold the wheel mouse
s::-::s button. As you move the mouse, the button. As you move the mouse. the
S<J.::::: view rotates freely. view rotates freely.
~otate about Click the middle mouse button on the Click the wheel mouse button on the
:=eometry geometry. As you move t he mouse, t he geometry. As you move the mouse, the
- NE 3
view rotates about that selected view rotates about that geometry.
-=~ geometry.
. .5-
The geometry can be a vertex, edge,
axis, or temporary axis.
Pan or Scroll Press and hold the Ctrl key t ogether Press and hold the Ctrl key together
with the middle mouse button. The with the wheel mouse button. The view
view wi ll scroll as you drag the mouse. will scroll as you drag the mouse.
Zoom Press and hold t he Shift key together Spin the wheel mouse butt on. The
ox_ 1~ =
with the middle mouse button. The view will zoom larger as you spin t he
view will zoom larger as you drag the wheel downward; smaller as you spin
mouse upward, smaller as you drag the the wheel upward.
l.Zcn~
mouse downward.
Zoom to Fit Double-click the middle mouse button. Double-click the wheel butt on.
lOUSE
~mm:sc
186 Chapter 8
Arrow Keys
Arrow keys can be used to rotate the
viewpoint about the three axes of the Left/ right arrow keys Up/down arrow keys
computer monitor. The up and down arrow
keys rotate the viewpoint about a horizonta l
X axis thro ugh the center of t he monitor.
The right and left arrow keys rotate the
viewpoint about a vertical Y axis through the
center of the monitor. Pressing and holding
the Alt key while using the right or left arrow
keys will rotate the viewpoint about the Z axis
normal to the monitor screen.
Holding the Shift key with the arrow keys
changes the rotation to go degrees.
Where to Find It
Menu: Tools, Options, System Options, View
Viewpoint 187
~edViews
--: e we establish a viewpoint, we need to save it so that we can easily return Onentation lil
v keys ': :::e same position. We can save t he existing viewpoint, section view. or ~ ~ ~~ ~~
- era view for later use. @ $ -
@ ~ @@
-: save t he current view as a named view, press the space bar to open the @ J.
: r"..entat ion dialog. Click New View ~ and type the name of the view. IG saved v.ews
EJElEDEEl ?1
-=::1ange the viewpoint t o a named view, double-click the named view. I
ere to Find It
eyboard: Press the space bar
'lenu: View, Modify, Orientation
~spective View
=normally do not create solid models in perspective views because it is generally easier to view
;c.-aile! edges as parallel. When rendering, we are trying to make the final output appear as it would to
::_~ ey es . For t his, a perspective view is very helpful. If we are not using a camera. we must add
:e-spective manually. If we are using a camera. the perspect ive will be determined by the lens we use.
~ere to Find It
l he defc:.... !lenu: View, Display, Perspective
(ing to /iew Toolbar: Pers pect ive ~
:2, modify the perspective by specifying t he Observer Position value in the Observer Position !!;
Where to Find It
Menu Bar: View, Modify, Perspective
Note You must be in a perspective view to change the perspective setting.
Perspective = 0.1
SolidWorks Camera
S:.:dWorks camera allows a more visual approach to establishing a viewpoint. Most of the camera
'=-ents produce the same res ults as could be achieved using Pan, Zoom, Rotate, Roll, and
~ive. The camera however, more closely approximates the actions of a photographer and adds
- s::ditional features, depth of fie ld and the ability t o get inside object s.
"':'~::s
-::::~ics covered in this section include:
:2=nera options
--=settings that are available for the camera include directions. distances, and lens type.
~.=ding a camera
.1.::-,eras can be added directly to a part or assembly document.
:anera properties
:~-,eras can be edited to change the settings including the direction. distance. and lens type.
:gspective
--= camera lens controls perspective.
::rect of focal length
:-:anging the focal length of a lens changes the relative size of distant objects to near objects.
-lept h of field
:::::::::~th of field cont rols which part of the image is in focus.
-'..:::ling Cameras
' :=:--1 cameras
can be added to a document. Each camera will define a view. To see the model as the
=~era sees it, right-click the camera in the DisplayManager, View Scene, Lights, and Cameras tab and
:.c :::t Camera View.
:; When in t he camera view. you cannot move the viewpoint with the Pan, Zoom, or Rotate tools. The
-:_:-:;or will change to ~ if you t ry to change the viewpoint.
~::-e to Find It
::::::splayManager: Scene, Lights, and Cameras button, right-click the Camera folder, Add Camera
.:enu: View, Lights and Cameras, Add Camera
190 Chapter 8
~d a camera. ~StliiWorb ]
I r~ ~~ ~- rt!t r~ ~~ :~ ,~
~> - 'L--t r- ......""' - _ .... c..~.._.,. .
! "- '-~--- ,). - ,
7 ".- 0 A 1
., t he ~~r'+'li
[~
- ::-~s of the camera and
.:c on t he left and the
the camera sees on
-51t.
~1
9 --
t ..""M
,
IU:SM
'
. ' ::wrn.-...
- ~,
~I
I:At ~
" ::,~ --"'""~w -w~
~~f...-r,.t"""''!!"....,.n .2'!1i><~ --~~-'"'"5""~-~
- :2
0spherical Qspherical
Ocartesian @ cartes:1an
'\. [28,589in
For additional control, select Show numeric controls under Camera Type. <Camera Type
@ Aimed at target
Select Lock camera position except when editing. {.; floaung
Longitude: 45 deg I
Latitude: 15 deg
Note We have used numeric controls only to insure your camera matches the
images provided here. Normally you would drag the camera into position.
O , 15deg
Viewpoint 193
;:::- spoiler. I L
Spheric;!~
.se a so mm Standard lens. I 0 cartesian
P.>x'IOOnvn
'dti }q p rrn 11 " II ' q wtrt''4
:.: 2ct 11:8.5 for the Aspect Ratio. We will
~Y . 180mm ~,,
e. ::mine aspect rat io a little later in the ii;:,; T l i I II I!'! I I I '111);tM
::-apter. ~z -6l5nvn 1:
ta '}f I I 'lk' tllJJ I a tfsRij
194 Chapter 8
EJ El lil EB
Camera Lenses
SolidWorks has six lenses that correspond
to standard lenses used by photographers. In addition to the standard lenses, you can also creat e a
custom lens which is similar to using a zoom lens.
By using lenses, we can control the size of the image similar to zooming our point of view. With t he
standard zoom tool. we could turn on perspective and control it independently f rom the amount of zoe-
With lenses, zoom and perspective are t ied together. With wide angle lenses (lower focal lengths), SL""'
as the 24 mm lens, there is much more perspective. With telephoto lenses (longer foca l lengths), s~:
as the 200 mm lens, there is much less perspective.
Field of View
Field of view controls the magnif ication of the image by using simulated camera lenses. Lenses ha\~
standard View angles 8 that correspond to lenses used by standard 35 mm single lens reflex (SLR
cameras. The Custom angle option allows you to set your own values.
l ew Rectangle
-"'e view rectangle helps to see graphically the relationship between the view angle and the subject. It
5 ;nitially placed so that the camera view mimics the noncamera view that is in effect at the time the
::amera is created. The view rectangle distance is initially set so the angle of the view is equ ivalent to a
~andard 50 mm lens.
=: the view rectangle, the View angles e ,Height of view rectangle h. , and Length to . r-=:e-'~,.
ew rectangle e
have a basic geometric relationship. The image in the ~j
=-opertyManager shows this relationship and the simple geometry used to calcu late
-e height based on the view angle and the length. Using simple geometry, the height will be:
-.eight ::: 2 * length * tan (0/2)
Change lenses.
"""
:1ange to the different lenses and observe the differences in the model. While you observe the changes,
:'Tlember that neither the camera nor the model are moving.
5..: -s your Distance to View Rectangle is based on the zoom you have when creating the camera, it may be
: =ferent than t hat used to create the images below. To see exactly the same results as shown below,
_u will have to set your Distance to View Rectangle to 350 mm.
e;;
Camera Lens Isometric View of Model Camera View
Perspective Off
~~""-"
Perspective Rl
~]]
h. 350mm - >
lltl!11' II p I 11.1 i ,.,d?!M
~ rlllio_iwidth : .hei<11_9:
11: 8 .5
e 3SOmm
tf! tf I II I iJ I I! p H :tSD;swf
It 3SOmm
e 37.ssdeg
y
e ' 350mm
ii-11 ,, 1 r 1IIJ t [! _
:
'\a.fl"''''
It 2'10nrn ~:
I p i ' I I I I 'I I I I ! irirtllwf
Aspect ratio (><idth : heirjlt):
11:8.5 y J
cL , Dr"~~ Asi>ect~~~---
Viewpoint 197
=::mm
~ /.
~+--- e->~
~__._it
""T
Sllmm Standard ~]
- 2:6.99deg
1
350nvn ,
7
11 Jl [J if il !1 [4 ju'''''
.::.:agAspect Ratio
_j
.:; mm
~~
of VIeW
~ it
e->~,
__._
a;;;;relephoto 3
~
::; l6.07deg
1
l 350nvn
"JfJJ f f.\! I I! j [ t}fJ<i"
98.82'flvn
ttu i I Pp ti ( I J !d hHJWII
~......it
e-'~,
~Ar9e __ _.1,
9 21. 7'1deg r:- l
~ ' .T 1
e ~
~ii'"!J I I I ! I 1t' I '
,:-
o;g.;;
it 96rm1 <-
iiin fWl!tlJ1!!IJlli'1!fi-c
L = 250 mm
Aspect ratio (width : heiglt):
11 :8.5
~'-- e-'~
~ ......it
[ SOrrvn Standard
"T
::J i
./
9
e
26.!J9deo
J"
750mm
!lj 11 UH I lj: .. iftN 1ffi '
~> I ~
.--
it ~~ I !! I II I l!'!ffl~:;, I L = 750 mm
Aspectr~(width: heqlt):
11 : 8.5 ~I
Drag Aspect Ratio '
__j
200 Chapter 8
Camera Rotation
Camera rotation allows t he camera to roll about the camera-to-target axis from 0 to 180 degrees. - =
properly define the ro ll angle, t he up direction needs to be specified and can be a line, edge, face, a- -=- ::;eg ~
plane. Lines and edges define the up direction (zero degrees). If a plane or face is used, the up direct :;.
is normal to the plane or face. If a direction is not specified, the Top plane is assumed, making the
Y direction the up direction.
The following t able shows the camera rotation using a 50 mm lens and an aspect ratio of 11:8.5.
0 degrees
~-lion
c =;
_ _ _ ___.l i
._jTop
~ .Odeg j :: I
+45 degrees
rc;;;;...._
r:;=;
jTop
-45 degrees
r.:=;
[ amera
'--R
.:_
<It2
_ tiot>
__ -~.~
~
~ -45cleg .
. 1
Viewpoint 201
- - - -- --
'
~~ - : I
1:8.S.
~w
-go degrees
/~
~~~ -----~1
t
~ -Setrolby
selection:
I T~ -
IS
~-
-90deg
~
T .:
202 Chapter 8
R~ofV~
---- - ~
2) Porspect;v
e
~:+] I
:I
26.99deg
) 1 ,
e 'IOOrrrn
IH~rij j
'
i1 {I! l jjf!Jji$jp
.h i 192mm- - f: 4:3
l l i l jl ) I H.! ~
~J.idth : height): -
. Standard video and print format
Aspect Ratio
Viewpoint 203
i:: Y.CEC
.JJ Perspective
fCZ\:~ c.~
~ h.
e-~.
....... ~
[50iM, Standord ]
9 26.99deg
J
. :l-
toe
- -- -
-
e j!!ifDJJJliJTil'T"JJP'ij
400mm
h. , l92mm - .: .
iiiVJlllm;r:xrrm-w-...4 16:9
Aspect rotio (\\idltl : heiglt):
16:9
HDTV format
Drag Aspect Ratio
Foe~of V"teW
.JPe~ve
~<- e-1
....
~ .......h.
lsomm Standord :J
9 26.99deg t:
1'
e l'100mm . ,:
ti;l j j 1 4_1 f! I J I I jf I 11rJ' "'j
Field of V"oew ~
1 Porspedive
~<- e-1
....
~.......h
[ 50mm Standard )
e 26. 99deg
J -
t:
' __::.
e "i'i
.m;;;;; - -r-:~ I
L' '' 9
I ( l j! I '~t'$'1Wfj
~~1 j
~~S~d -*-31
9 26.~eg ~~ . :-I .::
e <ronm .:~
hi !lJllli::rr;rm roiH!Iu I
ft. 19;m.;. .:-
1.85:1 l
i'fj1 11 jj f J I I j II 1_ 11 h!J!il
2.39:1
Aspect ratio (width : height):
2.39: 1
Cinematic 35 mm anamorphic format
VI
field of View
[J]Perspective
I"
~]
!~standard 3!
9 ~ ~ : I
26.99de9
) . -
f. <ronm
I!J;j
r:
! l ~i. I I u! !I I 11 \tlflif!IN
ft. 1921Ml ~
3:2
n!! IIJ!J HJ IHtB-.'j!utjf '
Aspect rauo ("idth: height):
3:2 v I 4x6 print format. landscape
l
:JDrag Aspect Ratio I
Viewpoint 205
-- ---- -- -
rn View Aspect Ratio Isometric View of Model Camera View
jl;
"J Perspective
~_._h
e-l,
Ill
~ll!ndard T I ;I
e :~.i.~g
f- 1 " c ----~-
,:-
e 'llOmm
i;tt fTI
:
!f ''' I I Ut '1''11Jmrf
h 192mm '~-
Ui;rt i f j I I I! l , , , I tfNUJif 2:3
A!:;lfft ratio (w!dth : hoight):
4x6 print format. portrait
ll: 3
_:: Drag A!:;lfft Ratio
~
e-l. I
e
IS<ml>Stnard
i26.99deg - - - : -
. )-
e "iiomm
hlj i l ! I ' I i
h
_._
I
-:::-=-:.-=.
J I 'J f U~t-
-~
h
tmn 1' 'V' ',, ' 1111111~
.l92mm
,.-~
I 7:5
Aspect ratio (width : heiglt):
Sx7 print format, landscape
7:5 iI
o Drag P.!;pfft Ratio 1
l
206 Chapter 8
~1
[50iMi"St21ndord ~I
8 i26.99deg ,.
_:_Ii
~ 1 .
I
e fiilt 1'100rml
(fl Jl 1_q!
-~ . '~
If I l J,f;,~j!PJi
'
. ~::;;,,,,,_;;;I
Aspoct ratio (width : height):
5:7
Sx7 print format port rait
5:7 ~
r~PerspectiVe
ofVoew ~~
i
~1
~Stonc!Md ~
9 26.99deg >:
1 I I
e ~ ~- I
ldHJJ II! j!J i )J lll fli#U*If 1
i s :4 ....
8x10 print format, landscape
lr 1 Drag Aspoct Ratio
Viewpoint 207
15011m Standard
e 26.99deg
.).'. --'- .
, :J
'
. ;.o~
L1 '100mm
fi11 I trnTITlinTif''"''
1r. 19~ r:
,,, t l l fi ! i J i 1 I I l ttU'"' 4:5
~ raijo (>">idtn : height):
8x10 print format, portrait
1;:5
~h
e----'~.
e
15011m Standard
e ,40en.n
lr. 19~
26.99de<]
.) . .r -
,, -11~" 1
.
J.
ji I I I I I I ( I ,.,,,,.,
-
:J
,. 1
~-
~- I 11:8.5
r:uq!! U( ii II 1.' j1uitatH
I
Aspect rotio {Y.idth : he9'>1):
11:8.5
Drag Aspect Rlltio
__j US letter size, landscape
------
Field of VIew ~
7 Perspective
~'--e---'~
~ lr.
"T
J.
!SOrmt Standard T l
e ~26.99deg .: . I
J-: ' -- .
e l-iO~ - - :
nqt I i J ! I I I I i j li l -.h'1'wf
h 19~ - ,
8-5:11
11? rtl l j j ti t !fi l )fi!1:tiflt
Aspect ratio (~tn: heslhl):
US letter size, portrait
8.5: 11
If you examine all the camera views, you will see that the image height is always t he same percentag:
of the frame height. As noted earlier, the view angle and distance are used to calculate the height. Gi\er
the height. t he width is then calculated from the aspect ratio.
16:9 5X7
HDTV format Print format portrait
View Area
In the above tables, the I ~... !: ! ..2~ ..!.. ,s a!. ~ .!.
....... ...-
~ ...,.s.o.. t.;;.~~- --~
~--
~arent Depth
=s-- ~ e changed the focal length in t he last step. perspective changed, but because the model was small
-=field of view, it might not have been so obvious. In the next example. we will be able to see
e-s:Jective change more clearly and we will see another effect of different foca l lengths; t hat is the
::of t he size of the background objects to the foreground objects.
3 Change cameras.
View the model from each of the six camera views. Notice that as the focal length increases, you can
see the change in perspective by the yellow grid and the edges of the blue face.
Notice also the difference in the background. As the focal length increases, the lens angle decreases,
capturing a smaller section of t he background. When we view t he image, the background must fill t he
width of the screen so it appears to be magnified and looks closer.
24 mm lens 35 mm lens
Camera-to-Subject Distance = 185 mm Camera-to-Subject Distance = 257 mm
--=-
-J
-w? :,._
-:"":.'; =-
Viewpoint 211
:tandard Lens
-e., we selected different lenses, the SO mm lens was called a standard lens. In photography literat ure
.:: also called a normal lens. In still photography. a normal lens is a lens whose foca l length is roughly
:;_c! to the diagonal of the image projected within the camera. This roughly approximates the perceived
;: :of view and perspective of the human eye. For a 35 mm camera, the image has a diagonal of 43 mm.
--E -nost commonly used normal lens is so mm. but focal lengths between about 40 and 58 mm are also
=.-sidered normal.
. :; The so mm focal length was chosen by Oscar Barnack, the creator of t he Leica camera. as a
=~promis e between the theoretical value and good sharpness. because lens t echnology at that time
~.s such that slightly longer focal lengths were able to achieve optimum sharpness.
~:e The SOmm lens is only the normal lens for 35 mm film. The normal lenses for other film formats
:=re different foca l lengths. For example, a large format camera that uses 4 x 5 sheet film has a normal
E-s of 150 mm.
Jepth of Field
.1en we focus a camera on a subject all objects in the scene are not in focus. Objects nearer and farther
=-:Jm the subject will be out of focus. The depth of field is the distance in front of and behind the subject
-.ich appears to be in focus. For any given lens setting there is only one distance at which a subject is
=-ecisely in focus, but focus falls off gradually on either side of that distance, so there is a region in
1ich the blurring is tolerable.
-,e exact point at which an object is considered out of focus is somewhat subjective and depends on,
~:nang other fact ors, the resolution of t he human eye and t he viewing distance. In optics, the fuzziest a
::lint can be and still be ca lled "in focus" is defined, appropriately, as t he circle of confusion. For film
::ilotography this is usually calculated using the Zeiss formula of d/1730 where "d" is t he diagonal
-;-;,easure of t he film. For 35 mm film (43 mm diagona l}, this comes out t o be 0.024 mm. The exact value
:Jf 1730 is subject to some dispute - it's a ballpark figure - so this number is not exact.
..(edure
Open the assembly.
-~=1 the assemb ly DOF
- ~sembly. s ldasm.
Change view.
: -ange t he view orientat ion to the
~ender Camera view by pressing the
SJace bar, and then double-clicking
~nder Cam era.
Loss of focus
0 ~~0
-~ ~~~
:e Creating a rendering of this office can take significant time; however, it is not necessary fo r the
-=sson. All the key elements of the lesson can be learned without rendering and just using OpenGL or
=2aiView.
218 Chapter 8
Procedure
1 Open the assembly.
Open the assembly Full Office assembly.sldasm
found in the Chapter 8 \ Case Study\ Office folder.
4 Zoom ln.
Try to zoom in and get to a position inside the room.
The only place you can possibly get inside the room is through the door, but if you try to pan, t he outs::
walls get in the way as your viewpoint is still outside the room.
The only way we could get a viewpoint as shown in the image above would be to cut away. suppress
hide the walls and section of ceiling that are in our way.
5 Hide the ceiling.
We are hiding the ceiling to make it easier to select the target point for the camera. Once the came:
aimed, we can again show the ceiling.
Viewpoint 219
.-.dd a camera.
::new camera .
.e-:: Perspective and the 50 mm Standard lens. Select 3:2 for the aspect ratio.
Aim the camera.
E-:i a target point at a vertex on one of the monitors.
E-:ling the exact vertex shown is not important. only that it is
e-:ex in this area.
Je7
220 Chapter 8
Move the camera back toward the target until it is inside the room again. A camera-to-target distar:=
of 7000 mm is about right. We cou ld not get this view with Pan, Zoom, Rotate, and Roll as our viewpc -
would always be outside the room. -
----:-
Click OK.
As we were in the Camera View fo r the Standard Lens, the new camera is set up exactly the sa;-'!'
t he active camera.
Viewpoint 221
- :< OK.
Scenery Choices
When we set up a model to render, there are three choices for scenery:
Studio
Studio scenery shows the mode l as you might see it
on the page of a catalog where there is a seamless
background. With this type of scene, our complete
focus should be the rendered model.
In Use
In some advertisements we want to
show how the model will look when in
use. In these images, there could be a
combination of background images
and some modeled props to create
the proper context.
Scenes and Lighting 225
None
.:--.,.. 'Nhen the model will be used in a composited scene.
c, - we can render t he model with either no background
or a background that is easy to remove.
n the image at right, the gray and white
checkerboard area is transparent.
Scenery
The basic elements of scenery are the floor,
background, environment, and user-created
objects.
11 Floor
The floor provides a surface under our model. We
can apply appearances to the floor, have it reflect
or record shadows. The floor is locked to the
model so that when we change our viewpoint, the
relationship between the floor and the model
remains constant.
m Background
Environment
Backgrounds are large images located behind or
around our model. Depending on the type of background, they are either locked to our viewpoint o-
locked to the model. If they are locked to the viewpoint, t he background does not move on the scr~
I
as we move our viewpoint. If they are locked to the model, we see different parts of the backgrou;:
when we change our viewpoint. Tiled and scaled image backgrounds are locked to our view while
spherical backgrounds are locked to the model.
Backgrounds can be images, plain single colors, or gradient colors.
Images
When using an image as a background, the image will be scaled so that one image covers the er.:
planar background. Background images are positioned normal t o the view, so they are locked to -
view.
Environments
The spherica l environment can also be used as a background. It can be thought of as a large sp-=
that encompasses not only the model, but our viewpoint as well. This is like being in a planetar;~
where we are inside a sphere and t he background image is projected all around us. We see diffe-=-
parts of t he background as we change our viewpoint and look around. Because we see different p.
of the environment as we change our viewpoint, the environment is locked to the model.
Environment
Environments provide a 3D world around the model. We do not see the environment directly, unless -
also used as a background, only in reflections and the effects of the environment on the surfaces c=-
models. Environments are also used to light the model through image-based lighting.
Scenes and Lighting 227
---e are locked to the model so that as we change the viewpoint , the part of the environment that we
~ ..., the reflections will change based on the model, environment. viewpoint relationship.
:__.. ..:onments are spherically mapped .
..:ser-Created
:... ::an create your own virtual studio by creating parts and assemblies to take the place of real world
- ~~s. For instance, you can model a table on which to place your mode(. or seamless backgrounds to
--:--._ -dthe model. Reflector q_ane(s and area a~ts caa 6e. q_act..u( &e.. s..~<ilo..J~\S.t.<~..~(Q,..<L<:\:-..~<:i~,~
~:::grapher's studio.
3a:
X::enery Examples
0"
~- :.:t the different scenery elements in perspective, we will start with just the model, then add
:ional elements as we move away from the model.
.:: Scenery
;:,;-;::.::--
::. 1odel is rendered without scenery, there is
- ng to put the model in context or to have
~so:
-e::ows other than the shadows t hat fa ll on the
lg; J...,..
-::::el itself.
:::
-.e =--
:-._ -
Self-shadows
::sa-
!21
:;-_:-~=:;:
~ r:.cr=
55
3~
228 Chapter 9
Floors
Floors are not actual geometry, but appear as a planar surface under the model. They can be sized,
oriented, and mapped like t exture appearances. The three primary characteristics of the floor are ~ :
ability to capture shadows, produce reflections, and have an appearance.
Backgrounds
Background images are considered to be far
enough away that shadows cannot fall on them.
Scaled and tiled images are always parallel to our Background
screen and are locked t o our viewpoint so they do
not move as we change our viewpoint.
In the images below, the viewpoint is moved, but
you can see that the background is exactly the
same.
/
Viewpoint
and
direction
lU!OdMa]A pue 1apow Jno spun:_
~E'4l aJa4dS E' 5! lU<lWUOJ]AUCl ]E'J!J<l4dS 3.._
::.
230 Chapter 9
For spherical environments, a 360 x 180 degree image is spherically mapped to the environmental spc:::.
A 360 x 180 degree image is so named because it covers 360 degrees of longitude and 180 degrees -::
lat itude.
Notice that the image is stretched at both the top and bottom as the entire bottom edge will map t:
single point at the bottom of the sphere. Similarly. the top edge maps to a point at the top.
Scenes and Lighting 231
.e-.cal environment is locked to the model so that when we change our viewpoint. t he background
-:: :es as we ll.
--==-ent scenes can be selected from t he Scenes folder "' It, Scenes
~ Basic Scenes
:.- e Appearances, Scenes, and Decals tab of the Task ..;. Stud1o Scenes
~ Presentation Scenes
-=~:. ~ Custom Scenes
+, . Decals
ere to Find It
~enu: Photo View 360, Edit Scene
=:.ender Tools Toolbar: Edit Scene ~
J isplayManager: View Scene, Lights, and Cameras,
-ight-click Scene
-ask Pane: Appearances, Scenes, and Decals tab,
Kitchen Background
Scenes fo lder. double-click a scene
-:-ask Pane: Appearances, Scenes, and Decals tab.
Scenes folder, drag a scene to the graphics area
Basic Scenes
As the name implies, just the basic elements of a scene. There is a floor that can be used to shm.
shadows and reflections. plus a plain or gradient background and an environment for surface
reflections.
Studio Scenes
Studio scenes have more choices and can add additional elements to the image. Some of the see-:!\
use floors that have appearances attached rather than just the floor that looks like t he backgrm;-_
Presentation Scenes
Presentation scenes add either rooms or different image backgrounds to place the model in con;:::
Legacy
Legacy scenes are scenes that are still attached to the files from previous versions of SolidWor -
PhotoView 360.
Scenes and Lighting 233
- - Scene PropertyManager
.=es are edited using the Edit Scene PropertyManager. It consists of three tabs to cont rol image
~~ion, size, position, and illumination properties of the scene.
~- - ~
:=:nination 0 Floor reflec~ons
--::Illumination section controls I
[JJ Floor shadows
Align floor wi~1:
""E overall brightness of the (?J!xz ~!
I ~ C:lprogram Fies\Solidl'lor
=-~ered output from the offset
E
I Browse.... j
~''j':::~= l
~ 'omm- - ~:~
-onment. In addition, t he
s:'ltness of the background can I Save Scene... j _ J
:e :ontrolled to better match the -~
_s:-.tness of the model. The remaining control, Scene reflectivity, controls the reflection from the
- =::~1 environment.
--=units, w/srm/\2, are watts per steradian-meters squared. This represents the amount of light power
- :::ng a surface area.
Scene Library
S: idWorks catalogs scenes in folders just as it does with appearances. Several scene folders are
:,...::vided with SolidWorks, stored in files with t he extension * .p2s. The directory is located in t he
.~c.idWorks installation fol der ... \solidworks\ data\ graphics\Scenes.
Procedure
1 Open the assembly.
Open the Monitor assembly from the Chapt er 9\Case
Study\Monit or folder.
This is the assembly as far as we took it in Chapter 7.
3]. pP j
;~
-
!Gra<ient _ __
, - T Top <}'c lient C<llor:
~
I :JJ Keep bad<ground
r-- - .
pP Browse... J ~
E.nvironme.nt _
~
1-::]
Bottom C}'alient C<llor: L.: Keep bad<grcx.nd ,9 C:lprog-am Files\Solidl'lork: 1
pP . i ~wse=-:J
e widen the PropertyManager. we can see what the file used for the
[~ Floor shadows
A1<Jn floor ;,i1h:
I
~ ~]
C:
~t
j
..
(,(! I)Jvn
,~ ,~~~::~=~~ij' I
~=
_)
~-
236 Chapter g
after making cha nges. the new scene can be saved as a custom scene.
a 2647.9!mm- - -
~~;-~~~~~~ j !HI"!W
Scene File
I[0 2647.9lmm
~ c:'program files\<olic:tllorks 2013\<olidworks\data'gaphics\<cenes\02 studio scenes\n gr~ lighting.p2s I fiiq;U{l': 'U I' t!U1']W'
Aspect ratio: 1.00 : 1
Browse... Rotation
~ ; Odeg
Sav~scene. j '-'-- -
_T_i_
Scene-Fde
-'?"' =:
[;l;) C:\program Files\Soli<t.'o<r
Browse...
Save Scene. . .
Photo View 360 only. Rea!View and OpenGL will not be affected. so you will IPbo toVJew Dlumination
only see the result in the previews or fi nal render. I aackground brightn~
0.900w/= A2
Rendering brightness: controls the amount of light coming fro m the HD RI iifHHPH!PCJU.J J! i **
I Render~ ~tness~
environment onto the model. It is like making the lights brighter. 1.500 w{srmA2
..
(jifi ff]JJ [UJJi {II I II fw
Scene reflectivity: controls the reflectivity of the HDRI environment. Its
11 .~e r~flectivity:
effect can be seen in the reflections on the model from the environment. ., 0 .500 w/S<mA2
OftuP ~.' 11 ft 1 1
_! bt'J ':
Scenes and Lighting 237
...:ghting
~otoView 360, the images applied to the environment are used to light the scene. This is indirect
~[nation because there are technically no lights in the environmental image. To use environmental
-~ .ng, we need two things:
,;;direct illumination
-:direct illumination takes light from the surfaces that surround the modeL This could be the
;:-vironment and the other elements of the scene itself. We will more fully explore indirect
Jmination in Chapter 14. The number of rays used to calculate the indirect illumination is controlled
.::-- the output quality settings.
Suitable environmental images
-";gh dynamic range images, or HDRI for short, contain addit ional brightness and cont rast information
:-at other image formats do not. These images are well suit ed to the task of lighting our scene .
.:ep Background
-en a color, image, or gradient backgro und is selected, the option Keep background is available.
:.;: ecting Keep background will maintain t he existing background when ot her scenes are selected.
~ere to Find It
4-opertyManager: Edit Scene, Basic tab. Background, select Keep background
=..:mine the tabs. We can see that t here are several changes.
: :k OK.
238 Chapter 9
t he render preview. == 0
=~
While t his might be an accept able first
rendering, and with some adjust ment, we could
picture this monitor sitting on th e conference
table, we would like t o make some changes.
This is a 360 x 180 degree image. You can see that there are three windows along one wall and tv.:
windows along the adjacent wall. The camera is in th e center of the conference table.
Scenes and Lighting 239
s.
i\"0::;
240 Chapter 9
Locate and select t he image Office Photo.JPG in the Case Study\ Monitor folder for this chapc:
Click Open.
:E::. problems:
In the Edit Scene PropertyManager. clear Stretch image to fit SolidWorks window.
Adjust the SolidWorks window again. This time the model will stay in the same relat ive position to-
background image.
Scenes and Lighting 243
~ the Output Image Size to 1280 x 1024 (5:4) and observe the preview.
::eat for image sizes of 1024 x 768 (4:3) and 1280 x 720 (16:9).
-=1 ake sure that both the image and the graphics area are the same aspect ratio, we must either adjust
.: SolidWorks graphics area to the correct aspect ratio, or we can set the out put size to that of the
--c"Jhics area.
::-;e Photo View 360 Options, select Use background aspect ratio for the Output Image Size. This will
.....:....se the output image size and aspect ratio to match the SolidWorks graphics area.
244 Chapter 9
::-:ate a proper shadow under the monitor, we will need to have something fo r the shadow to fa ll on
-=background image is behind the model and not under it like it appears. Shadows created by the
-.:ilmental lights are generally not very well defined because the light source is a very large area. To
-=well-defined shadow, t he other element we will need will be a directional light.
-:-,-::::1e Floors
- :::aque or transparent floor can be placed under the model. The floor is t ransparent by default so
::- ::ny reflections or shadows appear to be on the underlying scene. If you add an appearance to the
:- it takes on t he visual properties of the applied appearance.
:~e to Find It
,::;...:lpertyManager: Edit Scene, Basic tab, select Floor reflections or Floor shadows
=:splayManager: Right-click Scene, select Floor Reflections or Floor Shadows
If we examine the front edge of the keyboard (4). we will see a well-defined shadow that looks like .:
comes from an overhead light. There is also a well-defined shadow behind the external hard drive (1 :
the left of the image. This shadow is probably from the camera flash.
On the right side of the desk is a weak shadow from something out of camera frame (5). This shadm
similar to the shadow behind the monitor. We can now see a reflection from t he monit or base on the :::-
of the desk.
Light Properties t - I
.'!U.
Lights have controls in both SolidWorks and -' X Ii)
PhotoView 360.
~ PhotoView l' -------1
The Basic tab controls the brightness, color, specularity, Photoview Controls ~ lf-:l!asic
;,:=- -- - --
[,!j On in PhotoView Ill an in Solidworks
and position of the light and whether the light is on or off
Brightness LJ Keep light when scene
in OpenGL and RealView. 1 wfsrm A2 .: d'1anges
O.OOdeg
j Brig1tness:
Slvldo-.v quz.ity:
After a light is added in SolidWorks, it can be set so that 0.6
neither.
As noted, the brightness of the light in SolidWorks
PhotoView 360
Properties l 1
~ Position -
0.4
0 :~ :r. '
(OpenGL and RealView) is set on t he Basic tab while the [,!) ock to model
Photo View tab. These brightness values are independent I ' lBOdeg
j
of each other. I0 latitude:
6 5cleg - - --..
Where to Find It
DisplayManager: Right-click the light, select Edit [light
typej Light SolidWorks
Properties
DisplayManager: Double-click the light
Scenes and Lighting 247
_ ght s can also be turned on or off by right-clicking t he light in the DisplayManager and selecting
: -=;)in SolidWorks or On( Off) in PhotoView.
Lights
::ositioning lights, the actua l position for each light can be shown by a light manipulator 3 . The
:;:_.ators can also be used to drag the light to a different position. The light positions can be t urned
::::-.::: :Jff by several means.
: ~o Find It
_s::.ayManager: Right-click the Lights folder, select Show Lights
E-'J: View. Lights
2=: the PhotoView tab and select Shadows. Leave the Shadow softness at Collapse All
Expand All
~-"eg and Shadow quality at 16.
Customize Men u
OK.
Show lights.
-c:: JisplayManager, right-click the Lights folder and click Show Lights. This cont rol is a toggle t o
- :1e light manipulators on or off.
Zoom out.
E 2;1 now see the physical position of each of the two
? _.ionallights.
248 Chapter g
Lighting Coordinates
Spot and point lights can be positioned using Cart es ian or spherical coordinates. Directional lights
only be positioned using spherical coordinat es because they always point at the origin of the pa~ :;
assembly. The origin of the coord inate system is always the model origin. The direction of the axi5
depends on whether the scenery is locked to model or locked to view.
When a light is locked to the model, the principal directions are relative to the Front refere nce ~~
When a light is locked to view, t he principal directions are relative to the fa ce of our monitor.
Scenes and Lighting 249
J oning Lights
~ - : : sition of Directional, Spot, and Point lights can be adjusted by:
: :;.--
-erical input
:o::_5ging the light by its manipulator
~ep osition the directional light. Li!Jhtl'osition ~
e-= on the position of the shadow under the keyboard, the light needs to be [J, Lock tn model
~ longtlude:
-::arly overhead. ln t he DisplayManager, double-click DirectionalL This
-unleg
:sen the PropertyManager for t he light. 1- -
E. _s:-tt manipulator shows that the light is behind the monitor because its
e Latib..de=
- Jn is locked to the model and it is at -180 deg. With a Lat itude of 65 deg,
65deg
r -
1
_5"lt is 25 deg from being directly overhead.
::-.se the Longitude to o deg so that the light will be in front of the monitor and adjust the Latitude
.=:; deg to move the light directly over the monitor.
--.:
L 5--
-:.cr-
E 2. S
i'C= .- J
250 Chapter 9
Shadow Properties
There are two controls for the calculation of shadow quality and soft ness.
Shadow softness is set from 0 to 10 degrees and controls the size of the transition area from=
shadow t o no shadow.
Shadow quality controls the refinement or graininess of the shadow edges. Values can range f-:-
to 100.
These controls will be discussed further in Chapter 14.
- C{ OK.
=could have corrected this by adjusting the SolidWorks graphics area dimensions early in the process
....... : cropping the background image before we used it. With all t he available image editing software
_ 2ilable. it is easier to just crop the fina l image.
Output Options
There is only one way to output a rendered image, and that is to an image fi le. Photo View 360 stor:-s
the last final render images internally and shows them in the Render Browser.
The quality and speed can be adjusted to provide a result suitable to your needs.
Preview Renderings
Previews to the computer screen are not the final output. We generally use the previews for two
reasons:
To visualize the effects of appearance and scenes. This is an intermediate step en route to the~
output.
To capture t he image with screen capture software for use in other programs. Many of the image::-
the intermediate steps in this book were made as screen captures from the preview images.
::asy methods to reduce the graphics window size are to use the splitter bars to divide the screen or
Windows, Viewport, Two View- Vertical. Once the screen is split whichever viewport is selected
1hen you turn on the integrated preview will be the preview viewport.
Suppress parts.
Work on one part or section of an assembly at a time with all others suppressed.
258 Chapter 10
Disable caustics.
Direct caustics calculate t he effects of direct illumination where light from a source goes through :-
or more specular reflections or transmissions before hitting a diffuse object.
Reduce the Quality of the Rendering
There are two parts to quality, that which SolidWorks does and that which Photo View 360 must de
Lower SolidWorks image quality.
The rendered model uses the tessellation data from SolidWorks. Setting the Shaded and draft
quality HLR/HLV resolution in the SolidWorks options to a lower value redu ces the ca lculation : -
Render Contours
Contours provide additional detail to the rendered model. They are useful in illustrations to show
additional detail, or by themselves as a line drawing.
The model contours can be rendered either with the model or by themselves. Contour lines can be
rendered in any color.
Where to Find It
Photo View 360 Opt ions: Contour Rendering
Output 259
::3
E -- -
2!C':
E?!~
~
....... - ocedure
Open the part.
:::en the part micrometer found in the Chapter 10\ Case Study folder.
I:>.:
260 Chapter 10
D
to the right just before the red section.
Shad.d and aatt~llity H.RJH.V r~tion
low
~ OK.
Devilltion: 0.0014751Sin
~ Op- edge length (ljgher quality, but slo'A'er}
. Apply to o~l referenced part doCllml!nl5
[JJ Save tessd!ltion ";1h part document
Rendering time was slightly longer, but for f ina l output. Image Quality should be at Best or Maximu!4
6~
For some illustrat ions. only contours are required.
c
=::::the white color: eighth column, sixth row.
. [] lal
c
:.'" OK.
line ttKkne-..s:
1
. r.ro
::..- OK to close the options. ~r rrrrrr
rrrrr rrr
[~ Custom Col~ ]
I OK ll Conce! l
~
264 Chapter 10
- 2 :
USil [i_jfif i ( i1 it1. .
Select Render Contours and the Solid ModeL IEditline Color... :
Click OK.
1Editlile Color . 1
Toy Car
Ru <ltrtd 1t600dpj.
3..5 i=C,g Cy 2.5 i::1.~
I.az:.e. file ~:in -12 liB
Toy Tractor
Radn'M st ."HIO <fl!-i
5 .5 bd:.~ by25 i::.d:.e:o
Filn.in- J llB
edure
. use models of severa l toys. There are three different toy models for the purposes of rendering
-:-::del with different appea rances. In all three models, the appearances, scenes, and viewpoints are
:.0::
==-=! set. We wi ll render each t oy at a different resolution and compare the results.
To~.._.Tractor
DD
-""E ,'.Jord document has been created with text box placeholders ...,,.. .....
~::.~/=---
~ :-:e graphics. Each text box is 3.5 inches x 2.5 inches.
: If you are using Microsoft Word 2003 or 97. use the file - ---- -- ---- ----~-
width of the image. Photo View 360 has several predefined image size and
!
OoJtput im4Qe size:
!:
L800X600 (4:3)
aspect ratios for easy selection, but you can also choose to use the SolidWorks I 6 :soo
view from the graphics area or define your own size. iil:tJ:lljli!i f!!;J:: l =zJni-i.
_IIC!:II:li J : :
[0 600
~:o:p:m~
1.33: I
c " FIXod aspect rabo
llMge fcnnat
(I; ]
jl'fndowsBII'P
. DefaUti!Mge P<lth:
C:'j.Jsors\Ml'Pictu'e<
~... '
Output 269
:=e::: Ratio
~ : . onto setting the number of pixels. Photo View 360 has predefined size and 6'!0X360 (16:9)
6'10X'l80 (4:3)
~ -atios for the most common image and video formats. There are three 720X5'10 (4:3)
800)(600 (4:3)
__..e- -:ed aspect ratios that correspond t o standard monitors {4:3). wide screen
1024X763 (4:3)
1280X720 (16:9)
1280X1024 (5:4)
-:-s (16:9). and paper photography (5:4). 1920X1030 (16:9)
Use SolidWorks V!e\'1
~
:~oose to input a custom size. the rendered image is based on the height and
- ;clues you enter. The height is the controlling dimension which means that the height of the work
, will be rendered t o the size ent ered for height. The width will then be adjusted based on the
:!: the widt h dimension.
~-... e the Image
"=-st image we will render will be placed in t he middle box. It will be the toy tractor. rendered with
::-rect resolution for the output.
Set the Save in directory to the Chapter 10\ Case Study folder.
Windows BMP (*.BMP) should already be selected fo r the file type because we selected it in the
PhotoView options.
IlL
may beslightly different depending on the JUack'f1H~
Nt llltl~tl
-~-- . - .
::C::ling Up
.e-.::ering to a small image size will result in a small image file size. lf the image is scaled up. however,
e-e isn't enough information in the file for a quality output.
=< OK.
272 Chapter 10
3caling Down
....: .;,g down does not cause a loss of quality because t he image file will have more information t han it
-:c:;. The problem with scaling down is that the image file is larger than necessary. With t he large size
-:age files in general, routinely rendering too many pixels can easily exhaust t he space on your
-:-age media.
~< OK.
x::::? a:-=
T oy F ire En~ine
Lonofrael.U.u
Rft!trt4&J
lOJ~ '!ly .,5 ;.inh
Filtm.t- 2fEB
Screen Presentations
2 frequently need to incorporate rendered output into web pages or presentat ions given with the aid
-~a projection syst em.
:~ pages are norma lly format ted for 72 or 96 pixels per inch. PowerPoint presentations are normally
!?3': -~
=c ppi but could also be 72. If you are not sure about the projection system, use 96 ppi.
&=n-:g "onitor and Projector Resolution
a:.~~
J .. ::Ju are going to use a computer monitor or projector, it is important to know its capabilit ies. The
"': ZJwing are the standar d r esolutions:
est of these standards also have a widescreen version t hat starts with "W' As an example, WSXGA is
-= Nidescreen version of SXGA with a resolution of 1440 x goo.
: ==~ proj ectors are genera lly capable of SVGA resolution. Most current proj ectors are capable of at
==s: XGA resolution.
e:-y of t he lower resolut ions have disappeared from the capabilities of current comput er monitors;
- 2ver, t hey are now used in many handheld mobile devices.
276 Chapter 10
Start PowerPoint.
Click Start, All Programs, Microsoft Office, Microsoft PowerPoint.
2 Open presentation.
Click File, Open. and select The Toy
Barn. ppt or The Toy Barn. pptx
depending on your version of PowerPoint.
The files are found in the
Chapter 10\ Case Study folder.
~~~fltl
L@flifftJ.
-~ 1!!/J~ ~~~
~
. ll'l!'
Post-processing Images
Images are frequently post-processed. They may have their color pallet changed, be composited "" - - ....
_, I; _ ..
other images, have artwork or text added, or may be cropped, rotated, or mirrored. The point is that--.
rendered image may not be the final product, but rather just one element of the final product. Pos:-
processing of images will be discussed further in Chapter 16, Advanced Output.
Alpha Channels
Alpha channels are masks that allow part of an image to be transparent in much the same way as ~
masks we used to apply decals. By masking parts of our image, we can better composite different
images to create the final product.
The alpha channel is an 8-bit channel. which means it has 2S6levels of gray from 0 (black) to 2SS (w;---?
The level of gray in the alpha channel determines the level of transparency. For example, so percent 5?
allows for so percent transparency. TARGA and TIFF file formats support the alpha channel. In add::_
Portable Network Graphics (PNG), while it does not support the alpha channel, does support
transparency.
To save an image with alpha channel information, you must have either a plain or gradient backgrc_
or no background.
When the Photo View 360 output will be combined with other images in a high-end graphics prograr.
can save the rendering with alpha channel information. For example, if you want to use a high-end
graphics program such as Adobe PhotoShop to creat e composite images, you should choose a file
format that has alpha channel support for transparency. When Photo View 360 images are render~:.
the proper file fo rmat alpha channel information is captured and stored in the file automatically.
An alpha channel image can also be stored separately by changing the final output option in the F-
Render window.
Output 279
If we were to open this TIFF image in Adobe PhotoShop, we would see that
the alpha channel is part of the image. -=
6 Save the alpha channel.
In SolidWorks, open the Final Render window if it is not open. If you closed
the Final Render window ,click Recall Last Render ~ on the Render Tools
toolbar.
Select Alpha Output from the list. Examine the image and we can see that the area of the car ~:::
which allows the car to be fully opaque. The background is black which means fully transparen~
shadow area is several shades of gray indicating various levels of transparency.
Output 281
Save Image and save the f ile as Lego Car Alpha Image.BMP.
=.xamine the image .
...:- : 11is new image in Microsof t Paint or any other image software. It wi ll look as it did above in the
- ={ender window.
age can now be used as a mask in image editing software, just like we used masks f or decals.
Layered Image
= alt ernative t o saving the image and alpha channel separat ely, you can save them both together
-!; Save Layered Image.
-=layered Image will save either one or two files depending on the file type chos en. If there is only
~ =e, the alpha channel is in the file, and if t here are two files, one cont ains t he f ull image and one
~ ...,s just the alpha channel information. There are only five file types available when saving layered
~5:
c:-
e=: _: :;-ed PSD [*psd]
-->fi le PNG Layers [*.pngl Layered Open EXR Half 16-bit [* .exrl
__:~-fi le PN G 16-bit Layers [* .pngl Layered Open EXR Float 32-bit [*.exrl
282 Chapter 10
Select Multi-file PNG Layers (*.png) for the file type and name the file Lego Car-layered. Save~
file to the Case Study folder.
Click Save.
~e two fi les in Paint. We now have two separate PNG files that can be used in other image editing
-. ::re.
m
::c:11 is an effect used to add a glow around bright objects in an image. This effect is only calculated
-e final rendering and not in the preview.
2-e to Find It
:lflotoView 360 Options, Bloom
=inal Render Window, Bloom
3loom Setpoint identifies t he level of brightness or emissiveness to which bloom effect is applied.
- , e smaller the percentage, the more items the effect is applied to. At 100 percent, bloom will not be
=:;Jplied to any item. The percentage is based on 100 percent being the hottest specular highlight
3loom Extent controls the distance from the item t hat the bloom radiates. The larger the distance,
:--:e more the effect.
: cedure
Open the part.
:::a1 the Bulb.sldprt from the Case Study folder. This is a basic light bulb that already has
.:r:-:earances applied.
284 Chapter 10
2 Render.
Render the model just to see the initial state
before we apply bloom.
The light bulb has a White LED appearance
applied to the glass. The LED appearance is
lighting the surface under the bulb.
3 Add bloom.
In the Image Processing tab of the Final Render window,
select Bloom. We wi ll use initial settings that might not be
appropriate for most renderings, but will better illustrate
the functions of the controls.
Set the Bloom Setpoint to 50 and Bloom Extent to 40.
.;djust bloom.
,c-:ase the Bloom Setpoint to 0 and leave the
.::L... I Extent at 40.
7 Adjust bloom.
The previous values used for bloom were extremes just to help understand the controls.
For a more realistic rendering, set the Bloom Setpoint to 50 and Bloom Extent to 10.
~ Bloom
- .-can also be used to brighten an image and give it more impact. Examine the two images below.
" -age on t he left has no bloom and the image on the right does. By adding just a little bloom, the
:o: stands out a little more from t he background.
isplay States and
onfigurations
Display States
Display states are the visual settings counterpart to configurat ions. Display states set the vis:=
color, texture. display mode, and t rans parency of components at bot h the part and assemb ly I!? _
display state is often associated with a specific configuration, but can also be independent of a:;:;
configuration.
You can create assembly display states by changing the visual properties in the assembly or IT
specifying t he display state of each component. Each instance of a component can use a diffe?
display state.
Creating Display States
To create a display state, right-click in any open area of the ConfigurationManager and click Add-
State.
Configurations
Configurations allow you to represent more than one version of the
part or assembly in the same file.
=.ay Pane
sc:tings can be controlled and visualized through the ~ 10':~: ~ 1 MJ (j ~
.,...<f Pane of the FeatureManager design tree. Clicking ('if~ -- -- ")
~ Suppo<t_Frame (Pianks-~<D:splay state2 ~)
~E ::on in t he row with the component name brings up a
@] Sensors
-:::::change it. lt can change a component at any level of it) rn Annotations
::55embly. ~ Frcr1t Piane ~
~ TopP\aM <&
<& RiQht Plane <&
t Origin t
ll ~ (f) Support_Leg <1> (Lon~ ArmLOOQ Arm: ~ G) .LJ
.LJ
IB ~ 8race_Cross_8ar <1 > (Pia!nPia!n>_Displa ~ (;J
w '% Brcce_Corner <1> (DefaLk<<Defaub_Di>P' ~ ~ .LI
1, ~ Slwort_Leg <2> (Long fll mLoog Arm>-~ ~ ~ .LJ
00 ~ Brace_Corner <2> (Defa.l<<DefaUI:>_Dill! ~ GJ .LJ
1iJ ~ P~k <I> (6!ue 81ue>_DisplayState I>) '%13 .LJ
292 Chapter 11
Tip Setting these visibility options can be done through the Display Pane, the Assembly toolbar, or b
clicking a component. Regardless of how the setting is created, it is shown in the Display Pane.
_t:arances applied in an assembly can only be applied to the whole part. not t o features or faces.
294 Chapter 11
Procedure
1 Open the assembly.
Open the assembly Multiple Locking P ins from the Chapter ll \Case Study\ Locking ?
folder.
Display States and Configurations 295
Jpen a subassembly.
::me of the TACH-18-050 subassemblies.
- s case study, we are focusing on applying appearances to display states. Appearances have already
::;>plied to the spring clip, balls, shaft, and collar because the appearance will be the same in all
~ &-~rations.
- ;:o:r names indicate, the differences between the display states will be the color of t he handle
..::...:3:-18-050-HATA-31 -Mach) and button {TACH-18-050_BUTA-18 ). We will add the
:e::ances at the part level.
g ... -~ =>ropertyManager under Display States, make sure that This display
~O- -J
l- .~
_z..: .s se lected because only this display state will be black.
Ill -=- ,
OK.
296 Chapter 11
In t he PropertyManager. select All display states because we want t he letters Display st>Jtes
to have the chrome appearance regardless of the color of the plastic. <,!
Ills display staU,
~display states .............._ _
~display staU,
Click OK.
l[i-11 ~
8 Examine the DisplayManager. ~ ... - : --
The PW-MTllOlO plastic is attached to the part and the chromium Sort order. !LHi_tsto....!
ry_ _
I
~.noow<tom(;ol.:.rs
I OK II Cancel I
_r.'t~pt~, St.stt' 1
::e::
298 Chapter 11
---
....':' ___.__
component Rererence:
-;: Feature Manager design tree, click Co<rc>onent Desa1>tion: TACH-18-()SO_BUTA-18_&
- ght-click the button part (TACH- Model Doa.ment Path: C:\SoidWorks Step-by-Step Gtides'frociJct VtSUalzation<lean~ter
::-050_BUTA-l8) and click (~>lease use Fie/Replace amnand to replace model of lh< compon<nt(s))
- - ponent Properties ~ Display State specific properties
[ ]tid< Component
E E:t Green for the Referenced Rt~enced Display State
~
-.o:tlay State.
Red" - - - - --
:. OK.
Chanoe dsplay properties n : IThis display state-=::J
rtepeat. Configu-ation specific properties
Referenced configuration SUppressk>n state
2:2at this procedure to make the SUppressed
Default
_I
::-.::W.ge display state active for the ~ Rosolved
li!,tltwe;gl1t
::-::.e part (TACH - l 8 -050_HATA-
- --~ach). !:ave as
->R9<1
F:e~
Repeat.
: ] ExWde from bil
.:::at t he above procedure for the Chanoe properties in: of11111terials
;: -.ow have four display st ates for t he TACH-18-050 assembly, the three we created plus t he
~ -:al Default display state which uses the default color appearance on t he handle and button.
300 Chapter 11
22 Test.
Double-click each display state in turn and you should have the results like the images shown bel:;
Notice that the appearances change almost instantaneously because there is no need to rebuild:-:::
assembly.
While the display states control t he appearance of t he watch itself. configurations will be used to
t he other settings needed for the different renderings.
Procedure
1 Open the watch assembly.
Open the file Watch Assembly. sldasm from the Chapter ll \ Case Study\ Watch folder.
Watch model provided and used by permission of Ed Hawkins. lnnova Systems. Cambridge. UK
Display States and Configurations 303
.-::----::- - - .
Add a camera. *
~
Camera Type '- Camera Position ~
::;;;: a camera and rename it Product Shot. G. Ained at target ! [_] Position by ~oction;
Aoaling l IArc l@Sketrn 2
::. _st the camera location and settings as shown. ./] Show nuneric controls ! Spherical
./ Led< comero position except Cartesian
J v.ren eating
~Target Point ~
l JTorget by selection:
<;Ode<;j
J.
-
IPolnttC>Qrigi'o
Q sodeg
~ -25nvn
. : l__
,-
Cameret Rotation
)--
~
~l -7()lvn ---~:..
tjN !l!Jf! jj! I I lt d1:til'' S<!t rol by selection:
~ 22mm t: .
l
I J , , , I II ' I I !! I I! ' 1 J;:ttl.ai i ~ ll~g
~
Foeld of View ~
1
~ Drag Aspect Ratio
304 Chapter 11
@ 7deg
Target b y election:
J --
Q ' 6 2deg
Camera RotatiQn
1
wt-r ~uu80nvn
il 11 II J II 11 II I
~:-
ifMfisaC Set rol by selection:
\i;) z 56mm
~ L........ _ _ _ _ _, .
~
I .I
rn1tDJTIJT( I I II iJaf n wf ~ -l6deg
1
. = 1'
~~========-
T
ReldofV'oew
.Perspective rc Depth of F>eld
~1
8 16.tdeg I I
We now have two display states and two cameras. J......c-- d 328.'l8nvn
I
....~ Drag Aspect Ratio
5 Create configurations.
Create a second configuration and name it Product Shot.
Rename the Default configuration to Catalog Shot.
As the assembly model is the same in bot h configurations. we want to be able to use both display sta:~
with either configuration. Make sure that Link Display States to Configuration is cleared.
Click OK.
Note We could also have selected This configuration.
Display States and Configurations 305
Change configurations.
2-:e the configurat ion Cat alog Sh ot active.
-e DisplayManager, right-click Scene and click Edit Scene.
-=:r Configurations, select Specify configurations and select Catalog Shot.
lt is a good idea to specify t he configuration before making any changes. If you make a change to the
:c:re first. it is an easy mistake to click OK before you specify the configuration. Doing so can undo your
~~ se ttings.
: : =-< OK.
Cu:ltomct>lors
r oc
r rrrrr
I Define Cu:ltom Colors. j
I OK II ~ I
51!: ,::
306 Chapter 11
9 Preview renderings.
Check each of the four setups we have created to see that they are close to the desired result.
Fine-Tuning
While these renderings are pretty good, they could be better. While default settings will give you a ~
result. fine-tuning can make the rendered images even better. What is still needed is to adjust the see-
and lighting for bett er results. Before applying adjustments, we need to evaluate each image.
Display States and Configurations 307
~.age Evaluation
:!'5....- ~:c1 image should be evaluated to det ermine if there are elements that do not look right and how it can
- ....,proved. Some things that do not look right at this point are:
:atalog Shot
The top of the watch is too dark because the outer ring is dark and does not stand out.
The shadow on t he background makes t he watch look like it is upside down.
There are dark shadows between the wat ch body and the band.
:>roduct Shot
The shadow under the watch does not meet the band in the back as if the watch is not resting on
the floor.
A floor reflection would make the watch look like it were resting on a shiny surface.
The light on the watchband next to t he watch body is t oo strong.
-..:justments
--= exact effect of each setting and the relationships between settings cannot be taught in any
::::sonable amount of time. It takes practice and experimentation to be able to quickly fine-t une t he
...c:-:~:ings. Understanding this cause and effect relationship is key to creating top quality rendered
-~ge s.
:: e:ommended settings are provided in the fo llowing steps but you should also experiment with the
:c:tings to see the result of each adjustment.
--e direct lights can be used to add specular highlights to the model.
~<e the Product Shot configuration active and change the view to t he Product Shot camera.
=.:.t t he 3 Point Beige scene and select the Basic tab.
F-
Y.i :: 15
. ;-:-..:X:_ S:~ect both Floor reflections and Floor shadows. This will give the model the
3::3earance of sitting on a surface.
rr
- [.lj Aoor refledions
['J] Floor shadows
R
Select the Advanced tab. The floor is aut osized so the width and depth cannot be f Floor Sizec/Rotal:ioo
changed. Rotat e the environment to 72 deg. This will move the environment al i [j Axed aspect"*
!l] Autoske floor
lights around the model to create better highlights.
Widtll
,..., ~
0 446.881mm
lliit1J]!j!!J ':' ---::zw
Depth
[0 +l6.881mm
ltJtttljfJ I! ill -
Aspect ratio: 1.00
Rotation
~ il<l"9
--
1~
72deg
. j . '
Select the Illumination tab. Set the Background brightness to 0.9 w/srmA2, PhotoView Illumina~
Rendering brightness to 0.8 w/srmA2, and t he Scene reflectivity t o 1.0 w/srmA2_ Bod<grO!Nld brightness:
ro:-90ow/srmA2-
Again, t hese settings are very subjective and you should experiment with each
one in turn to see t he effect on the rendered output
Click OK.
Right-dick Dir ect ionall and click Edit Directional Light. Select t he Photo View bPhotoview Controls
tab. ~ ~ On i1 PholoVI<!W
Brightness
Select On In PhotoView so this light is used in the rendering and adjust the
L j:-~'~7~~ II'' '
Brightness to 1 wfsrmA2_
jk\ shad.ows
IShadow softness:
Select Shadows to allow this direct ional light to cast shadows in the rendering. 0
2.00deg
Adjust the Shadow softness to 2.0deg and Shadow quality to 16. . - j..'
IShadow quality:
'i6 .
Click OK.
Remember t hat all of these sett ings have only affected the Produ ct Shot configurat ion. We will ~=
the Cat alog Sh ot configuration separately.
Display States and Configurations 309
Change configurations.
!C e the Catalog Shot configuration active and change the view to the Catalog Shot camera.
: '==- both Floor reflections and Floor shadows. Without the f loor reflection and
Aoorr~~
-.=:ows. the model will appear to float in space.
~ Floor shadcw.'S
Aig1 floor "fth:
-::- Align floor with, select XY.
(?JE - :J
Floor offset:
~ lmn ;
I ,, " I I I II I II 1 I ' I I t1 ,,,,..
IYtdth
-:::::e the environment to 183deg. a 4%.S3!mm
iR,J I \"f fn:fJ!I!IT!l..:f?jll.
Depth
ro 416.sa 1mm ~ :
!Jill t r f[lJTIIT1Tt '11!10'1 I
Rotaban
lQ ~
~ EA~nment Rotation
I l83deg
. Ai
I
.1- -
: -:s:
3::
310 Chapter 11
Select Bloom and set the Bloom setpoint to 80 and the Bloom extent to 4-
Display States and Configurations 311
Product Shot - Go ld
Reflections
To create a scene with reflective surfaces requires a bit more than just applying an appearance ;,
reflective properties. The basic principle is that you know a surface is reflective only if you ca n s2=
reflection in it. In other words, we need some other object s in the scene or a backdro p.
A second problem is that in a software rendering environment, there is nothing behind the vi ewe- -
reflect. If we made a flat plate reflective and looked normal to it, we would have a mirror. In a ren::?
environment, we can't see ourselves in the mirror, because we aren't part of the rendering space.
SolidWorks and Photo View 360 solve this problem wit h the addition of environments. These ares.:::.
elements that can complete ly enclose the rendering space. Environments were discussed in Cha:=:
As discussed, environments are spherical. There are two primary things we use the environments
One is to add environmental {image-based) lighting and the other is to provide the world arounc :x.
model for reflect ions.
Environments
Environments establish a virtual surface to apply an image. The environment is always large e nc_~
surround the model. We apply a single image to t he entire environment that can be seen in t he ref..:==-
surfaces of our model. Just like appearances where every surface has an appearance assigned, r.:.-
are never without a scene.
Image Requirements
The spherical environment is designed to use 360 degree x 180 degree panoramic images. We cc.~
control t he mapping of t he image, so the image must tile seamlessly. Images should be created c.- :o
level as the camera position will fall on the equator of t he environmental sphere.
Most environment images are High Dynamic Range {HDR), which give us a lot of capability for ir.~
based lighting.
Where to Find It
Menu: PhotoView 360, Edit Scene, Basic tab
Render Tools Toolbar: Edit Scene ~
Reflective and Transparent Appearances 315
-"'dure
Open the Chrome Sphere part.
~,s :Jart has the appearance chromium plate applied. This
--::arance acts as a mirror. The scene is Plain White which
cs the Kitch en image as an environment.
Turn on RealView.
----,
Change the environment. Environment ~
:=::t the scene and select the Basic tab. ~ C: 'Pr09"am Files\SolidWO<ks 2011\SoidWorks\Pata\jmages\textures\background\'<itdlen.hdr
This is a 360 degree panoramic photo of a photographer's studio. lt is similar to a Mercat or projec:
in that there is increased distortion as we get near the top and bottom of the image.
Note Th is is a very large image file. It is 4800 x 2400 pixe ls and 7.2 MB.
Locate and select t he image PhotoStudio.jpg found in the Chapter 12\ Case St udy folder.
Reflective and Transparent Appearances 317
The Bottom view gives us a fish-eye view of the ent ire room.
Note With this method of using the spherical environment, we
had no mapping controls over the image other than being able
to rotate it about the ce ntral axis as we did in the Monitor case
study. All other control is with the original image.
Courtyard
Reflective and Transparent Appearances 319
E ::~pened
the two images shown in the
Front View
= E-tyManager we would see the fo llowing:
Courtyard Daytime
~ C:'frog<omFi!es\Solid\'lorks 2011\Solid"Works\datajmages\text.Jres\jJad<ground\daytime.hdr
a-me the Basic t ab. With presentation ror.:se..
.::es, the Background is set to use the
: -:::ilment image.
320 Chapter 12
Procedure
1 Open the assembly.
Open the Kitchen assembly found in the
Chapter 1 2\Case Stu dy\Kit chen folder.
4 View in OpenGL.
View the scene in OpenGL. There
are no reflections or refractions
as these properties are not
supported in OpenGL. The scene
looks dull without any reflections
and the lack of refractions makes
the glasses only somewhat
transparent.
Reflective and Transparent Appearances 323
------------------- --------- ---- ----- ------ -----------
View in RealView.
-_, on RealView. We now see
=~ ection s from the environment.
:...: not from the other models in
--= scene. If you look closely at the
-::2ster and kettle, you cannot see
--=other models. You cannot even
?.:: t he reflection of the
7 Change cameras.
Change the view to Camera2.
This allows us to see the toaster,
kettle and glasses a little better.
Note that in the reflections on
the toaster [1], we can see the
kettle but it is not reflective, it is
just gray. The milk glass
reflection [2] is clear but we
cannot see through all of it.
There are three glasses in the
middle of t he scene. We can see
through a single glass; however,
when there is more than one
glass, it turns black.
We also see similar results on the kettle [4].
3econdary Reflections
~en we change render quality. the number of reflections changes according to the table above. To
_-3w how this works. we will look at a simple example.
-.: see this a little more clearly, we will use a simple setup
--some props that are already in our assembly.
326 Chapter 12
8 Change configurations.
Change to the Reflector configuration and change the viewpoint to the Camera3.
We are now looking at a corner of the counter that has a chrome version of the travel mug sitting i- -
of two mirrored surfaces.
10 Add reflections.
Change the render quality to Better. This increases
the number of reflections to four. Now we have
additional reflections where we are seeing the
reflection of a reflection.
Reflective and Transparent Appearances 327
Change configuration.
a-ge back to the Default configurat ion and change the viewpoint t o Camera2.
- ge t he render quality back to Good.
328 Chapter 12
Refractions
The t able showed t hat the number of refractions goes from five to 11 as we increase render qua tit. -
good to maximum. The res ult of having t oo few refract ions wilt be a black area in the transpare-;:
appearance because the tight rays cannot go any further. Refraction increments are normally in
multiples of two because when light passing through a transparent object is refract ed both at tr:
surface and the back surface of the object.
Looking at t he Top view of the kitchen, we can 1 2 3
see several rays from the camera going through
the scene. c
Tracing each of the rays:
Ray 1 goes through just glass A. It must
t herefore go thro ugh two layers of glass, the
front and back side of a single glass. This
means that it is refracted four times as it is
refracted going in and out of a layer of glass.
Ray 2 goes through all t hree glasses and must
b
be refracted 12 times.
Ray 3 goes through two of the glasses {Band C)
so it must refract eight t imes.
Camera
Increase quality.
~ease the render quality to Better. We now
'?nine refractions, so ray 3 can also go through
-..,e glass. Ray 2 needs more refractions so it is
.Jiackc
------#
~ Increase quality.
~:::-ease the render quality to Best. Because the
~oe r of refractions is still nine, there is no
;-z..,ge in the rendering.
=also do not see an improvement in the
;
:: ..,ections as four was enough for the scene.
330 Chapter 12
17 Increase quality.
Increase t he render quality to Maximum. The
number of refract ions is now the maximum
available of 11. Because we need 12 refractions to
get through the three glasses, we still have a black
area even though we have two additional
refractions.
Note Setting the number of reflections or refractions to values above what is needed in the scFo:
just increase rendering time wit hout any noticeable change in the quality of the output.
Where to Find It
Photo View 360 Options: Custom render settings
4
a render quality of Better, which we saw was enough for this scene. i&IIT i)QJ 1 '- .....
Number ofrerracbcnl:
Change the render quality to Better. We do not have a need to increase the 12
IIDNJ_lj! t tl'
quality above this point as all the other render settings were good enough at
the Better setting. Pushing the quality higher would increase the render t ime without any notic::3..
improvement in the rendered output.
Reflective and Transparent Appearances 331
Alternate Choice
An alternative to changing the render settings is to just change t he model slight ly, either by moving -;:~
positions of the glasses or moving the camera.
21 Change settings.
Clear Custom re nder settings and set the render quality to Better.
Reflective and Transparent Appearances 333
Liquids
In the previous case study, one of the glasses had a liquid inside the glass. There are two requirerr.e-
to show a liquid in a container.
First, the liquid must be created as a separate part or body to insure that it can have its own appearc
Second, you must also make sure that the liquid does not sha re a surface with the containe r bec.::.:x
SolidWorks shows shared surfaces with streaks. One easy solution is to create the liquid such tha:
fills the container to the desired level. Then apply a scale featu re to just the liquid part or body to
enlarge it by a small amount. A scale factor of 1.05 is usually sufficient to overlap the bodies and pre ?
the streaking.
In the following images, the image on the left does not have an overlap between the liquid and conta ~....
The resulting image shows a lot of streaking artifacts at the liquid/glass interface. In the right imcE-:;.
the liquid has been scaled to 1.03 to overlap the su rfaces .
Important! Both of these previews were done at Better quality because there are six refractions
required to have the rays go through the front and back glass and the liquid. If you were to use Gooc.
the liquid would be opaque.
The glass part has been provided in the Case Study folder of this chapter.
Reflective and Transparent Appearances 335
:C::ustics
.2....stics are the condition where light emitted from a light source goes through one or more specular
=- ections or transmissions, hits a diffuse surface, and then is diffusely reflected to the eye.
--e ;ocusing of light from the diamond, the light patterns on the bottom of a swimming pool. and t he
e= ection from a cylindric surface are some examples of caustics.
-:pes of Caustics
--Ere are four types of caustics that can be calculated in a rendering:
Indirect caustics
1direct caustics are based on the sources of indirect illumination. This would be from the image-
:Jased lighting.
Direct caustics
Jirect caustics are calculated based on direct lights. either spot or point lights.
Refractive caustics
=tefractive caustics are the result of light being refracted through transparent objects.
Reflective caustics
~eflective caustics are the result of light reflect ing off of reflective surfaces.
:=the four combinations that can be created with indirect/direct and refractive/reflective, there are
~:Tleconsiderations:
Indirect-Refractive
Indirect-refractive caustics are always calculated in Photo View 360 and require no user input.
Indirect-Reflective
Indirect-reflective caustics are currently not calculated in Photo View 360.
336 Chapter 12
Caustic Settings
Once direct caustics are enab led, t here are only two settings fo r the amount and quality of the E'
Direct caustics are controlled by the amount of photons coming from the direct light sources.
Caustic Amount
Caustic Amount sets the number of photons used in the scene. The caustic amount sets the i"'~
of photons which is then divided by the number of direct lights that are on in Photo View 36C -
number is proportioned between the lights based on their power so t hat if there were two c -E~
lights with one light at twice the power of the other. the more powerful light would get twice-
number of photons apportioned to it.
The range of Caustic Amount is from 100,000 to 10,000,000.
Caustic Quality
Caustic Quality controls the number of photons sampled at each pixel. Smaller va lues result - _
grainier caustic effect and higher values produce a sharper effect.
The range of Caustic Quality is from 32 to 256.
Reflective and Transparent Appearances 337
:tedure
Open the assembly.
':E:1 t he file Ca ustics assembly.sldasm found in the Chapter 12\ Case Study\ Caustics folder.
-~s assembly has two glasses placed on a flat surface. Several lights have been added but they are
- =ntly turned off.
ate appearances.
--= c;Jpearance laminate floor2 has been applied to the part Board for caustics.
--2 appearances clear glass and brown glass have been applied to the two glasses.
338 Chapter 12
---- -- ------------------ ------- - -------------------- --
3 Note lighting.
The direct light for t his assembly is a point light.
located behind and above the model simulating a
light over the counter on which the glasses are
sitting. The remaining light comes from the
environment.
6 Enable caustics.
In the PhotoView 360 Options select Direct Caustics.
Set Caustic Amount t o 100000 and Caustic Quality to 32.
Click OK.
Reflective and Transparent Appearances 339
::hange settings.
Caustic Amount to 10,000,000 but leave
~c Quality at 32. This is the maximum value
::.austic Amount.
rhange settings.
- :: Caustic Amount at 10,000,000 and cha nge
..:o..:stic Quality to 256.
12 Compare results.
In the Final Render window, you can switch between the different results. On the left is the irr::.:,-
without direct caustics and on the right is the image with direct caustics at maximum settings
Advanced Appearances
While many good appearances are provided with SolidWorks. some users have requirements ~c
appearances that are not provided. In this section, we will explore methods to obtain and/or c-;:.,.
additional appearances.
Appearance Files
It is important to understand where appearance data is stored and how to mod ify it. As in mos: =
of SolidWorks. files and databases supplied with SolidWorks cannot be modified. This is done pL--:.
to prevent users from losing custom files when new versions of SolidWorks are installed. The -_
most used for custom appearances is to start with one of the supplied appeara nces. modify it. a-c
save it as a new custom appearance.
When appearances are applied to an assembly, part, body, feature, or face, t hat appearance is sa
the assembly or part file. Any modifications to t he applied appearance only affect that specific
of the appearance.
Things that are part of an appearance file:
What does it look like?
In a procedura l appearance. this is the mathematically defined pattern. In a texture. this is a s;::.
image file.
How is it mapped?
With procedura l appearances, you do not have control of this. For a textu re, we have differe-
mapping controls.
Special effects
A displacement map is a special effect as it changes the physica l characteristics of t he geo-..--
bump map is an effect to make the surface look like something it is not.
Image Files
When an appearance, decal. or scene is saved wit h a part or assembly. all the appearance data E
in the part or assembly file with one exception: the image file. As a general rule, image files C":
saved in *.p2m or *.p2s files because of their size. This leaves t he image file as a linked refe-t:r"
While this method reduces the file size of the part or assemb ly. it also red uces the porta bilil ~
must remember to send the image file(s) when sending the part or assembly to someone e[s=
Advanced Appearances 343
-=<eep everything together. the image files can also be embedded with the rest of the appearance,
:--=:al or scene dat a by selecting the option to Store appearance, decal, and scene data in model file
- ::-te SolidWorks Options.
2 t o Find It
:-::ions: Document Syst= Options J Doa.ment Properties L
Overview
There are t imes when the existing appearances supplied with SolidWorks do not meet our rer:.=.
needs. In these cases we can get appearances from a variety of sources and add them into ou-
SolidWorks. To catalog these new appearances, we can add custom folders to the Task Pane.
Create appearance
Any image file of the types supported by SolidWorks can be used as a texture ap pearance.
Advanced Appearances 345
:pearance Library
:.Vorks organizes appearances in a library consisting of folders. Each appearance is a separate f ile
_-.::.. :1e *.p2m extension. The directory is located in the SolidWorks installation folder
:solidworks \ data\ graphics\ materials .
-a:i Images
~=s used for texture appea rances are normally tiled. This means that a single image is repeated and
2d t ogether to form a larger, repeating pattern.
"E s:Ze of these f iles is usually small, generally 100 to 200 pixels on a s ide, but may be as large as 4096
e :: s on a side. They do not have to be square.
346 Chapter 13
If they are to create a seamless pattern. the image must have a right side that fits smoothly agains:
left side. The top and bottom must fit as well.
Pattern breaks
Advanced Appearances 347
2 Modo materials are the equivalent of SolidWorks appearances. but are not equivalent t o
J'Works materials as they do not carry any of the physical properties of the materials.
:tedure
-= .'lill start with the chess board. There are three different appearances to add: one fo r the board, one
:'le border around the squares, and finally the checkerboard pattern itself.
Orgamze ...,. Jd Preview "' Share with Shdeshow Prmt Email Burn New fold er :s
~ Photoreari~ic Rendering
... Chapter2
Chapt<r 4
_.. ChapterS
_. Chapter6
-' Chapter7
ChapterS
I~
,.o Chapter9
ChapterlO
Chapterll
- Chapt.r12
.,. Chapt<r13
Case Study
Chess Set
_. Completed
Downloaded Image Files
marblOl.bmp Marble metaKJOl.bmp
...., Chapter14 lmage.bmp
Creat e a new folder using Windows Explorer. Set the path to the folder in SolidWorks Options,
System Options, File Locations.
Click New Folder e'} on the Appearances, Scenes, and Decals tab of the Task Pane.
Specify a new folder and path when creating a new appearance.
_
-.ccessing Custom Appearances Syst= Options [ Docunent Properties!
-=have the custom appearances available, the path General Show folders fur:
Draw ings ...............
-::the location of your files should be specified in Display Style
[Document. Tetl1)1ares ~
Cu st om Appearan ces
Cu stom Scenes
Custom Decals
6 Set file locations.
Click Tools, Options. Select System Options and t hen File Locations. Add t he path to each of ~
folders to the appropriate folder type.
cw --e:: ew custom folders are now listed on the Appearances, Scenes, and ffJ ~
o=:: :e:a1s tab. The folders are blue because they are custom folders. <::! e Appeanoncos(color)
+ ~ Plastic
'" We did not specify the path to the Custom Appearances folder ...e Metal
+" vj Pamted
::::!.Jse we will do that by anot her method, just for demonstration. If ff' ...e Rubber
I+ ~ Glass
31: ::..... check the File Locations option, there should be no path listed for ~ Sohd
:.:stem Appearances. +; ~ L<ghts
+, ~ Fabri c
~ 1-e
Organoc
Copy images. +, ~Stone
::-:;y all the images from the Downloaded Image Files folder to the +' 4f. Mts/ ilaneous
~ Custom App~rance:s
::.:stom Appearances fo lder. r=1 .!Scenes
~ BasicSc es
~Studio cen
l.; Pr tio~Scenes
Ee Custom cfenes
2 Decals
~ l og
b= ~ CuStom De:cals
&::le::a
~?lit the Face
Sce:oes
.: have to add one appearance (marble) to the entire part, then two additional appearances to t he
..:::;=~er surface of the board, one to make the checkerboard pattern and another t o add the border around
- e first pattern.
-::: apply different appearances to a face, the face must be split into smaller faces.
:;; ::-; WE :'E : Split the upper face.
:::-eate a sketch on the upper fa ce.
::-aw a rectangle 400 mm x 400 mm
C.:: L i::-:1: :entered on the origin.
:::.ick Split Line ~. or click Insert, Curve,
Split Line.
~ :~.: s f!f.:jz
352 Chapter 13
Use t he curre nt sketch and select t he upper face of the board as the face to
split.
Click OK.
_ Split line.
_s? Insert, Curve, Split Line to split the
:ce.
~ View results.
--e ::Jriginal upper face is now three separate
:::::::s which are shown here in blue, red, and
:: -:>w for clarity.
Add appearance.
=will start by adding an existing appearance t o the entire part. The appearance we select will have a
~ :2 shiny appearance to make the board look like it is polished marble.
-==the appearance whit e high gloss plastic to the entire part by pressing and holding the Alt key
::::-:: dragging the appearance into the graphics area. By using the Alt key, the appearance's properties
::::=opened in the PropertyManager so you can edit them.
354 Chapter 13
(f/l Open
@0 Photoreali~tic: Render1 ng Sol1dWorks. Common Custom Appearances
Organiu ~ Newfoldor
~
Custom Appea rances
_, Custom Decals
_ Custom Scenes
~ Setting probl<m.zip ~ ~-:-
_. V1de:os-source and removed marb002.bmp marb015.bmp marb028.bmp marb055.bmp marb077.bmp
_. SolidWcrks Training Foi<S
9111JXJ8 Whot< New Oeme<
- <Wdtst
~ temp
.,., tmp
marb093.bmp marb101.bmp Marble metal001.bmp
~ T~n~er Image.bmp
.w Custom Decals
.... Custom Scenes
c;1l Setting problem.zip
~ Videos-so urce and removed
..,... SolidWorks Training Files
u
J. SW2008 Whats New Demos
J."' swd1st
T
+ .........
Fi le name: M:!i;jluft.fiill) ~
I
Save"' type: Appearance Files (.p2m) ~I
Descnptl on: Ad d a de:scnpt1 0n
When we create a custom appearance, there will be additional "'I m.uble unage_l.p2m Notepad
e Remember that this book was written based on Windows 7. If you are using a different version of
1dows, the sequence necessary to start the Paint application may be different. Also, older versions
::= =>aint will have a simpler interface.
: Size the image. Resize and Skew ~
:- the Home tab, click Resize.
Resize
By. Percont..g e PIXels
e will make the image square. Any size will do as long as it is square. +-+
Q)
5:: Resize to Pixels and the width and height to 400. Dr Vertica~ 400
J Horizontal:
~! Vort[ca~ 0
OK ][ Cancel
Tools
~
Brusht s
r&
Shap -
Sil t Co lors
0 .zoq ,600
--.
of .; ~
.1
Line weight I
1
J
~
<
J
-
0
0
::"! ..
50%(-) 0
50% (- ) 0
Monochrome Files
If you make images that are only black and white, it is tempting to save t he file as a monochrome:.
This would be a significantly smaller file size than a 24-bit colo r image (6 Kb versus 130 Kb). He _
SolidWorks does not accept monochrome fil es. A16 color bitmap works we ll and still keeps the!: :
small {78 Kb).
Advanced Appearances 359
~lor Models
:;st color images conform to either RGB (Red, Green, Blue) or CMYK (Cyan, Magenta. Yellow, Black)
= or models. The computer monitor works in RGB but the printing process works in CMYK. When
"'"""::Orting graphics files, they must be in RGB because SolidWorks will not open files that use CMYK.
- _- a further explanation of RGB and CMYK color, see Appendix A.
.:; Close Microsoft Paint.
e are now done with the Paint program. Click the Paint icon l:ilil and select Exit.
_: Add the checker pattern as an appearance. ~ -.-~
:.e ect the top center of the board to select t he face inside the split lines. This "' )( ~
::. :.e area where t he checkerboard pattern goes. I Basic I Advoncrd I
: :< the to p level Appearances folder in the Task Pane. Press and hold AIt and ~~ lh1Wmticn l
-...;)le-click t he appearance t exture. This is the default appearance fo r t exture ~~- l
t:;;;J Cokx-{Jmat;e l~~
-c:erials. The PropertyManager opens, showing the pro perties of the default
~Geometry ___!j
.=::earance.
I Appea rance ~
--~er Image, Image file path, click Browse and navigat e t o the SolidWorks . " -"'ona! fie path: .
:.::nmon \ Custom Appearances folder. Select the B-R Checker ; [;;J C:'j>rog...nfies~'lor
::=:- 3 Checker Pattern.p2m to the same Custom Appea r ances folder. [8sok>r ~
I mage ;~~J
-~
Je Sa-.e As II
c0 I .J~oo (( SolidWorks ... . Cust om Appearances ::r:,. JI s~orch C,;stomAppe:uonus pI I&:J
lma9e file path:
0:\SoiidWorks Common\C J
Orga nzze New fold er ~ ~ ~ 1 ~"""".. :_1__1
SolidWorks Common
- --- ---
Custom Appearances
.. Custom Decals
.,. Custom Scenes
:}
:::;!! Settin g problem.zip
Videos so urce and removed Custom
Marble.p2m
Sol idWorks Training Flies
SW2008 Whats New Demos
a.vtfct
With the PropertyManager still open, select Advanced button and click the
Mapping tab.
Using the Rea lView preview, adjust the scaling and position of the ap pearance to
get an 8 x 8 pattern. The correct position should be achieved with:
Width: 100 mm
Height: 100 mm s -.ze/Orientation
[./]Axed aspect ~
Offset Horizontal: so mm
[J At width to selodor
Offs et Vertical: 0 mm L] At heiglt to ..rc-
Note Why the width and height of 100 mm? The area we are applying t he pattern
a 100.000mm
to is 400 x 400 mm. Each instance of the pattern gives us two squares wide and [0 lDO.OOOmm
high. Therefore. to get an 8 x 8 pattern we need four instances of the pattern, so I Aspect rabo: U::
Why the 50 mm horizontal offset? So t hat the pattern starts with the correct I \i-r~
] Mirr Vl!ftcal-
colored square in the correct corner. This is required because the chess pieces
are already set up in the assembly.
Advanced Appearances 361
--sis caused by the fact that we applied the appearance to a single surface, so the wood grain goes
-,;: same way on the entire surface. To correct this problem, we will split the face int o four pieces, then
~-Y t he appearance to two sets of parallel sides.
a
liil
.
iii ~ li/J
362 Chapter 13
[0 7S.OOOnm
<& ,o.oodeg
1 '
,J MiTor horizont;l.
.__] MiTor verticaly
Advanced Appearances 363
: Repeat.
-=-c-::eat the procedure and add the same
-.:earance to the remaining two sections of
::.v strip.
se the Mapping tab to rotate the
::"Jearance go degrees.
te You will get a mate error for each of these coincident mates because the top surface of the Chess
Set Board has been split. so its face name has changed. To fix this problem, right-click the Mates
=::1lder and select Replace Mate Entities. With this command. you can replace all the missing faces at
: 1e t ime.
Setting the Pieces
=erfect alignment was not desired because real pieces are set by hand. We can move a piece and see
:1e checker pattern.
364 Chapter 13
Assembly Structure
The FeatureManager design tree shows t hat half the pieces are named ~ Chess Set (Ddault)
@] Sensors
White and the other half are named Black. [;; UJ Ann otations
<S>.: Front Plane
We could apply the appearance at either the part or assembly level. Because <$( Tof> Plane
<$( Right Plane
the assembly is already put together, it may be easier to apply the 1. Origin
appearance at the assembly level. One consideration we must make is how [jl ~ Chess Set Board&<!
EfJ ~(-) King White<l>
the appearance will be mapped, and this is determined by the type of l:ti ~ (-) Queen Whl!e<l>
~ ~ (-) Bishof> White<l ~
appearance we choose. If we use a procedural appearance, where no . ~o ~ (-) Bisho~ Whote<l>
mapping is required, then applying the appearance in the assembly would be 1J ~ (-) Kni.g ht White<l >
[jl ~ (-) Knight White<l>
easy as we could select all the black pieces and apply t he appearance to all (<' ~ (-)RockWhite<l>
of them at once. If we have to use a texture-based appearance, then we have S ~ (-) RookWhite< l>
r.fl ~ (-) PawnWhite<1>
to adjust t he mapping, and this would be easier at the part level as applying $ ~ (-)Pawn White<l>
(<'; ~ (-) PawnWhite<3>
the appearance to one part, like a pawn, applies it to all instances. S ~ (-) Pawn White<4>
S ~ (-)Pawn White<5>
In this particular case, we are going to apply a marble appearance. As there f.il ~ (-)PawnWhite<6>
[+l ~ (-) PawnWhite<7>
are currently no procedural marb le appearances, it will be easier to apply t he ~. ~ (-) PawnWhite<8>
appearance in the part where we can see and adjust the pattern more easily. r} ~ (-)King Black<l>
ti:l ~ (-)Queen Blade<! >
f!-: ~ (-)Bishop Blade<:>
!, ~ (-) Bishop Blade<l>
$ ~ (-) Knight Blade<!>
ffi ~ (-)Knight Black<l>
il ~ (-)Rock Blac1<<2>
ffi ~ (-)Rook Black<3>
l'f1 ~ (-)Pawn Black<!>
1'6 ~ (-) PawnBiack<l>
lP ~ (-) Pawn Black<3>
tt: ~ (-)Pawn Black<4>
[+' ~ (-J PwnBiack<S>
&' ~ (-) Pawn Biack<6>
~~ ~ (-}PawnBiack<7>
[<' ~(-) Pawn Black<!>
&:. @@Mates
Advanced Appearances 365
trid Appearances
_ :J appearances are a mix of cha racteristics from both procedural and texture appearances. They
-:::have an associated image file like textures, but can be mapped and scaled to t he model. Hybrid
-:t::-ances can also have a color overlay that will change the overall color of t he appearance.
_ ant to use a white marble appearance fo r the white pieces and a black marble appearance for the
..... ;:>ieces. If we look through the appearances that come with SolidWorks, we see t here is neither
1or white marble, so we will have to create a custom appearance from something that already
.s:s
c::Jpearances provided wit h SolidWorks cannot be modified until t hey are embedded int o a file. Once
::edded, they can be modified, but t he changes only apply to that particular file.
::-eate a custom appearance that can then be applied to our parts, we must make a copy of an existing
..:Earance into one of our custom folders .
.:c-."E Appearance
~c Save Appearance command can be used to make a copy of an existing appearance file . The new file
- .::::e saved to a diffe rent location and t hen modified separately from the original file.
:-e to Find It
-:Jpearance PropertyManager: Advanced, Color/Image, Save Appearance
The Dominant Color does not actually change one of the colors of the appearance; rather. it ad:::: :.
to the color pattern that multiplies t he dominant color with the color of the existing appearar::.
effect of changing the dominant color can be seen in the top four sets of images below. The fi~
shows that changing the secondary color has no effect on t he final color of the appearance.
r-:.solor_____
I~
Iil][
..
stmdard ~J
~~ ~
p;.o~r-
/
~[stm<~ard =--:J
~~ ~
Advanced Appearances 367
te The choice of 2.5 inches for the mapping size is subject ive, but we will use
-:s value again so this is an easy number to remember and enter.
368 Chapter 13
Modo Assets
Another source of appearances is Modo, the program at t he core of Photo View 360. If you own'.
you can use appearances provided with Modo and its many kits, or you can create appearances
Modo and use them in Photo View 360. If you do not own Modo, but are a SolidWo rks Subscript:.-
customer using SolidWorks Professional or Premium, you can download many appearances fror ~
SolidWorks Asset Sharing site.
Many of the Modo assets are named differently from SolidWorks, so in some cases t here may ~
confusion. In SolidWorks, visual assets are called appeara nces, while in Modo t hey are called ma-.=-
As already noted, the term material in SolidWorks refers to the mechanical properties of a comp::_,.-
not its visual properties.
49 Create a folder.
Create an additional folder in your custom ap pearances folder and name it Modo Materials.
2
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U :::er Grou;::~!>
-:~e
_,der SolidWorks Asset Sharing, click Take
t o the Assets.
Me-:t Oo~,-nl~-1:.:.-:=
select Materials. )) High.~' Rab~
)) By <Atago<y
The materials are organized similarly to the way they are Environment!>
)) By Tag S e-arch
Double-click the appearance Modo Asset: Cream.Marble found in the Custom Appeara.r'r!;
folder.
A dialog will appear telling you t hat:
You are applying a Modo material asset. It may look significantly different in :2::.:
SolidWorks graphics area than it does when rendered in PhotoView 360 or Mock
will also have limited editing capabilities for this appearance.
It is important to understand what this is saying to avoid trying to cha nge and adjust qua lit ies t-
do not have access to change. Additionally we will see that some changes we make to the visua
properties of these appearances will only affect the rendered output or the ReaiView output, b-_
both.
Advanced Appearances 373
select the Advanced t ab. there are very few controls available.
=:ick Save Appearance and save the appearance fi le as creammarble.p2m to the Custom
_;ppearances folder.
:::iick OK to finish editing t he Modo asset.
'/e can also see t hat just as the warning dialog told us, the appearance looks different in RealView as
:Jmpared t o being rende red.
RealView Rendered
374 Chapter 13
When we edit the black appearances, we will have to change all the instances. The appearance \'. .S
applied to the pawns as two instances and the appearance applied to the other black pieces was c ~
instance of the appearance. When we edit the white appearance, we only have to do it once becc._s.
there is only one appearance definition t hat is used by all instances.
Advanced Appearances 375
rtlumination
::ach appearance and decal has a set of
~ro perties, collectively called illumination.
lumination defines the surface finish and
:::etermines how it will behave when illuminated.
3oth procedurally defined and texture-mapped
i:;Jpearances have illumination properties that can
.Je ed ited.
.'/here to Find It
DisplayManager: View Appearances, Illumination tab
-C'E
DisplayManager: View Decals, Illumination tab
:numination Controls
B3
Standard controls adjust the basic reflectance charact eristics of light on the surface. Some illumination
:: -~
:roperties are only available under certain conditions. For instance, Index of Refraction and Refraction
:::t:5i?
~oughness are only available when Transparent Amount is not zero.
Control Description
Diffuse Amount Represents the light striking a surface and being scattered equally in
all directions. Increasing the diffuse value will cause the appearance
to be brighter and more colorful.
Specular Amount Rep resents the degree that an appearance exhibits highlights.
Increasing the specular value causes an appearance to appear shinier.
Specular Color Controls the color of the specular highlight. There must be a direct
light illuminating t he surface.
Specular Spread/Blurriness Controls the blurriness of reflections on a surface. Can make t he
surface appear rough or smooth.
Reflection Amount Represents the degree that an appearance reflects light in the mirror
direction.
376 Chapter 13
Control Description
Transparent Amount Represents the degree that light is allowed to pass through an
appearance. Increasing the transparency allows more light thrm:5-
Luminous Intensity Controls the brightness em itted from t he surface.
Index of Refraction Represents the degree an appearance refracts (bends) light bet;-_5
transmitted through it. A perfect vacuum has an index of refract-:;
of 1.0. Water, glass, and diamond have indices of refraction of
approximately 1.3, 1.6, and 2.4, respective ly.
Refraction Roughness Sets the degree of blurriness of objects viewed through the surf--==-
A value of zero turns this off. Higher values simulate frosted gle:.-s
Dynamic Help
Learning t he illumination controls and how they affect the rendering cou ld be tedious if we had t:
continually search online Help or refer back to this book. An easier way to learn about the controls s
turn on Dynamic help.
Dynamic help will provide explanations for many of t he illumination controls in the appearance's
PropertyManager. Once enabled, Dynamic help will provide definitions for each control the curso-
passes over.
Advanced Appearances 377
QlCOior/1""'!1"
~~
1.00
Setect the Illumination t ab. r
Speojar an10101t:
Select Dynamic help.
I [o.so _
I
'j . J:j
!love the cursor over the Reflection amount I Spea.W m~or:
slider. Dynamic help gives a description of
Reflectivity. Sj:x!aiar spread/Biu-mess: I
} "
0 :-j
'!love the Reflection amount slider to the right R~tion an10101t (l(eaMew
r -~
10 .200
15
On the Color/Image tab. click Save w
)- I RoflectM!y
Blurry reflections
~'"""~~~~
-\ \ -,.. ~\
;c::
,.~ ""~-~"'
I
TranspMent ~t "ft.
Appearance.
.~ JI
jo.oo Cont rols the reflect!Vrty of a surfa ce. on
') ' I : a s cale of 0 to 1. [!set to 0, no
refle ctoor.s are vosoble. [f set to 1, t he
.ve do this so that whenever we use the Lumous nt.nsity: \. surhce simuletes a perfect mirror.
checker pattern appearance in the future, the 0 .00 w/snn"2 '>j
nj.i 1 !I I !\ fi t I I I p ; [t-:'11' '
1
Procedure
1 Open the Chess Set Board.
This is the same part we were using in the previous case study.
The new display state will have the default name Display State-2.
Edit appearances.
'='' that we have two display states. we must make sure that the appearances already in the part know
~;other they are attached to all display states or just ce rt ain display states.
:=.:: the B-R checker p attern ap pearance by right-clicking it and selecting Edit Appearance.
_..-:er Display States, change the setting to This dis play stat e. Display SQtes
c> This display state *
-.o::eat with the two polished teak appearances and set them t o This AI dsplay <totes
, Spedfy display stlte
:Splay state.
:=.: : the custom marble appea rance and change the setting to All display
52tes.
I~:
.
-,JII
I . J
Change display state.
c:..<e the Granite Checker 8e In lay display state active.
Detach appearances.
;;:;:~--
._'I thatthe B-R checker patter n and polished teak appearances are attached to a specific
s::.ay state. we can detach t hem from the other display state.
=~~-click the B-R checker pattern appearance and select Remove Appearance.
fiE.... ~
. , ,::~_.._::
382 Chapter 13
Press and hold the Alt key and double-click t he B-R checker pattern appearance we made ec.-
the course. It will be in the Custom Appearances folder in the Appearances, Scenes, and Decaos
In t he Image box. click Browse and locat e the Granite Checker pattern .jpg image in the Cl:5
Appearances folder.
1en the Save As dialog appears, save the appearance file to the Custom Appearances folder.
:;=.--
384 Chapter 13
21 Adjust illumination.
Select the Illumination tab.
Change the Reflection amount to 0.20 to make the appearance a little shinier.
_ Repeat.
_'I that the appearance has been created, select the remaining two inlay
..ces. press and hold the Alt key, and double-dick the Wood Inlay
::ce arance in the Appearances, Scenes, and Decals tab of the Task Pane.
-::rtant! Make sure you are only applying this appearance to This
=-splay state.
19.000mm '> t
:=...=..11ine the DisplayManager for each display stat e. Sort ord er: IHierarchy J Sort order: {Hierarchy .... J
=:.:Zl have the marble image appearance because it was sO Face eO Face
-;E Chess Set Board component and Component Name: Chess Set Board_& Instance id: 1 Ful Name: Chess Set Board_&
Spool R.eferer=:
t? ::ct
Red & Black Checker for the
Componl!r1t Desaiption: Chess Set Board_&
=z.erenced Display State, then click
Model Doa.ment Plh: C :~Jorlcs StJ!IH>y -Step Guides'fhoto<eoislic: R.endering\Chapter !J
..
Referenced Display Slate
- ~ "' ~
<Granit Oledo!r a rr>av>_PhotoWorlcs Display state
GrMte Checker & Inlay
Default
- ' s,_essed
<> Resolved
Ughtwedlt
Solve as
,) Rl9d
Hexb:e
'- -- - -
:JEnve',ope
Change p<operties in: ~ 0 ExdJde trom bil
of ma terials
~ li:~=:J ~
l
388 Chapter 13
Photographing a Texture
If you have a good camera and image editing software. you can create a real-world. tileable te:c_
photographing an object and making it tileable. Frequently, this is done to capture large areas s_7
wall covering or the appearance used on t he outside of a building. The method to turn the photcE""
image into a texture is a simple procedure but requires image editing software with the appro=~
tools. We will look at the steps required to make an image t ileable, but as this is a photo editir5
technique that uses software other than SolidWorks. we will not do a case study. The purpose_ -
following section is just to show the method.
Advanced Appearances 389
Regular Patterns
=you have an image with a regular pattern. you may just need --------------- - ----- - - - - - -
;:3 properly crop the image and save it to make it tileable.
Rat her than use the entire image, all we need is one of the
pattern instances. Using the crop tool. we can cut away all
except one instance.
In this case, a t exture was needed for an exterior stucco walLA photograph was t aken looking r_
to an existing walL The photograph was opened in Adobe Photoshop and edited.
Advanced Appearances 391
Photo Tips
Creating a good texture from a photograph begins with a proper photograph. When shooting ar
to be used as a texture, keep in mind the following tips:
Lens
Use as long a focal length lens as possible to reduce the amount of perspective in the image.
Advanced Appearances 393
Camera position
The camera-to-subject axis should be as close to perpendicular to subject as possible. lf you are not
perpendicular, you introduce an effect called keyst oning where the sides of the image are not parallel.
While keystoning is not a problem in many images, it will cause a problem when the image is
overlapped during t he process of making it t ileable.
Lighting
Lighting needs to be uniform across the image. lf the lighting is not uniform, it will cause a repeating
pattern t hat is not easy to remove when creating a tileable image.
:::1 Area
Generally, you shoot as large an area as possible so that there will be less repetition in the tiled image.
If the area is large enough, you may not need to make it t ileable as it may never exceed the area of
the single image in the final application.
Surface Finishes
Surface finishes add another layer t o the appearance of the model. Surface finish is used to give the
::ppearance that the surface is somet hing other than smooth. This is done by one of two methods, a
Jump map or a displacement map.
- here are several predefined surface fi nishes available with SolidWorks and you can make addit ional
:ustom finishes with most image paint programs. For more information on surface fi nishes, see
.;ppendix C: Surface Finish.
'/here to Find It
=>ropertyManager: Surface Finish tab
Bump Map Images
~ you are creating your own bump map images, they can be any of the fo llowing file types:
Mapping
Bump maps are 20 images which must be mapped to the surface. The controls for mapping surfc::
finishes are the same that are used for mapping texture appearances and are found on the Mapping
in the PropertyManager.
Bump Mapping
Bump mapping simulates the surface finish by
modifying reflections and shading. Some surface
finishes, such as knurl and dimp led, have
additional controls to modify the way the surface
finish looks by truncating the surface of the
appearance or changing the size of the pattern
elements.
Displacement Mapping
Displacement mapping performs an actual
geometry displacement of the s urface of the
model. Because this method is computationally
expensive, there can be a significa nt reduction in
rendering performance.
Advanced Appearances 395
-;c~u
==:s= 5 st Procedure
1 Open the part named Flashlight.
The flashlight was created as a single part for
simplicity.
2 Apply appearance.
Press and hold the Alt key and apply the appearance blue anodized aluminum to the entire part.
This appearance is located in the Metal, Aluminum folder.
396 Chapter 13
o !l_GB t:!5Y
Type of Split ~
Select the face of the handle as the face to split. Ensure that Single direction is ' Silhouette
cleared. Because the sketch is in the middle of the model, we want the '? ' ~ojectlon
5electlOM ~
Click OK. The handle is now two surfaces.
D
~
I
- ~ nO
- [j SingleQ.iredion
&ever!iedir~n
rnc=~~CCD=~~~---~-
We do not want the knurl to go all t he
way to the butt end of the handle, so
we need to split the face again.
Create another sketch on the Front
?lane. Sketch a single vertical line and dimension it 20 mm from the end of the handle.
Click Split Line ~ . or click Insert, Curve, Split Line.
8 Add appearance.
The first step is to have a separate instance of the blue anodized aluminum appearance on the -:a
face we have created. This is to allow us to edit the appearance on t his one face without affecting~
rest of the model.
In the graphics area. select the face to have the knurl fin ish. Right-click t he blue anodized a lurnir::::=.
appearance in the Task Pane and select Add Appearance to Selection.
Change the color to the same red color as the rest of the part, Red: 19 2, Green: 0, Blue: 0.
We now have t he appearance attached to the part and to this face as separate instances.
] Displacemelt ""'PPPl!l
Dt-~t cisl2lnce
l l .OOOOOOOSmm
Ull! I 11111' d ! I 11 II
:
,....,..
This is an example of the Knurl image provided with the PhotoView 360 software.
The heights of the intermediate shades will be interpreted based on t he gray scale
shade.
Advanced Appearances 399
*i
On the Mapping tab, change Size/Orientation to:
Height: 3 mm
~Geflnish
Kro.riod
~-I] Dynamic help
0 =!1 [i~;/Orientation
: !jxod aspect rabo
I
Width: 3 mm Knurl ongle:
n Fit h!#lt to selection '
90.0000
}
'
r. a 3.000nvn
jilt I!. '' t' H! I II
~-
'13ti1'1
I
On t he Surface Finish tab, change: I
If we want the actual surface to be knurled, we can change from a bump map to Knurled
Edit the appearance and under Surface Finish clear Bump mapping and select 90.0000 ~
J
Displacement mapping. Set the Displacement distance to .75 mm. Ktu1 helght Glj):
0.5000 .: i
I
Click OK. Rebuild the model and render. j: - .
i
Phot oView Surface Fuits~
Note that it takes much longer to render with a displacement map. [ Jllu<!l> mapping
Bump strongth:
:JJOispiac~trr~
Displacement ast>nre:
modeled into the surface. To see this more clearly, the right image was made 0. 7500000 1nvn :
with the kn url height cap increased to 0.9. In both of t hese cases, the surface L_nn J11fJlJlrDJTPill,?ittnH
changes are only part of the rendering process and are not part of the original
model.
)00075 m- ~-~
b: any w"lc .:;
~ i:--e v.,ridt" s:::
..,
:, c VIe Vllu -.c:
Procedure
1 Open the part named Box.
This is just a simple part with the appearances already
applied. Our goal is to make the sides of the box look
like they have a series of holes.
OpenGL
v> X -!E
Basic ! AdvanC!!:
~QJ O>lor/1"""'9" 1~ ~
~. !bi)rlation ~ 1 Surfac., -
IMessage
Surface Finish
From fi~e
RJ Dynamic help
Image path:
~
[;~.!] C:'l'rogram Files\,SolidW:rl:!:
! Browse... J
~ Normal map
U
~ !.ltl!Ji !lill ! " i
[{l Displacement mapping
Displacement distance:
0. 7500000 l.mm
~ l!!!!ll!i ttw
Advanced Appearances 405
Rounded Corners
Sharp corners do not render well as there is no surface to reflect highlights and show specular
highlight s. The round sharp edges function can round all edges in the model as part of t he rendering
process. Like the displacement map. t he rounded edges do not modify the model itself.
Where to Find It
PropertyManager: Illumination tab
Procedure
1 Open the part named Block with hol es.
This is just a simple part to show how edges are
rounded.
Mlot:oView I Uuntination ~
- =--
---
406 Chapter 13
Missing Files
As we learned earlier, appearances are embedded in the
model files. But, unless the option t o store appearance,
decal, and scene data in the model file is selected, the image files used for appearances, scenes, an::
decals are not stored in the model file. If an image file is moved or renamed, SolidWorks may not be 2 :: =
to find the file. Missing image fil es are indicated in the DisplayManager with the f3 icon.
Search Order
When the SolidWorks file is opened, images that are not stored with the model must be located. Tr
search order for these images is a little different from the order used to find referenced So l idWor~
files.
For images, the system searches the following locations in this order:
1. The path specified in the appearance, decal, or scene PropertyManager and saved in the mode~
2. The folder containing the current model, or for assemblies. the folder conta ining the part to wr::::
the appearance is applied.
3. The list of folders specified in Tools, Options, System Options, File Locations, in the order liste:.
4. If not found, the system prompts you to browse for a path.
For a missing appearance, the area to which the appearance is app lied will appear black.
A missing scene, decal, or decal mask will not display t he scene or decal.
Advanced Appearances 407
To resolve a missing image, in the DisplayManager, right-click the entity with a missing image and click
one of the follow ing:
Click Find Missing File t o browse for the image.
Click Ignore Missing File to prevent further searches for t he image.
To resolve missing images during rendering:
When you render immediat ely. either by performing a preview or final render, you are prompted t o
locate missing files. Click Yes to browse for the file or a replacement Click No to ignore the missing
file.
For batch rendering, all missing fil e references are temporarily set to Ignore Missing File.
~~~. ~
-=ib:
~::.
-_r
Advanced Lighting
Lighting Concepts
In the previous chapters we briefly discussed the different types of lights available in SolidWorks a---
Photo View 360 and some of the concepts used to position lights. We have also covered some of t~
methods used to calculate the lighting in the rendered scene. In this chapter we wilt look at some c=
these methods in more depth.
Lighting Calculations
We have seen that there are two types of illumination, both in the physical world and in our rende:- ~
world: direct and indirect.
Direct Illumination
Direct illumination is light which comes directly from a light source.
When we shine a flashlight on a surface in an otherwise unlit room, the spot of light we see is the c.-::c
light.
Indirect Illuminations
Indirect illumination is any light that comes from another object in the scene, not directly from a 1:~
source. Light reflecting from a mirror, light passing through glass, and a light reflecting from a rec ~
onto a white walt are some examples.
When we shine a flashlight on a surface in an otherwise unlit room, we can see objects not in the d:-2':""
beam of light due to the light reflecting and refracting from t he surface. These objects are lit by inc -:co-
illumination.
Illumination Capabilities
PhotoView 360 can calculate both direct and indirect illumination. In the case studies in proceedir5
chapters. indirect illumination was the primary type of illumination that was calculated. For each p
in the scene, the contribution of light from the surrounding surfaces on that pixel was used to deter;-
the characteristics of the rendered pixel. The rendering engine casts rays from each pixel, out into
environment. The light properties found by these rays would be summed during final gathering anc :E
added to the direct illumination.
Advanced Lighting 411
Rendering Basics
Many of the lighting. reflection. and refraction concepts are easier to comprehend if we have a basic
understanding of how Photo View 360 conducts the rendering process.
- 5::LE
The Physical World
'n the physical world, light travels in a straight line from a source until it is reflected. refracted. or
absorbed. Eventually, some of the light rays may enter our eyes. Some rays are never seen because they
are absorbed or reflected from objects and travel into space.
;-.A?-:. 5 =>hotoView 360 can calculate the lighting contributions of both direct and indirect illumination.
=' e::c- ~
Lighting Methods
I \:~ 3-r~e=.:
.n OpenGL and ReaiView. lighting is only done by direct lights. When rendering with Photo View 360.
--- --
_ :_ L .,._
.ighting can be done with direct lighting. indirect lighting. or both, but indirect is used by default.
f-;~--.5~
There can be a total of nine lights added to a model. However in ReaiView. only the first three lights are
Jsed and they are considered to be directional lights regardless of their definition.
Direct Lighting
=>roper lighting can greatly enhance the quality of the rendering. The same principles used by
photographers work well in Photo View 360.
_ights are created and positioned in SolidWorks. Photo View 360 has a few additional controls to refine
:he quality of the light and shadows.
412 Chapter 14
Types of Lights
SolidWorks and Photo View 360 use several different types of lights:
Ambient
In the physical world, ambient light illuminates the model evenly from all directions. ln a roor.
white walls. the level of ambient light is high, because the light reflects off the walls and other G::-
ln SolidWorks, ambient light is a brightness control for the entire scene that simulates the e::=2'"""
real-world ambient light. There is only one ambient light. You cannot delet e it nor add any me-:.
Directional
Directional light comes from a source that is infinitely far away from t he model. It is a collimate:
source consist ing of parallel rays arriving from a single direction. like the sun. The central ray:=
directional light points directly at the center of the model.
Spot
A spot light is a restrict ed, focused light with a cone-shaped beam that is brightest at its cen-c:.r
spot light can be aimed at a specific area of the model. You can adjust the position and dist ar: : : .
the light source relative to the model, and the cone-angle through which the beam spreads.
Point
A point light comes from a very small light source located at a specific coordinate in the models-
This type of light source emits light in all directions. The effect is like a tiny light bulb floating ins-_
Lighting appearances
Lighting appearances are used to make a surface act as a light source. These can simulate LEOs
tubes. backlit LCDs. and area lights.
Environmental lighting
Environmental light ing, also called image-based lighting. is the closest type of lighting to the re
world. lt uses high dynamic range images and indirect lighting to light the model and scene.
Creating Lights
Depending on the scene used by the default template. SolidWorks creates two or more lights with : : .
new part. These are normally Ambient and Directional! and possibly Directional2 but coulc :
other combinations.
Additional lights can be added in SolidWorks and can then be used in the Phot oView 360 renderirfr
Where to Find It
To create additional lights:
Shortcut menu: In the DisplayManager. right-click either the Lights folder or any existing light [;-
Lights folder. Add Directional [Spot, Point] Light
Menu: View. Lights and Cameras, Add Directional [Spot, Point] Light
Advanced Lighting 413
Intensity Controls
Jirectional, point, and spot lights have controls for three aspects of the light's intensity. They are:
Ambient, Brightness, and Specularity.
?hotoView 360 only uses the Brightness characteristic when rendering and has a separate control from
that used in OpenGL and Photo View 360. Changes to the Ambient and Specularity settings have no
I:E I=-=w- effect on PhotoView 360 renderings. Such changes would only be apparent in t he regular SolidWorks
shaded view.
The reason that PhotoView 360 does not apply the concept of ambient or specular intensities to lights
:s because these are OpenGL concepts. PhotoView 360 associates ambient, diffuse, and specular
::haracteristics with the appearances themselves, and these are managed through the Illumination tab
of the PropertyManage r.
Lighting Schemes
:s::=-= ?hotoView 360 stores direct lighting information with the existing scene. If you modify t he direct
,: .:-::..., CE
:ighting used with your model. you must save t he scene as a cust om scene or else the lighting changes
::..3. will be lost if you apply a different scene.
Keep Light
-~= sc
To avoid losing a light when you change scenes, an alternative to saving the scene is to select Keep light
s-::.::.
when scene changes on the Basic tab of the individual light.
-E !_=~liS
-:--:: er~;.
-~~ - ---
--g ~~.5 i ...
414 Chapter 14
Photographic Lighting
Model lighting is very subjective and is as much art as it is science. To obtain the best results, yo~ 5
think like a photographer. There are many books on the subject of lighting, with different technic;-3.
most are based on a combination of using three basic lights.
Photographers generally either start with the environmental lighting and then add add ition light t-:'
standalone lights or use direct lights in a st udio setup. When starting with environmental lightir;
may add addit ional lights and reflectors to reduce the contrast ratio in shadows, highlight some~~
the frame, or for special effects. In studio lighting, direct lights are t he primary lights used. The- 3
used with diffusers and reflectors added to balance the light and control shadows and contrast
In studio lighting, lights are assigned to three main purposes:
Key light
This is a strong. front light to provide overall illumination of the model. The key light is somet-,:-
also called a primary light
Fill light
This light is generally of less intensity than the primary light and is used to lighten shadows b.
reducing the overall contrast between light and dark areas of the model.
Backlight
A light usually above and slightly behind the model to help out line the shape and make the mo::d
easier to see against the backgrou nd.
Special Lights
In addition to the basic three lights, special lights are used to focus attention on some part or fea:~
of the model, or to create some desired effect For example. a point light might be positioned insi::~
lamp, to simulate the illumination coming from the lamp itself.
Advanced Lighting 415
Lighting Plan
To add r ealism and show depth on our modeL we will position three light s. To simulate a st udio. we will
lock the scenery and lights to the view. We can t hen reposition the model without causing the lights or
scenery to move.
To visualize their positions, when facing the model (the ca mera position) we will have t he key light over
our left shoulder and th e f il l light over our right shou lder. Both lights will be above the mode l and t heir
beams will int ersect at about 90 degrees. The backlight will be directly above the model pointing almost
-= straight down.
cs:-
illS I:.'
t:C:C~
,: ::!f;::
e::
\
416 Chapter 14
-----
To View Ri ht View
Advanced Lighting 417
Fill Light
-~~ The second light we position will be
the fill light. Fill lights are normally to
'
-~-
Fill lights are generally less bright than the key light because they are used to show detail that would
have been in shadow from the key light alone.
418 Chapter 14
Backlight
The last light we will add is the backlight. The purpose of the backlight is to highlight the top edges=
the model to help separate it from the background.
Backlights are generally positioned directly above and slightly behind the model.
Advanced Lighting 419
All Together
re .:op ec,ses = When we put the three lights together, we can see the effects of each light.
\
420 Chapter 14
Shadows
Shadows are important to the process of creating realistic renderings. They can be used to do t - =
following:
Define spatial relationships
Without shadows, the relative position between objects may be difficult to understand. The be~:;
the left image looks like it is sitting on the tiled surface. Adding shadows shows t hat it is actuc
floating above the surface.
Advanced Lighting 421
e~-
~.A
Add contrast
When t he subject and background are of similar tone, a shadow can help to separate the two.
422 Chapter 14
Shadow Clutter
As additional lights are added to a scene. the shadows caused by many of t he lights can be distract--;
t aking the focus away from the subject. One advant age of computer rendering over photography is <-
we can create lights that cast no shadows.
Shadow Control
Shadows can be controlled by each individual light. Shadows can be turned on or off. and the width c-.-
quality of the shadow edges can be controlled.
Where to Find It
DisplayManager: View Scene, Lights, and Cameras tab, double-dick on an individual light for its
properties
DisplayManager: right-click a light. d ick Edit [Directional/Spot/Point] Light
Advanced Lighting 423
Shadow Properties
There are two controls for the calculation of shadow: quality and softness.
Shadow softness is set from 0 to 10 degrees and controls the size of the transition area from full
shadow to no shadow.
Shadow quality controls the refinement or graininess of the shadow edges. Values can range from 0
to 100.
To see the effects of these two controls, we will use a simple shape and a single direct ional light.
In the first set of images, Shadow quality is held at 0 while t he Shadow softness is adjusted.
Shadow quality = 0
s.o deg
Shadow softness
In the second set of images, Shadow softness is held consta nt at 10 deg and the Shadow quality is
adjusted.
25 so 75 100
Shadow quality
~
424 Chapter t4
Procedure
1 Open the part named Sphere.
The part is a simple sphere with the appearance stoneware applied. This appearance is off-white ,., -
a matte finish. This makes it similar to flat white wall paint.
The part is in a predefined view named Render and perspective view is on.
Right Light,
...:: Left Light
Top View
Right Light
u Left Light
Front View
426 Chapter 14
In Real View there is a shadow from the sphere on the box as well as a shadow from the box onto its=
In Real View, on ly light f rom the first t hree lights is used. All of th ese lights are considered to be
directional lights regardless of their actual definition.
Open GL
Clear Shadows.
Click OK.
With shadows off, light passes t hrough the geometry
as if it were not there.
Direct Lighting
The procedure used to calculate the direct lighting is as follows:
Ray Tracing
To render t he above scene, the rendering engine sent out
rays t o all the pixels it had t o render. Each ray was projected
until it encountered some geometry.
8
Camera
(viewpoint)
Directionall
Advanced Lighting 429
Shadows On
With shadows on. ray 2 cannot get back to t he light because
the sphere is in the way; t herefore, the contribution of the light
is zero at point 2. In other words, it is in the shadow of the
sphere.
"
!j
(j
430 Chapter 14
10 Change lighting.
Right-click Left Light and select Off in PhotoView.
The preview should now be black because there are
no lights on in Photo View 360.
There is a point light positioned in the center of the
sphere. Right-click Point Light and select On in
PhotoView.
With shadows off, t he light passes through the
sphere and illuminates t he walls as direct lighting.
The outside of the sphere is lit by indirect lighting
fro m the walls.
If you turn on the shadows, the scene will be black
again because the light cannot escape from the
sphere.
Ambient Light
Ambient light is not really a light at all. It is in effect just a brightness co ntrol for the entire scene v. - :?"
using OpenGL or RealView. It is a quick way to approximate the effects of light that would reflect c =-
t he walls and model wit hout calculating any light reflection; it does not cast shadows or transmit c:: :r I
t hat would actually reflect off the walls.
To get physically accurate am bient light we must use indirect illumination.
Double-click the Ambient light. Select On in SolidWorks and set the Ambient to 0.7
Advanced Lighting 431
0
the preview window because Ambient
.ight is not calculated in PhotoView 360. It
uses indirect lighting instead. The
Ambient light just brightens the entire
scene. It simulates the light that would OpenGL-Ambient Off OpenGL-Ambient On
reflect off the walls and model.
Real View-Ambient On
.! =
Indirect Lighting
Indirect lighting simulates the light that bounces off objects.
From the point where the ray from the camera strikes the
geometry. the rendering engine projects rays in all directions
to determine t he lighting contribution fro m the surrounding
surfaces. It gathers this information to determine a single
value that it can then apply to t he pixel being rendered.
Indirect illumination allows an illuminated mode l to reflect
rays to other entities of the model or the scene. If you
illuminate a model that is green. other entities in the scene will
have a green tinge to them when indirect illumination is
enabled.
The pu ll-down lists for Preview render quality and Final render
quality in the Photo View 360 Options set the number of ~
reflect rays and other settings used to calculate the (_/
contribution of indirect illumination. The rendering time will
increase as the number of rays increases.
432 Chapter 14
The number of indirect rays is shown in the final render window and will be as follows for the four rer.::.2""
qualities:
Good: 128
Better: 512
Best: 1024
Maximum: 2048
13 Change the color of the walls.
Add the default appearance color to t he two walls shown and ------~------~--~7
make one wall red and the other cyan.
Note The exact color of each wall is not important, only t hat
0
you have a colored appearance applied to each.
Compare t he images below. As the Final Render quality setting increases, the rendering times increase
in proportion, i.e., double the number of rays roughly doubles the rendering time. You should be able to
see an improvement in the smoothness of different lit areas of the sphere and box.
Good Better
at.B rays-,-5.5 Sfi!%)nds 512 ray?-37 seconds
Best Maximum
i:Q':24 ri3ys..< "1 min .n see ~4g rays- 2 min 11 sec
..,.,---
~~
-
. s.= 6 Close the file .
434 Chapter 14
Ambient Occlusion
Ambient occlusion is an effect seen with indirect lighting. As the name implies. ambient {indirect) : 5
is occluded {blocked) from some surfaces. so the surfaces appear darker.
Ambient occlusion is a real-world phenomenon as
can be seen in the photograph of the corner of a
room. The corner appears darker than t he
adjacent walls and ceiling as we can see following
the arrow from A to B.
With images that are rendered. the occlusion is
calculated as part of the ray t racing of indirect
light beams.
When indirect rays are projected from a flat
surface. t he rays can be spread out over 180
degrees {point A). but near a wall, they can only
spread out over go degrees (point B). so they will
collect less light.
When viewing a model in ReaiView, ambient occlusion is calculated by the distance to surrounding
surfaces. It can be applied t o all scenes.
Advanced Lighting 435
Ambient occlusion will be different in RealView from that found in a rendered image as it is a form of
- !(; -.:-::- shading that darkens areas enclosed in corners and is not affected by t he color or light.
Where to Find It
Menu: View, Display, RealView Graphics
Heads-up View toolbar: l 1Ambient Occlusions
Notice that in each image, there is no change to the lighting on the model itself. only the backgrm.::--
In each image, the change in brightness is only noticeable in the reflective appearances. The flatte--
appearance, the less noticeable the changes are.
Advanced Lighting 437
With Rendering brightness, all t he surfaces change in brightness because the indirect illumination is
being calculated from the spherical environment. That allows light to get t o all sides of the model.
Change only the value of Brightness in the Photo View Controls. Preview t he render with the Brightness
set at 0.1, 1.0, and 4.0 w/srm/\2 .
.:_-::r
Unlike with Rendering brightness, increasing the brightness of a direct light only brightens the area of
the model toward the light because the other surfaces are in the shadow of t he model. We can also see
t he effect on the specular highlight as it is coming directly from the light.
To create t he above rendering, we could put t ogether all t he elements of a studio each t ime we have a
s new mod el, or we could create a stud io and then just insert the model into a previously created studio
and render. We will focus on the studio itself rather than the model. The Fire Engine model we wi ll use
already has all the appearances and decals applied.
The studio setup that we will create will look like this:
Area lights
Backdrop
----
Model courtesy of Marko M Markovic
_____ Subject
--------------
/
I
Procedure
Create a backdrop
Many photographers use backdrops t hat are just rolls of paper or clot h that hang from a roller and t hen
cover the floor. This provides a seam less t ransition from the horizontal to vertical surface.
Create panels
Light can be provided by area lights or by reflecting light from umbrellas or flat panels.
Create camera pos itions
We can have preset camera locations that are based on t he model being at a certain position. When
establishing the camera position we must check to make sure we do not see past t he ends of the
backdrop.
t
440 Chapter 14
25:
J
1 ~-----750------~+1~-250~
~ 1
3 Extrude.
Create a midplane, t hin extrusion 1 mm thick and
1600 mm long.
25:
The backdrop needs to be long enough so that it
will always be in the camera view. The actual
J
thickness is not important. ~1---7 50------il~-rl-
... 250--
1
4 Save.
Save this file as Studio Backdrop.
Sketch a rectangle centered on the origin. Dimension the sketch to be sao mm by sao mm.
Extrude the sketch to 1 mm. Again the thickness is not important.
Add component.
1sert the Studio Backdrop part and mate it to the origin.
Q:> Right
=
10 Add components.
Add t hree instances of t he Area Light and mat e the
origin of each to t he end of a line. Add mates to kee p the
area lights perpendicular to t he 3D sketch lines.
~ote Remember. the setup of the model position and cameras is subjective. The values given in these
steps are suggestions for t he starting points. You should experiment and adjust until you have the scene
and views you like.
1 Add appearances .
.\dd the appearance Area Light, found in the Light s, Area Light folder, to the Area Light part.
!l.dd the appearance ceramic to the Studio Backdrop. Change its color to Red: 222, Green: 199, Blue:
i6S. This is a beige color.
"2 Change reflection property.
.'le want the background to be flat with respect to lighting (like flat wall pa int) so t hat it does not reflect
::ljects or lights outside the scene.
Select the Illumination tab and change the Reflection amount to 0 .0 .
::amera or Zoom and Pan?
';'hen we use a studio with area lights, cameras are generally a better choice than using the zoom and
:2n method for establishing a viewpoint. When using direct lights, t here is no geometry associat ed with
-e light and we can literally put a light right in front of our viewpoint and not see the light. With area
gnts, we have a physical part, which will be seen if it is in the field of view.
3 Establis h viewpoints.
-.:::l a camera and establish a viewpoint. Use a so mm Standard lens. Position this camera at X= 92 mm,
~ = 111 mm, and Z = 4SO mm. Aim the camera at the windshield.
-.::d another camera with a SO mm St andard lens at X = SO mm, Y = 37S mm, and Z = 4 00 mm. Target
-.e camera so that the toy is completely in the frame.
==spective should be on for both cameras. Choose aspect ratios to be able to see the model.
eX>al Camera2
~
~
444 Chapter 14
"12i' 15 cc:
21 Examine the preview.
r-:: a L:[;:::::S We can see specular highlights on the model and
..,;~==
actual reflections of t he area lights on the fireman
and his helmet.
The scene is still too dark. but now that all the
light panels are on, we can increase the intensity.
p5
Note The position of the specular highlight s may
be different on your preview due to differences in
the positions of the area lights.
22 Increase the light intensity.
Nith this studio setup, we used three instances of
the same part as our area lights. Therefore. when we increase one area light. we increase them all
because they are the same part.
If we want ed to control the intensity of each light separately, we could have created each area light as
a separate part, or applied the area light appearance to each instance separately.
'l the DisplayManager. edit the appearance Area Light. Lli'IWlous inltn<ity:
8.00 w/srm A2 -
Select the Illumination tab. The area light brightness is controlled by i i t t !I.( JI!II!It I ~I I UiPfi.mn
- - -- --- - -
uminous intensity, which has a defau lt value of 4.00 wfsrm/\2.
What's Next?
We could add additional area, spot or di rectional lights t o this studio or change the positions of the
existing area lights by editing the 3D sketch. Using configurations. we could use the same studio and
have a variety of repeatable lighting and camera setups.
Once we are satisfied with the studio setup, we can delet e the Fire Engine model and save the
assembly. The next time we need to render a product, we just have to add it to the studio assembly and
'"ender.
Procedure
Open the assembly.
:::Jpen the assembly SpaceNavigator.sldasm found in the chapter folder.
appearances to make the lens glass, and the reflector a shiny reflective surface I 0@]
so that the reflector looks real. ~ ~ IFroot I
~ o~ ~ - -, .
,.. o - ._
~_' _j -
13 ~9 __ ::::-J:
~ ~ 'o~ -~]:
I I Edt Color I
j ~ Show section cop
-
~
Exit the section view.
:::.ight-click the chromium plate appearance fro m the metals, chrome folder and click Add
.!l.ppearance to Selection.
:::ick OK.
448 Chapter 14
-- --------- ---- ----- --- -- ----- ---- ---- ------ -- -- ---- ---
Pair
5 Add appearance to the Lens. Po in!
Select the Lens in the FeatureManager design tree. close
Apply the clear glass appearance from the Glass, Gloss folder. Poim
to ha
6 Examine the preview. in a l!
We can now see the reflector through the
glass lens. Vl.1e
Dis
~e
8 A
Chan~
Visibll
Right-
Set th
7 Add a scene.
In the FeatureManager design tree, show the body
named Box. This body is just three walls of a box to give
us a frame of reference and a wall to see the beam from
the light we are about t o add. An appearance has already
been applied to this body.
Advanced Lighting 449
Point Lights
Point lights can be very useful in simulating unfocused light coming from a very small source. They most
closely represent t he properties of standard light bulbs.
Point lights are what their name implies, light from a point. Unlike the physical world wh ere light s have
to have some fi nit e dimension, in SolidWorks, point lights come from a dimensionless point and radiat e
in all directions.
Where to Find It
DisplayManager: right-click Lights, Add Point Light
Menu: Lights and Cameras, Add Point Light
Visible.
~~----------
Right-click the Lights f older, and select Add Point Light. ~~ ~
7. On n Soi dworks
Set t he light position to coordinates 0, 0, 0. ;_] Keep light when scene changes
D ieotColor... j
~~- l cv l II
Ambient:
j_ 1
0
B<ightness:
) '
Spe<Wnty:
0
1
~tion ~
Co-ordinate SysW11:
Spherical
o- cartesian
.Lock to model I
' ,.<0mm I
x 1:1~ ' ) Tl 11 t 11 , j 1 1U! [-'#:4' a. . Mt
~ 0mm : - I
iifil]rrm-, , 1 11 1 1 1 1t B-Jz:t~"';
1
/z ' ()nm
!G"f 1 t! i l J 1 ! I 1 ! i I I I I
!":
i I tiiJ?IIRi
------
450 Chapter 14
---------- --- --- -- --- ---------- ----- ----------------- --
9 Reposition the point light.
Because we are looking at the Right view, we are
looking normal to the X-Z plane.
Select Lock to Model so that the light moves with the flashlight.
Change the X va lue to 25 mm.
Both Y and Z values should be zero.
(
r-:
Spot Lights
Spot lights are very useful lights when trying to add realism to the rendering. They most closely
represent t he properties of the lights used by professional photographers in a studio.
Spot lights are restricted, focuse d lights with a cone shape beam that is brightest at the center. Sr:-:-
lights can be aimed at a specific area of the model. The position of the spot light can also be adjus:e:
relative to the model. Cone angle and edge properties can be adjusted t o add more realism.
Where to Find It
DisplayManager: right-click Lights, Add Spot Light
11 Menu: Lights and Cameras, Add Spot Light
Select On in PhotoView.
Select Lock to Model.
~::;sr close
Set the Position to X = 12.5 mm, Y = 0, and Z = 0. This is t he same posit ion as the point light.
Set the Target to X:::: -100. Y :::: 0 , and Z = o.
z-e cen~e- 5
a so ::e.:::. ~ Do not click OK yet.
e;: ..sm..
'
'
~
'.
- --
r.: ;::~~a~c-s
Note The X value for the target could actually be any negative number. We are just indicating that the
target is to t he left of t he light.
~~]<n>]_ OJ
z
!D::~~-~:Jj
454 Chapter 14
~------------- ---- --------- -- --- - - - -- ---- --------- --- --
The PhotoView 360 Controls section of the spot light's PropertyManager has ~ On n PhotoY-ew
Brightness
some addit ional lighting controls.
II 1 wfsrmA2
a;i n i ! ! ! l l i l j i i l l mnw
:
Brightness Soft~:
i
This contro ls the intensity of the light in Photo View 360 only. The intensity of the O.OOdeg
ljt , z' rt:n j j~ '1i u~::nw
light in OpenGL and Real View is contro lled by the Brightness contro l on t he Basic
~badows
tab. i Spot ight radius:
1 o.ooomm :
Soft edge I' q I I l! I-~
Iilii j I "1~!!W
, Shadow qu"'ty:
This controls the transition of light outside the beam. The lower t he value, the 16
sharper the edge of the light beam. L ''' -'JJ 11 If t: 1 J 1 f 1 !<t,...
LI F<>g
Spot light radius
This controls the softness of the shadows produced by the light. A smaller radius means a harder
shadow.
Shadow quality
This controls the quality of the rendering in t he shadow zone. The higher the qua lity, the less graininess
in the rendered shadow.
Fog
Fog allows the light beam to be seen more easily, just as if there were smoke in t he air.
Where to Find It
Select Fog on the PhotoView tab of the light's properties.
There are only two controls for fog:
Fog radius controls how far from the light the fog will be visible. For spot lights, Fog radius is define:
as a percentage of the distance from the light to the t arget point. For point lights it is a numerica.
distance.
Fog quality controls the smoothness, or graininess, of the image in the fog area. The larger t he valLE.
the smoother the effect.
Advanced Lighting 455
-
or_ ! ' f - . . Adjust the PhotoView Brightness to O.S w/srm" 2.
Set the Soft edge angle t o o.o deg and examine the
render preview.
The beam has a hard edge because the Soft edge
angle is set at zero.
p ....u:
~~... Sh.:::
adows
= ----
:il>ot iglt radus:
O.OOOnvn
Advanced Lighting 457
20.00deg : J
lifd ' TQ"TIIPn:DJli"f'Pl
! ,:;,_~rn;prrnuw~ J
Shadow~
I 16
Jt!UUJ:ITJTTWEW..
L --- _.J
458 Chapter 14
Scene Images
Photo View 360 and ReaiView use different images for their environments. As we saw in Chapter ;
scene images used for rendering are 360 x 180 degree panorama images. RealView uses a differem:-
of image called a cube map. Cubic environmental images are more computationally efficient, whic-
makes them better for the dynamic environment of Real View. Cube-mapped images are also usee -
most video games.
Spherical images are less efficient computationally, but have bette r quality which makes them bez-
for photorealistic rendering.
-
\'lidth
I, a
'[- 8< - .-. . ~
- o-wse
2647.91mm : 2.000 v-.'/Sfm"2
1!11 ' t ~-, rmm' 1111suai
.~; =t~e
1
Depth Scmereflectivity:
_j Keep bad<grocnd [CJ 2647.91mm
1i1! I I I frnTQTI I jj~~~~
Environment Aspect ratio: 1.00 : 1
~ C: \l'rogram fiesi,SoidWor Rotation
~ .Odeg
I Bro~ =-oJ
-
:)
~ ~1 Environm~nt Rotation ~
j Floor reflections
Odeg >:
[!.Floor shadows j
Aign floor v.ith:
12JOO:: ==-:J
I- t Soenefile
- ~
1
~ C:\l'rogram Res\S<lidWor
Floor offset:
(1] Omm ~:
I I Browse.. . ::::J
1111 J !!Jl !1 l i i11 ~
[ Offset to Geometry
(C ~=:J)
Advanced Scenes 465
~ omm
jEdit Color... J - . 1sWr'siiehh:r ._...
soft edge:
Ambient: y '""'1 Hit! I! " J;' lwuo:i 20.oodey . - -- : - J
0 '
/z ~ -l'IlJIITI......,..
lith) 1 It rn:~--.-" : f ~~~dQ _ J fiin
n I !1 1 I u Hew.gn
.1
:). ~1
/x IOOmm '
A :
~ l'tJ~;aa j
0 .. I 100 .
:). t} zodj- Jj !f. U I l ! Ji l I U i !
L_ - -
[..rJ Fog
: Fog distance:
I'l l
l >
...
1000.00%
l '1iiJT!TITDJJJJTlTJWfi'~ I
, i
: Fog quaity:
1
I 40 1
L~;q;o;.;;mmrrr:Hl~~
Background Image
Shooting the background image is st raightforward. The key elements are t o get the camera pos.: :-
correct for both lighting and scale. It can be helpful to have a rough mockup of t he model basec -::,-
full-sized car. All that you need is a couple of stakes in the ground to get the position and height S-
a test shot or two until you establish the correct camera location. Once located, shoot images bo:-
t he stakes and without the stakes. You can use t he image with the stakes to align the model to ~--=
background in SolidWorks and then just switch the background images. Because both images are 3
from the same posit ion, all that should happen when you change images is that the stakes disa;::::_
The stakes also serve as a visual clue as to the location of the sun. Once the SolidWorks model :s
positioned, the shadow in the image can be used to position a direct light that represents the SL-
1:-"7"
:5?: ~
::.~
;~::c- rc::
-,: 5[!""
::T.....G.
468 Chapter 15
Procedure
Below are the steps used to create the two images used for the product shot with downtown Sar. :::
in the background.
Photograph the site for background
images.
Clea n up any imperfections in the
photograph, fix white balance and exposure
using image editing software.
The original shot had some areas where the
grass was brown or worn. These areas were
fixed in the image editing process.
Mount mirror ball at the location the model
will be rendered in.
The mirror ball was placed based on the
first image. It was t he location where the car model was go ing to be placed at the height of t hE -
of the car.
Go back to t he positions used in step one and shoot the images again.
The purpose of this is to get the mirror ball in the image with its fixture. This is used to show::-.:
5
shadow direction. When you use the background image in Photo View 360, you can start with t-:
image that has the mirror ball to insure that the rendered shadows will fall in the correct direc -.-
Once everything is adjusted properly, you just have to change to the background without the r.
ball.
Position t he camera so that with the longest lens you have, the diameter of the ball just fills t:-:o
vertical height of the frame.
Make sure you do not clip off any of the ball. but have the ball fill as much of the image as pos~ -
Make sure that the camera is at the same height. relative to the ball. for this and the shots tak:o-
the alternate positions.
Adjust the camera:
Set the ISO value at t he lowest you can use for the lighting. The lower the ISO value, the less -::-
in the image.
Set the camera to shoot a bracketed exposure if it is capable: five shots, one step apart. Th;~
yield EVa, EV+l, EV+2, EV-1, and EV-2. You can also use three shots or more than five if you ch:):
depending on the dynamic range of the setting. If you do not need an HDRI image, you can jLs-
shoot one exposure.
Advanced Scenes 469
Use Aperture Priority so that the camera will adjust the exposure by shutter speed. This avoids
having a different depth of field in each shot.
Lock down the focus and base exposure. You want to make sure the exposure is fixed so that the
middle image of each set is shot with the same sett ings. This avoids problems when you merge the
images later.
Shoot the images.
Usually t his is just pressing the shutter release once and letting t he camera do the work. If your
camera does not support this mode, you can always shoot in manual mode and adjust the settings
after each shot.
Remember that you are shoot ing 360 x 180 degrees, so you and the camera (and maybe your camera
bag) are all in the scene. If you have an infrared release and a place to hide, you can eliminate yourself
from the image. If you cannot get out of the image, stand behind the camera and stay low. This just
reduces the area you are going to have to fix later.
Move the camera to a position about 120 degrees around t he mirror ball and shoot the next series.
Move the camera to a position another 120 degrees around t he mirror ba ll and shoot the next series.
Problems
Shooting outside in public places has its own set of problems. For instance, in the San Diego shot, the
idea l time for lighting was late afternoon. However, this is when there are a lot of tourists. As you are
shooting 360 x 180 degrees around the ball, you will wind up with a lot of people in the images that are
in different locations in each frame. As there was no way to remove the people at the time t he shot
should have been taken, the alternative was to shoot the images in t he morning. The light ing was not
ideal. but there were no people to contend with.
Finding a good-quality mirror ball can be a challenge as these ba lls are genera lly made for garden
decorations and are not optical quality. A glass gazing ball works bett er than a stainless steel ball
because it has a smoother mirror surface. The stainless steel ba lls tend to be not as shiny and minor
scratches can cause streaks, particularly from bright sun.
You need to use the highest camera resolution you can find. The
shots created in this example were made with a 10 megapixel
camera. While this might seem to be plenty of resolution, the
geometry of the problem is against us. With a 10 MP camera, the
image will be about 3800 x 2850 pixels. The problem is t hat we are
only going to use the part of t he image that is from the mirror ball
itself, which is a circle.
470 Chapter 15
The area of the circle will only be about half of the number of pixels of the rectangle. Theoretic.::
59 percent if you cou ld capture the circle so that it was tangent to the frame border, but the re= -
you are going to overshoot just a little to make sure the ball is not clipped. So, you need to mak= s....
you do not clip the circle while at the same time making sure that the circle is as big as it can bE -
frame.
Next is to convert the spherical image into a latitude/longitude (360 x 180) image. In this case, this was
done with HDR Shop, although there are other programs that will also do this transformation.
We can see that the center portion of this image came out reasonably well, but there is more distortion
near the right and left edges. The other pro blem is that we can see t he pole and fixture used to support
the mirror ball.
Once we do the same st eps to our other two views of the mirror ball, the three images can be combined
and corrections made to eliminat e a lot of the distortion and remove the photographer, mirror ball, and
shadows from the final image. The end result will look like this.
472 Chapter 15
Note that this is not a sharp-focused image, but that is not a problem as we generally do not wants-
focus for out door environments. The reason for this is that the environment is generally so far c
from the subject in outdoor photographs that it will normally lack sharp focus due to the depth o" =
In our case, there are no flat reflective surfaces on the car model, so all reflections from the envirc
are going to have some distortion. Could we make this image better? Yes, we cou ld do additiona
to blend the images together and smooth out some of the rough areas, but is it wort h it? That is
dependant on the outcome of the rendering. If we look at the finished image, the problems in the
panoramic image are not noticeable because the surfaces of the car are not flat and they are no:
complete ly reflective. At the zoom level of the final image, we can see the buildings and coastline -
reflections, yet the imperfect ions of the environmental image are not apparent, so t here is no nee:
clean up the image further.
- - _:.e;
ELt sauaJS paJueApy
Advanced Output Options
Photographers also used filters to change the color of the light entering the camera to strengther :o
color, or create specia Ieffect s such as to add blur or star effects. Special tilt-shift lenses could be t.:S?_
to correct the perspective such as when looking up at a tall build ing.
The point is that with film photography, most of the photography process was done in the steps lea:: -::
up to the shutter release. This was also true of the process of computer-based digital rendering; yoL:.::
all the work to get the image just as you wanted it before you rendered it. Rendering was like the
developing and printing process.
As photography changed to digital image capture, the process shifted from getting the correct im<=~=
on the film to one of getting the camera to record exactly what it saw and then making all the
corrections in the computer developing process.
Today's digital cameras do a variety of post-processing tasks, in many cases without the person ta"--:
the photograph even knowing what is happening. The camera sensor records what it sees, and ther
based on both the user's and manufacturer's settings in the camera, adjust ments are made before 1=-.
see the image on the screen. The manufactu rer's sett ings include the algorithms to adjust to sense-
output based on the knowledge of how the sensor records what it sees. The user adjustments inclL:.::
such things as white balance, tinting, red-eye reduction, and special effects.
Today, professional photographers shoot in a mode called camera RAW. In this process, the camera its::
makes no adjustments and records exactly what the sensor sees. These RAW images are then post-
processed to make all the corrections allowing the photographer to have the creative control.
Advanced Output Options 477
In the current version of Photo View 360. this change to more post-processing can be seen in the Final
Render window.
-
.._.=
~-
=::
r ~
=------=-
; LS::::
=e-
.::e
.?~
When final rendering is done. this is like our camera RAW image. In the final rendering window.
adjustments can be made before saving the image to its final f ile format for use elsewhere.
With digital rendering. we are working in an area between the film and digital paradigms. Our goal is to
make the rendering look correct without having to make later adjustments; however. we now have more
options if the rendering is not exactly as we would like it. or if a customer changes his mind and wants
some "minor" adjustments.
~
:r:s:;:
Post-Processing
Changes can be made to the rendered images in two places. inside Photo View 360 or in other image
editing software. In the Final Render window, there are several controls and displays to adjust the
~
rendered image. From the Final Render window. images can also be save in one or more file types to be
:00::5..
post-processed using other commercial software.
478 Chapter 16
Image Size
Maximum image size is dependant on the version of PhotoView 360 installed. With PhotoView 3~
64-bit, the maximum output size is 20,000 x 20,000 pixels. For Photo View 360 32-bit. the maximurP s.:=
is 11.580 x 11.580 pixe ls.
High Dynamic Range
It was noted earlier that our rendered images are high dynamic range, and in Chapter 9 that we cc_:
use high dynamic range (HDR) images for the environmental images. As we use HDR images in diffe~2~
places in our workflow, it is important to have a basic understanding of what high dynamic range me~
Dynamic range is the highest overall contrast that can be found in an image. This is oft en called thE
contrast ratio, which refers to the difference between the brightest and darkest color values.
Advanced Output Options 479
In photography, dynamic range refers t o the range of exposure values {EV) that can be recorded. The
exposure value is a combination of aperture size and shutter speed. Cameras are designed so that each
adjustment of shutter speed or aperture doubles or halves the amount of light on the film or sensor. The
-r::e- -
shutt er speed adjustments should be obvious. in t hat if you change a shutt er speed from 1/500th of a
-3: .5-~
second to 1/250th of a second, t he shutter is open twice as long, so you will let in twice the amount of
light. While the effect of shutter speed may have been obvious, f-stop numbers at first look confusing.
F-sto ps are just the square root of the change in opening area. If the original area is 1, then the f-stop is
f-1.0. If you halve the area {divide by two), then the f-stop is f-1.4 (the square root of 2), and so on giving
the common f-stops of 1, 1.4. 2, 2.8. 4. etc.
In the physical world, exposure values can range up to about 24 st ops, which is a contrast ratio of about
1:10,000,000,000, from the darkest black to the brightest white. Our eyes can see a range of about 14
ste ps or a contrast ratio of about 1:10,000. Film could only record about eight stops and modern digital
-r-E- ; : -
camera sensors up to t he 10 t o 12-step range. The problem is that when we photograph a scene, it will
::A:)~ -
.c
not look the same to us as we see with our eyes because of the differen ce in dynamic range .
10 !a:::::::::t- Creating HDR images in phot ography requires two things: enough data to cover the dyna mic range and
::__ :?'" a file fo rmat t hat can support the range of values throughout the dynamic range. With computer
rendering, we are not limited by the camera's sensor capability as we are in photography, so computer-
rendered images can cover a range that is essentially only limited by numeric capabilities of the
software.ln the past decade, fi le formats have been created that su pport the large data set ranges. The
-:o ::"-;.,.
key aspect of the HDR file formats is that they use floating point numbers instead of integers. With
integer formats, red, green, and blue values were stored as numbers from 0 to 255. All the combinations
of those numbers yield only 2563 or about 16.8 million choices. While this in itially appears to be a large
number, it is actually very small when compared to the full range found in the physical world.
Histograms
Histograms are found in most image editing software and
~!;-=Ce!:
are a valuable tool when analyzing and evaluating images.
:.:._?:_, C"JE' They are simply a bar graph that shows a representation
C'!i of the tonal range (brightness) of an image from pure
black {t he darkest an image can be) at the left end of the
horizontal axis to white (the brightest an image can be) at
the right end. The height of the gra ph indicates the
number of pixels at each luminescence value. It is
important to understand that by black and white we are
talking about brightness, or luminescence, and not black
and whit e images.
480 Chapter 16
Histograms work equally well with full color photos, since we're dealing with brightness values, not .'le ca
colors. In some programs, the histogram may be able to show additiona l values such as specific co:::-s :Jhoto2
or luminosity. t:O Cc;J'
a certc:
In a world scale, low dynamic range results in the horizontal axis limits being close together and a t- 5
-:-he h~
dynamic range places these axes far apart.
a!rve !
HDR Photographs
.ocre;
Our intent in t his book is to create comput er-rendered images and not to use a camera to take
are erE
photographs. However, we use photogra phs as background and environment images, so it is import=:-
mage:
to have an idea of the difference between low dynamic range (LDR) images (standard photographs) c--::
same.
high dynamic range (HDR) images.
In photography, HDR is a digital process effect used to combine a number of images of differing
expose
exposures to create a consistently exposed picture throughout the entire frame. This increases thE
a;e nO'.
luminance, the amount of light. visible within an image.
-oomc:
The camera's limitation of the amount of color and luminance it can record is governed by the sens::--
capability and the dynamic range of the camera's electronics.
To see how the process works in photography, we will examine a photograph taken in a high cont ras:
environment.
Because the camera cannot record the same
range of exposure values that our eyes are able to
~ese
see, the photograph does not look like what we
....a!ls c.
see when we are actually standing in the room. In
:JO~h c.
t his image, we have a wide range of contrast from
s'-:cc::u
the bright light outside the windows to the dark
shadow areas inside the room. Depending on how
the camera exposure is calculated, we could end
up with a photograph where the detail is lost
outside the windows because it is so bright that
everything above a certain level is just recorded
as the maximum luminance value.
Advanced Output Options 481
_, .Ve can see this on the right side of the histogram where there are pixels that are at maximum value. In
Jhotography, this is generally referred to as being "blown out:' If we decrease the exposure of the image
:::> capture the detail outside the window, the shadow areas will become too dark and everything below
c certain value will just be considered black. In photography, this is referred to as "crushing the blacks':
i!: ,:
- he histogram shows that a large percentage of the image is very dark by the large percentage of the
::urve that is in the left third of the graph.
-o create an HDR version of this image, we will need several ot her exposures of this shot. HDR images
E
are created from a minimum of three exposures, but it is not uncommon to use five, seven, or nine
.mages to better fill in the exposure range. In this example, we will only use three as t he process is the
same.
This first image is recorded at one stop under-
exposed. The bright areas outside the windows
5-
are now better exposed, but the areas inside the
room are so dark that we cannot see the detail.
se:s::;::
Gamma Correction
Gamma is an input to output relationship that adjusts the mid tones
of the image. The input is the image as it was rendered by PhotoView Q)
c:
360 and stored in memory. This is essentially the camera RAW image. ~
.....
The gamma correction maps the tonal values of the input to the ::::J
"!;:>
.8-
output through a smooth curve. With a gamma of 1.0, there is a 1 to 1 ::::J ~,:
0
"'0 <><;::'
linear relationship between input and output, so there is no change. Q)
.....
lJ)
With gamma values greater than 1.0, the mid t ones of the image are ::::J
'0
<(
brightened, and with gamma values less than 1.0, mid to nes are
darke ned. When the values of gamma are changed, all pixels are not
affecte d equally because this is not a linear adjustment. Input Tone
The global value fo r gamma is set in the PhotoView 360 option. This wil l be the ~derQuantv
initial va lue used in the Final Render window, but this value can be overridden on Pre'<iewrender~tv
I !Good
an image-by-image basis. 1Fml render ~ty:
J [aest
:--;CUstom render settr9
Advanced Output Options 485
Image Processing
Once an image is rendered. there are adjustment s that
can be made in the Fina l Render window using the t ools
on the Image Processing tab. The tab is divided into a
Basic Image Processing t ab and an Advanced Image
Processing tab.
~
Procedure
1 Open the part.
Open the assembly Vectorscope found in the Chapter 16\Case Study\ Vectorscope folder.-
component s and assembly already have the scene, lighting, and appearances attached.
The assembly consists of six spheres arranged in a circle. Each sphere has an appearance that is e;-
one of the primary or secondary colors.
Waveform
The waveform display shows the color and luminosity intensity as
a series of vertica l slices of our rendered image. The left edge of
t he display is the left edge of our image and the right edge of the
display is the right edge of our image.
This display can be helpful in determining where t he image is
blown out and has lost the detail in the highlight areas and also
the reverse where areas are so da rk that you have lost detail.
Vect orscope
The vectorscope shows distribut ion of colors in a circle with the
saturation increasing from the center outward similar to an HSV
color wheel.
-
"""'= ::;-
~::.": - The vectorscope ca n be used to shift the color balance of the
image.
"= :~
::5 G CS
- -.-r- --
1 ~.5)- '--'=
'-.,. :::~a!:=
r::: :32:
488 Chapter 16
Examine the display. There are six spokes caused by t he six colors
used for t he six spheres. Saturation is zero at t he center and maximum
at the ends of each spoke.
5 Close.
Close t he assembly.
6 Open an assembly.
Open t he assembly Wav eform from the
Ch apter 16\ Case Study\ Waveform folder.
'--'
'i' - - -
These are all vertical areas because each ball goes
'
from zero saturation at the specular highlight to
about 50 percent saturated in other areas.
- ~
feo'l.o.!ll. _ __ - >I
[.w,i~'ll; . 1:1]
492 Chapter 16
Input Levels
There are several input levels that can be set using the above monitors.
Change the scene background illumination to 1.0 w/srm2.
The Input Black Level and Input White Level can be controlled bot h numerically and by sliders on th:
graphs. On a histogram, the background will look like a horizonta l line because there are an equal nu m~
of pixels at each tone level from black to white. By adjust ing the input levels, we are saying that the n!?
value for black or white is something else and everything beyond the new level is either pure black c-
pure white.
Advanced Output Options 493
:::.1r'
0 .1 .2 .9 .9
Black Level White Level Black/White Level
"E'&
X In the image we can see the results of these adjustments. Here. the black level is raised to
0.1 W/srm 2, which darkens the image. The histogram shows more pixels at the left end.
494 Chapter 16
With the black level restored to 0.0 W/srm2 and the white level reduced to 0.7 W/srm2 we can see t - =--
the white area is now larger and more pixels are on the right end of the histogram.
Advanced Output Options 495
File Types
Rendered images can be saved to the following file types:
Flexible Precision Image Format [*flx] Targa [* tga)
Windows Bitmap [*.bmp] Radia nce High Dynamic Range[*.hdr)
JPEG 2000 [*.jp2] JPEG 2000 16-Bit [*.jp2]
JPEG 2000 16-Bit Lossless [*jp2] J PEG [* .jpg]
Portable Network Graphics PNG [*.png) Po rtable Network Graphics PNG 16-Bit [* png
SGI RGB [*.SGI) Tagged Image Format File [TIFF) [*tit]
16-Bit TIF [*tit) 16-Bit Uncompressed TIF [*tif)
Open EXR Ha lf 16-Bit [*ex r) Open EXR Half 32-Bit [*exr]
Open EXR Tiled Half 16-Bit [* exr] Open EXR Tiled Float 32-Bit [*exr]
There are three basic characteristics that should be considered in choosing a file type:
Quality
The quality of the image is a function of the relative size of the pixels in relationship to the image s.::=
and the bit depth. The quality needed in the final image is usually determi ned by its use. If it is to::>:
printed at 300 ppi, then the image must have enough pixels to cover the printed size at that
resolution. If the image is going to be used on a web page where the monitor will only show 96 p=
then the image can be smaller.
Bit depth includes several areas. The number of different colors that can be recorded are dependc--
on the number of bits used to define the color, usually as the amount of red, green, and blue. The
format may also dedicate a certain number of bits to luminescence and/or an alpha mask.
File Size
File size has a direct relationship with quality. In digital photography, most professional
photographers use a format called camera RAW where the file is exactly what the sensor recorde=
without any bias or correction. When shooting in any other format, such as jpg. cameras will appl:
correct ions to the sensor image based on the manufacturer's understanding of the sensor.
Advanced Output Options 497
Most of the common image formats include some form of compression to reduce file size to reduce
storage requirements and to increase portability. Compression, however, can reduce the image qua lity
by discarding some of the image information. With compression, we need to consider if the
compression is lossless or lossy.
Channels/Layers
Channels and layers are important when the image will be post-processed. By having layers and
channels, images can be manipulated in a nondestructive process so t hat the original image is always
availab le. Individual edits can be reversed or comb inations of edits can be combined differently.
You should choose the file type based on the capabilities of your post-production software and the
desired end result. For example, if you want to use a high-end image editing program such as Adobe
Photos hop to create composite images, you should choose a file format that has alpha channel support
for t ransparency. When Photo View 360 images are rendered to the proper file format, alpha channel
information is captured and stored in the file.
File Type Variants
Within each of the file types, there may be several variations. A TIFF file for instance may or may not
have an alpha channel. Usually, TIFF files with an alpha channel are designated as RGBA (Red, Green,
Blue, Alpha}. Different variations of the same format may have different bit depths, but still have the
same file extension, such as TIFF. The amount of compression in an image may not be evident as formats
such as JPG can have the amount of compression specified when saving the file, but t he file extension
is still just JPG.
-~= ~
- es - -- File Compression
:r-
While some file formats do not compress the data, most formats have some form of compression to
~ reduce file size. In some file types, the amount of file compression is adjustable, but compressing too
much can significantly decrease the quality of the image. When talking about compression, compression
ESE':r0?C'
schemes can be lossless or lossy.
.E ;:-;;....
Lossless
Loss less compression does not degrade image quality as a trade-off for compression. When
uncompressed, all the data that was available at the time of compression is still available in the
uncompressed file.
Lossy
When the image is compressed, some data is permanently lost, which degrades t he uncompressed
file. This compression however results in a smaller file size.
498 Chapter 16
The following table is a comparison of some of the file types available to save our rendered outpl..!:..
QJ
"0
E QJ QJ
ro VI
z VI VI 2
c..ro
...... QJ
.... VI
ro c.. ~ >- QJ..C
ro
QJ E
.... E VI VI au ..c
~
c..
0
u. u
0
VI
0
....J
VI
0
....J
:~
CCC..
w c..
<(
Note
Compressed
The image data is compressed through an algorithm fo r the purpose of reducing file size and makir_s
the file more "portab le~' Optional means that compression can be specified at time of save.
Bit Depth
The number of data bits the format uses. The higher the number, the more precision.
Alpha Channel
The file carries an extra eight bits of information for the background layer which is separated fro rP
the foreground image.
Layers
The file format can save layers that can be used in advanced bitmap editors such as Photoshop.
Advanced Output Options 499
~c.;:;.:.~
Choosing a File Format
The format you choose should be a matter of what the file will be used for. There are also cases where
more t han one file t ype will provide you with the attributes you need, so in some cases it may come down
to personal preference. Some additional information on the available file types:
~
>. JPEG
< This is one of the most universal format s and has one of the best compression algorithms per file
size. This is a popular format when you need your image to be portable and you are sensitive to file
size, such as when sending as an attachment or embedded in emails.
BMP
X
This is a popular format within the Microsoft operating system. It is a good choice when you want to
ret ain image quality.
TIFF
TIFF is a popular format for phot ography because it is loss less. It is frequently chosen when image
quality is of absolute importance. When post-processing is expected, it has the benefit of saving both
layers and an alpha channel.
X PNG
PNG is a popular format in cases where you want image quality (lossless) with t he smallest possible
file size. It is one of the few formats that is lossless and 8-Bit that automatically supports an alpha
X
channel. This is a good format to use when rendering or animating where you want the background to
be transparent in your post-process compositing.
PNG 16-Bit
This format gives you the benefits of PNG but with t he addition of luminance information. This gives
you great er control over exposure.
;:rr - -
'? TGA
This fo rmat was originally developed in 1984 for video games. It has good compression for higher bit
formats but is being used less as people move toward JPEG and PNG.
TGA 2.0
This is a later development of TGA format that includes an alpha channel.
2~~~ : :..-_! '
HDR
HDR is a variation on the TIFF format with t he addition of a luminance channel. It is very useful when
you want to alter exposure of an image after it is rendered and also as an environmenta l image used
1377'::= in Photo View to light the 3D scene.
SOD Chapter 16
EXR
This is a high dynamic range format, similar to HD R, developed by George Lucas-Indust rial Light~
Magic computer division. Arguably. it has better compression than HDR and is also open sources.::
additional"flavors" of it are still being added.
PSD
PSD is the Adobe Photoshop format. If you have Photoshop installed on the same system as
SolidWorks. and want a high quality image. luminance (exposure cont rol). and layers. PSD is a pop_ ~
choice. SolidWorks uses the Photoshop format to import decals into SolidWorks. This format aile- ~
the layers established in Photoshop to carry artwork layers and mask. in a single Photoshop file, i~
SolidWorks.
FLX
This is a variation on the FLIC format used for animation frames and supported by Autodesk
3DStudio Max and Ulead. This format cannot be opened in Photoshop CSS or CS6.
Methods to Increase Rendering Quality
The quality of the image file can vary depending on the options chosen in bot h SolidWorks and
Photo View 360. Generally speaking. the higher the quality the longer the rendering. Some choices t::
improve image quality are:
Increase SolidWorks image quality
PhotoView 360 uses the tessellated data of the shaded SolidWorks models when importing those
models fo r rendering. Increasing shaded image quality reduces jagged edges on curved surfaces.
Increase PhotoView 360 render quality
Use the Good setting for speed. but Best or Maximum to improve the rendered quality.
Increase the number of pixels rendered
Render more pixels to provide more quality deta il.
Increase shadow quality
Increasing shadow quality improves the edges of shadows.
Enable direct caustics
Caustics add realism by adding the highlights caused by direct lights refracting through t ransparent
appearances.
Advanced Output Options SOl
Color Management
.-- :_~ In Chapter 2 we made a very basic adjustment t o our computer monitor to make sure that it was showing
:;--= a reasonable representation of the actual colors of our models. While this was acceptable for basic
work, professional photographers use more advanced methods to make sure that the colors they are
seeing on the screen, and later the color which is printed, match their work. Using the correct profiles
for your work with SolidWorks is just as important to insure that what you see on your screen is what
25
you get when used in its final form .
Proper color management requires calibration of bot h the computer monitor and printer through color
profiles.
Monitor Correction
There are many monitor calibration systems available on the market. The method used by many of these
C2Sl is to place a sensor on the surface of t he monitor and then have the software send color signals to the
monitor. The sensor records what it sees and the software then determines the difference between
what is seen and the correct color. From this, it generates an offset curve which is saved as a profile for
the specific monitor. This profile is then used to correct the signals sent to the monitor so that you will
~ see the same color as the software is creating.
8:;: ::~--
Printer Correction
Printers also have profiles that are used to mat ch the characteristics of the printer to the ink and paper
used to print your image. Most printer manufacturers install profiles with the printer software. These
--::-:;;,:
profiles cover most of the commonly available papers available on the market. To use the correct profile,
.-::c:?S all that is required for most printers is t o select the correct paper in the print dialog box. If you are using
a paper that is not listed, check the paper manufacturer's website for ava ilable profiles.
Set Affinity
When rendering an image, SolidWorks will use all the available CPU processing power. As shown in the
image, when the final render starts, all t he cores go t o 100 percent.
f
AppliCIItiMSJProc.esses Services ] Pformancel NetworkiifUsers ]
If you choose to continue to work on other tasks while a render is in progress, you can, but whatever ; :;_
are doing will take processing t ime away from the render. Each time you t ry to do another task, it m..s-
wait until it can get time from a CPU core, which will make the process very slow. To keep a core or co~
available for ot her tasks, they can be taken away from the rendering process in the Windows Task
Manager.
To change the number of cores
available to Photo View 360 for File Option View Help
rendering. start a final render and r~tions JPro=ses [ I
5enf>::es Performance JNetworloug Users I J
then open the Windows Task - .- - - - - -----
!m~ Nome ~lemory (. Desoiption
Manager by pressing I User Name
Pen _ToudllJs... jboland
CPU
00 4,784 K Toud1 User Mode~
Clear t he selection of the cores that you do not want to be used by Proar.-.or Affinoty
Photo View 360. In the image, CPUs 6 and 7 have been cleared.
These cores will now be available for the other tasks.
OK II Conczl
Advanced Output Options 503
~ II'!""- The final rendering process now only uses the first six cores, which are shown running at 100 percent
and the last two cores are running ot her tasks at some pa rtially loaded value.
3 =:x25
3lt. :sr Windows Task Manager
Fil Options View Help
!I\IJilliGioonsTProresses 1 ~n Pet~
~-abiti Usets ] _ _ _ _ __
~ ~~ ~~~ ~
Scheduled Renderings
Some renderings. particularly those done at maximum quality with a large number of pixels. can take a
significant amount of time. While the rendering process can proceed while you continue to work in
SolidWorks. both the rendering process and SolidWorks will be slowed due to the limits of the computer.
As rendering will try to use all CPU cores at 100 percent. all other tasks take away from that tota l
capacity.
The alternative is to schedule the rendering process to run at times when the computer is otherwise idle
L..__jl
such as at meal breaks or overnight Renderings are scheduled in SolidWorks and then managed by the
SolidWorks Task Scheduler.
Scheduling Renderings
Scheduling a file to render is done within SolidWorks. Several renderings can be set up fo r each file so
you can create renderings at different file sizes and formats. Once the renderings are scheduled, you
must open the Task Scheduler to have the scheduled renderings proceed. Within the Task Scheduler. you
can review and manage the render schedule.
Where to Find It
Click Schedule Render ~ on the Render Tools toolbar.
Click PhotoView 360, Schedule Render on the menu.
Procedure
1 Open the file.
Open the assembly Toy Fire Engine found in the Chapter 16\ Case Study\ Toy Fire Engine
folder.
504 Chapter 16
This is the same assembly we have used previously and is already set up to render. 5 (
Click
2 Position the model.
For the first image, we want an image of the model in the position we have established by t he camera This i
named Render. Optic
a set
Press t he spacebar and double-click the camera named Render.
Phot
3 Set the PhotoView 360 Options.
We cc
Set the options as follows:
OK.
Output image size: 800 x 600 (4:3)
Click
Image format: Windows BMP
Final render quality: Good
Click OK.
We can see that t he size. quality, and file format are correct. so click
li1e l!>dcness:
OK.
lt1e Color:
Click Finish. This sends the task to t he Task Scheduler. OUtput Selttlgs
AspectRatioW : H ~ L33 : l
~ Lcance__; L._ ~
6 Second image.
Reorient t he assembly to the Trirnetric view and zoom in so t hat the assembly almost fills the screen
from top to bottom.
~= s::- --
506 Chapter 16
----- -- - -------- ----- ---------- -- --------- ------------
8 Schedule the render. Render Setti ngs 9
Click Schedule Render from the Render Tools tool bar.
Document Properties
c-::
Render Quality: Good
Name the file Toy Fire Engine_640X360_Good.tif.
Bloom: Off
The path for Save File To should show the directory Rendered Bloom Setpoint 100
Images in the Chapter 9 folder. lf not, click Browse and set the Bloom ExtEnt:
Select Start after Previous Task. This task will run after the render Line Thd<ness:
Click Settings. Examine the settings and note that they are both OUtput Settings
I[ OK II caned ]~
Advanced Output Options 507
The rendering tasks will be listed in the order in which we entered them.
ltf
(\?' Conl!M
~
. File ----~U!ijE!I.l!1JC;ai
L=:;::====J~~
I
Show Tasks lj @t
Today X '
T Refresh ~ ~ Print
.D~<.ecffj!e;;
- I I1: I I I I I Progress
ITI
T itle Dale lime Status CQmputer
!!) !!.pdate File~ . Tos firl;.fngin~ 800Xfi00 l]nnrl.J>f"P. 12/3{:1-010 11:45:00 AM Scheduled
Iii"'; ., . 2 Joy fire !;J>..9l!>e 640X}_!!(l.1if 121312-010 11:46:00 AM Scheduled
~ Update ~octal'ed Ftle
~
~ J?.nnt:fil~ c::: Cl! ====I
r;jfijj !mpoJt Fi~s - - -
~ Cr.,.,te !;lrnwih'g<
!j Convert to Hi!j/l ~m.iilfty ~~~
~0 BunCu>tomTak
{@ Crepte eO~ns
!JJ,Update Simulati?n
~ Design Gijg~ker
1
I Iii! Re nder an~ l<ni'!>~l\fo
~ Convert Workgm~p, ~f.il~
Important! Leave t he Task Scheduler open. If it is not open, the task wi ll not run.
508 Chapter 16
12 Open.
Open the assembly Red_Toy Car from the Red Toy Car folder.
14 Close SolidWorks.
We could leave SolidWorks open but we will close it to show that the Task Scheduler will start
SolidWorks and open the files as necessary based on the scheduled tasks.
Advanced Output Options 509
a-v:
510 Chapter 16
17 Check files.
Once t he rendering is complete, check the Rendered Images folder. All four images should be-=~
in the correct size and f ile type.
~ 1'--'"
t
. ......... .... 1
A l
Product Visualization ' Chapt er 9 ' Renderedlm agos J ~t II Sta"b Rtndutd lrr.ages
Filt' Edit View lao!> Hel p
Network Rendering In
To reduce render times. the rendering process can be distribut ed to multiple computers using the Tc
Photo View 360 Network Rendering client. The Network Rendering client is on ly available to SolidWorks Re
Subscription Service customers. To be able to use additional comput ers for the rendering process. t he
SolidWorks Network Rendering Client must first be installed on the client machines. It is not. however.
necessary to install SolidWorks on the client machines.
When using network rendering. the computers involved are designated as the coordinator comput er or
client computers.
Coordinator Computer
The coordinator computer is the computer on which you are doing the rendering. You must have
SolidWorks loaded and running on this computer.
Client Computer
Client comput ers are computers on which the Network Rendering Client is installed and are in the Client
Mode. SolidWorks itself does not need to be installed on client computers.
Summary
ll 0 SohdWorks
Download Ill SolidWorks eDrawings
- .;> c 1 Jnst2111
ll [t'] SolidWorks Explorer/Workgroup PD1>1
- ~ Ill SolidWorks flow S1mulabon
Finish
0 COSMOSM
./ PhotoV1ew 360 Network Render Client
:{j SohdWorks Plast1cs
---:: '-,-
.._ :::"
.JC API Tools
Ill Sol:dWorks S1mulab on
,. .... ' .. .
(' ~, ~
as- ,_
Estim ated addi tional s pace requi red : 0 KB
.a::y Does not mdude the: SIZe of any downiOlJids.
z-::.r
~-~
-~=~
Render Settings in the Coordinator Computer ~ tktwork-~~
Clil!nt woridoad:
Al
- '""'~.
.:cs To use the available render clients. select Network Rendering in t he PhotoView
I 1oo%
E :~ ;:::::-
:>-o:W2
514 Chapter 16
Once the client is in t he Client Mode, it will show a dialog to Render Chent
confirm it is in fact in the Client Mode.
Advanced Output Options 515
IIi
516 Chapter 16
The irradiance cache portion of your rendering is 30 percent or more of the total render time.
The irradiance is all calculated on the coordinator computer, so the only part of the process tha: ~
network rendering clients can affect are the bucket renders.
:2
performance.
There are many factors that will influence the time it takes to render an image. These can be categori=E=
into the broad categories of mode l setup, options. and hardware. Below is a list of factors that affe:::
performance while using PhotoView 360.
Model Setup
There are many things we do when preparing the model fo r rendering. In some cases, we have little
choice as to t he appearance we need to achieve the desired results. However, each choice has a
consequence on rendering performance, so when setting up a model for a rendering that will take a
significant amount of time, we need to be aware of the possibilities.
Appearances
Surface Finish
Some appearances take longer to render than others. Brushed and Satin Finish metals can take a I~
time to render. The rougher the surface, the longer the rendering time. As an example, going frorr ::
shiny steel to a burnished steel can more than double the rendering time.
Transparent glass appearances can also render very slowly due to t he reflections and refractions f-.=
must be calculated.
Reflections and Refractions
The more reflections and refractions, t he longer the rendering time. Use only the number of
reflections and refractions you need to make the rendering look correct and no more.
Views
Though it is highly recommended that a camera be used for all renderings, turning on Depth of FiE=
can slow down the rendering speed.
Level of Detail
Reduce the level of detail in the model. If t here are perforated sheet meta l part s or tread plate c-
anything that is a st andard repeated pattern, these should be replicated, if possible, using
appearances and/or decals as opposed to being modeled as featu res. Just as a large pattern of
features can take a long time to rebuild, a large pat tern of feat ures can also take a significa nt amm.;
of system resources and processing time to render.
Patterns
Instead of patterning repeating featu res, consider using a decal or surface finish to mimic the look c=
repeated patterns. This might also be useful while modeling.
Tips and Techniques 519
Some appearances have surface finishes that cut holes in the faces onto which t he appearance is
applied. Consider using one of the perforated appearances to replicate repeated holes on the face. If
the appearance has to be metal then you can change the illumination to match the illumination of a
metal appearance.
s=-
a::-i!C" Use an appearance surface finish to visually represent surface patterns like dimples, tread plate, or
knurling. While displacement mapping takes longer t o render and consumes more memory than bump
mapp ing. it takes less time than actually creating the features on the model. In the following images,
the displacement map on the right took more than twice as long to render than the bump map on the
left with all other fa ctors being equal.
tc.:
_
. .. _...
~-
E ::Jr
Render Preview
When you render using the Photo View 360 preview window or the integrated preview, the size of the
window greatly affects preview render performance.
Decreasing the size of the preview window will improve performance as a smaller image renders more
quickly.
The performance of the integrated preview, which renders in the SolidWorks Graphics window, can be
improved by decreasing the size of the SolidWorks Graphics window. Some methods to do this are to
split the graphics window, shrink t he entire SolidWorks window, or shrink just the graphics window.
520 Chapter 17
Memory Usage u
Overhead TJ
Windows and SolidWorks take a significant amount of RAM before any other programs are opened. e1
User Memory
Free up memory by closing all other programs when you are rendering.
rE
Though you can continue working with any model in SolidWorks when the fina l rendering is t aking
rE
place, it is important to note that this consumes system resources which can slow down the final
rendering. D
u
Rendering Lightweight
sr
Models can be rendered in lightweight mode which reduces the amount of RAM used by the model
cr
itself. lf you need t o make any changes to the appearances applied to the model, you must resolve
the affected models first. But before you render, the model can be returned to lightweight to save
memory.
cc
PhotoView 360 Settings or
Photo View 360 settings can significantly affect performance. Note that with each of these items you
rE
make a tradeoff between the desired rendering/rendering quality and the rendering performance.
rE
Output Image Settings VE
When the output image is created, it is stored in an uncompressed format before it is converted to
u.
the desired output format. This can take a lot of memory, so the general ru le is, the smaller the
Yc
re ndering t he less time and memory it will take.
Har
There is a 11.580 x 11.580 pixel limit for 32-bit SolidWorks and a 20,000 x 20,000 pixel limit fo r 64-bit
For r
SolidWorks. This is true no matter what kind of hardware is available.
how!
lf you need to render images larger t han the limit, divide the rendering into smaller parts then merge t hen
them together in an image editor. proc
Render Quality Gr
The table found in Render and Preview Quality on page 75 shows what items are controlled with the Tr
Good, Better, Best, and Maximum final render settings. Rendering times tend to go up Pr
proportionately to the number of indirect rays, so rendering at Better t akes about fo ur times longer
Tr
than rendering at Good. Best takes about twice as long as Better, and Maximum will be around 16
re
times longer than Good. Remember that this is not exact as other factors affect the rendering time,
st
but it should give you a rough idea of what the changes cost in time.
Fe
Tips and Techniques 521
Using a final render quality setting beyond what is needed will needlessly slow down the rendering.
Typically, there is little difference between Best and Maximum. The Maximum setting is most
effective when rendering occluded spaces or interior scenes.
Increasing the number of reflections and refractions beyond what is required will slow the rendering
down. If a refractive model is a prominent part of the rendering, then you will need to turn up t he
reflections and refractions to make light properly travel through the model. Using too many
reflections or refractions will cause the rendering to needlessly take a long time.
Direct Caustics
Using Direct Caustics can have an impact on rendering speed. Caustic amount and Caustic quality
should be set to the lowest values that give you an acceptable result for the image size you are
creating.
Hardware
For many users, the hardware you have is what you are going to have to work with. There are times,
however, when you get to purchase new hardware or give an input into a prospective purchase. It is
therefore beneficial to understand the importance of different hardware elements on the rendering
process.
Graphics Cards
The kind of graphics card that you have does not directly affect rendering performance because
Photo View 360 uses software rendering.
Though we do not rely on the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) on your graphics card to process
renderings, having a supported graphics card with the correct driver is very important for the overall
stability of SolidWorks.
For Real View the power of the graphics card is important, but, again, not for the rendering.
522 Chapter 17
RAM
If you are creating a larger rendering. or rendering a large model that consumes a significant amo:..:-
of system memory. your rendering will be very slow if the computer has to use system cache as c~
space t o process t he rendering (i.e.. you start to run low on system memory). The best thing you cc.-
do t o improve performance while rendering large images or working with large models is to get me::
RAM. In this respect users benefit greatly from having a 64-Bit machine because they can have mo-=
RAM available.
On a 32-Bit machine. using the 3 GB switch may provide some performance benefit by allowing 'TO-
t o access up to 3 GB of RAM. There are some tradeoffs with system reliability when using t he 3 c:::
switch which can cause your system to crash. It is also important to note that the 3GB switch is n::::
supported by either Microsoft or SolidWorks. so it is a "use at your own risk" solution.
CPU
PhotoView 360 takes full advantage of multiple processors on your machine. Multicore machines s:::
dramat ic improvements with rendering performance compared to users with fewer cores.
Faster processors also directly improve rendering speed. All other things being equal, the faster tr:
CPU speed. the faster the rendering.
Photo View 360 Gallery
~--
JE 3 -:!sr
g ~3""
?- ....... _:. . . ,:
2' "? ~.:-::
::S'L<:> .:.-.e
524 Chapter 18
526 Chapter 18
528 Chapter 18
sawat.ps JO]OJ
sat.p:p?MS JO]OJ
sa!+JadoJd JeJ!+do
swa:j_SAS JO]OJ
-A'BO]OU!WJa:j_ JO]OJ
:uo
uoqewJO:J-U! Jeuoq]ppe sap]AOJd X]puadde SJLjl
530 Appendix A
- -~ Limita1
;oo 500 '6oo 100 aoo
Wavelength The din
limitati
Visible Light The twc
Within the spectrum of visible light. there are billions of colors. In the early 20th century a color system that cat
was developed by the Commission lnternationale d'Eclairage (CIE, International Commission on (as that
Illumination) which depicts our percept ual color identification based on additive mixing of light. This renderir
syst em is shown as the CI E 1931 color space chromaticity diagram. produce
frequer
CIE 1931 Chromaticity Diagram 0.9 renderi
The outer curved boundary is the spectral (or
monochromatic) locus, with wavelengths shown 0.8
in nanometers. Note that the colors depicted
depend on the color space of the device on 07
which you are viewing the image, in this case a
0.6
printed page, and no device has a gamut large
500
enough to present an accurat e representation
0.5
of the chromaticity at every position. So, what y
you see on the page is not actually the entire 0.4 '
!
range of visible color.
I
7t;l)
0.2 .
0. 1
I
0.0 '
0.0 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8
X
Color 531
Limitations of Media
The different methods of displaying color have
0.9
limitations as to which colors they can produce. I
520 Visible light
The two areas of interest to us are the colors 0.8
G:or syste- that can be produced by our computer monitor
.- ~;'1 (as that is where we are generally creating our 0.7
g :-t. This renderings), and t he colors that can be
0.6
produced by the printing process (as that is
frequently our final output product from our
0.5
renderings). y
0.-l
7t
0.2
0. 1!
I
0.0 '
0.0 0. 1 02 0.3 0.4 05 0.6 0.7 0.8
~t~ll
X
~ 70()
07 0.8
532 Appendix A
Primary Colors
Compl
Primary colors are co lors that cannot be created by mixing other colors. They are
Compl
like the prime numbers of color. Depending on the color system used, the primary
oppos
colors are different.
equal1
In light addition: red, green. and blue eit her
In painting: red, yellow, and blue
In printing: cyan. magenta, and yellow
Secondary Colors
Secondary colors are created by mixing two primary colors.
Anal a~
Ana log
Color 533
Tertiary Colors
:s:vwee- ~m.: Tertiary colors are created by mixing a primary
and a secondary color.
Tertiary
Complementary Colors
Complementary colors are colors located on t he
I I /
opposite side of the color wheel. When mixed in
equal proportions, complementary colors produce
either white or black.
0 ~ \
Analogous Colors
Analogous colors are located close together on a color wheel.
~
534 Appendix A
Color Terms A
To bett er understand color we need to understand the basic vocabu lary: T
rr
Hue: The name of a color, such as red. blue. or green.
b
Gamut: The range of color a device can produce, or the range of color a color model can represent.
Saturation/Chroma: The degree of purity of a hue; t he intensity, st rength. or saturation of color. s
distinguishing the chromatic colors from black and white. Adding black causes the color to become T
dark, or shade. Adding white will wash out the color or give it tint. d
VI
lc
al
T
p
Saturation
51
soo;. I
w
rr
Intensity: The brightness or dutlness of a hue. One may lower the intensity by adding white or black. A
Luminance/Value: A measure of the amount of light reflected from a hue. Those hues wit h a high 1/1
content of white have a higher luminance or value. ac
ar
a1
soJ soo;. J 10o% 1 fi
~.
te
The variation of a hue can be referred to by shade. tint. or
tone.
c
Shade: A hue produced by the addition of black T
Tint: A hue produced by the addition of white is
Tone: A color of a middle value is frequently referred to as ((
Color Models
There are several different color models that can be used to create t he various colors. Our primary focus
is using additive colors because most of the time we use Photo View 360, we are rendering on a
computer monitor which uses the additive color method.
Color Depth
Color depth refers to the number of bit s used to define each of t he primary colors. For instance. if we
had just one bit to specify each color. each bit could be just zero or one. so that each of the three primary
colors could be on (one) or off (zero). The total number of co lors would then be eight, 23. With eight bits
per color, each color could have 256 different intensit ies.
Over time, as both computers and monitors have progressed, the ability t o address. st ore, and create
the information needed to expand the number of colors has increased. The first monitors were only
black and white. early color computers supported just 256 colors. Today. computers, video cards. and
monitors can support millions of colors.
Through the years. the number of bits used to define a color has increased. Some of the different color
depths used through the years include:
1-bit color (i = 2 colors) basic monochrome or black and white
2-bit color (2 2 = 4 colors) CGA, grayscale
3-bit color (23 = 8 colors} many early home computers with TV-out displays
4-bit color (24 = 16 colors) used in the EGA standard and by the least common denominator VGA
standard
5-bit color (25 = 32 colors)
6-bit color (2 6 = 64 colors)
8-bit color (28 = 256 colors) VGA at low resolut ion, Super VGA
8-bit grayscale allows for 256 shades of gray
12-bit color (i 2 = 4096 colors}
16-bit color (i 6 = 65,536 colors)
24-bit color (224 = 16.777 million colors}
Today, it is common to use 24-bit color. Eight bits describe each of the three . .
16 Levels. g il'JSCa!e
primary colors. Sometimes. 24-bit color is described as 8-bit color because 256 Levels. grayscale
8-b~. 256 colors
eight bits are used to describe each of the primary colors. Because an 8-bit 16brt. 65 thousand color:
24-bot. 16 Mikln Colors
32-bll. 4 bilion colors
number can be 0 to 255. the total number of colors is 2563. or about 16.8
million.
32-bit color. This standard actually produces the same number of different colors as 24-bit color.
However. the additional 8 bits are used to represent alpha channel information.
Color 537
~== =
""::-E =--c-.
-- E~g-: ~: ~, If we start w it h a single ball, at the origin with no lights it
will look black.
c:-c. :.:.::::: We then add balls along each of the three axes. Along the
e-: =
,- X-axis, the value for Red is increased until t he maximum
cc:: ;:;r,- ~ value of 255 is reach ed while the va lues fo r both blue and
0 Red
~~55
green remain at zero.
~--."':":;
~
...
- .. --- ~ Along the Y -axis, green increases while red and blue
remain at zero. Along the Z-axis, blue increases while red
and green remain at zero.
-
IIOiiR
-=~
- ==-~
538 Appendix A
In t
rep
valt
tim
mar
rep
255 one
The RGB White Corner WOI
.
.. _...
Sl..# \ ,...... ..
'\ \
~~ ,
1""4 \ '\ , . ...... .,. , _
" '\ '\
~~ -" I
I); \
f ,fl-1,1/c
'\ , , . . . .... '\
' ' .' ' . , . , '> '\ '\ ~'\
' '\ e \
"it>'~;/ . ' '
f~
( 4 ', ,',
. '
'\ '\ '\. '\. '\. ' ' '\
,.... , . , , ,. , ,
' ,' ,' ,
....
, 4.,
'~ .
' . . '\ \ '\ , ..... , . '
'\ ....
..
~
time and make t he example
manageable. If each ball
GrePn=l4:~
..,_
represented an increase of just
-:J::: one number along each axis, there
Green=l13
would be 256 balls along each axis
and a total of 16.777.216 balls.
(jreen=85
Green=t>l
Green~28
C,reen '0
-
540 Appendix A
Saturation
The vibrancy of the color Q HSV 0HSV
Ranges from o to 100% or 0 to 240
The lower the saturation of a color, t he more grayness i s present and the more faded t he color will
appear.
Value
Rc
The brightness of the color
Ranges from o to 100% or 0 t o 240
The higher the value of a color, the more whiteness is present and t he more washed out t he color will
appear.
Color 541
I Floe 250
I 0H9.
-: color will
l __ __ __
I
_] Osrent
Create
first CE
MAXI
What we see is the range of colors represented by o to
360. Saturation is zero in the middle (white) and Weca1
increases t o maximum at t he outer edge. follow
!?////////// ..
i J
r-
, 2
240 3ooo !3 A-~
l 4 B-1(
; 5 A-2C
While we are representing this as a flat image, there is
i6 B-2(
depth, which is the value or luminescence. As value is i 7 A-3(
1
$COLOR = (Red x 16) +(Green x 162 ) +(Blue x 164)
ll ~
~ fl ~ <:!
2 ~ 3 ;:: ~
;.:
If we want to be able to enter a color as values of red. green, and 3 A100 100 150 1 255
4 B-100 100 250 1 12632256
blue, we can use basic Excel functionality to compute the 32-bit 5 A-200 200 150 2 49152
integer. 6
,
B-200 200 250 2 12632256
To enter values f or red, green, and blue and have Excel fill in t he ~~~ ., sheen ~ " .J 1J7l ~d1!
correct 32-bit number is a simple matter of creating input cells and us ing an equation in t he cells of t he
$COLOR column.
Create three parameters in cells B2, C2, and D2 by typing $USER_NOTES. ln cell E2 t ype $COLOR. ln t he
f irst cell under $COLOR, type the equation =MA.X(MINCB3,2 55) ,0) +
MA.X( MIN( C3 ,255),0)* 16* 16 +MA.X(MIN( D3 ,255),0)*16* 16 * 16 *16.
We can now enter the values for red in column B, green in column C. and blue in column D to give t he
following result s:
0"/300:
I,,. .,,. ,.,., """ "'"'"
A _B
_~ C _ D
~.,.
_ E___ F G H I
-82
_ J__ ~
.
l;t'///// //////////////////////////////////////// /////////////////,.. ,///// /////1'/// /l'///////////////////////////////// ///////////.tu.
~
~ ....
:, ~
w ~
w ~
w - -6 ~
i 6 6 0 ~ Vl
~ ] ~
i z, z, z, W
:2~cwiil
VI VI
~
: ~ ~ ~
: w w w
~ io ~ ~
,. ~
f3
~ 4
~ 5
2
A-100
B-100
A-200
a a a
0
255
255
0
0
128
0
0
0
0
255
33023
"' ~ ~
100
100
200
~ f3.
150
250
150
10
10
20
I
~
f 6 B-200 255 255 0 65535 Yellow 200 250 20
f 7 A-300 0 255 0 65280 100 150 10
j 8 B-300 0 255 fjf" ;100 250 10
l 9 A-400 0 0 ,: 11- . 200150 20
l 1o 8400 255 o 200 250 20
i 11 C-500 255 255 300 100 15
iu ~
L 3 Red \ ;reen Blue~"! ~
li!
. 14
%
. ,~
Note We could have just used the equat ion =B3 + (03 * 161\2) + (D 3 * 161\4); however, the longer hexc:
equation provides error correction because it insures that each value can only be a number fro m 0 to Ther
255. The minimum and maximum functions work together as fo llows. Just looking at th e f irst part of the hexa
equation MAX(MIN(B3,255).o). the portion MIN(B3.255) says t o take t he value which is smaller; eit her the bela
value in cell 83 (our red value) or 255. If we type a correct value of any number from 0 to 255. that value CM't
will be used. If we type a value greater than 255. then 255 will be used because it will be t he minimum.
Eacr
The MAX operator says to take t he greater of either the value f ound by t he MIN funct ion or zero. If we basE
enter a negative number, it is less than zero. so zero would be used. t he r
gree
As a test, the table below shows the va lues that should be calculate d f or t he primary and secondary
colors.
Black 0 0 0 0
c::;; or zero. ;; ""= base ten numbers (16 x 16 = 256). The first two digits are Red
the hexadecimal number for red. the second two are for
Ume
green, and the last two are for blue.
c-:; second.::;--
Blue
.... OK ]
DtJ
arrrent
ColorL~
~ ~
[ AddTo Swatches J
L: 77
5: 0 % a: 0
S: 75 % b: 0
R: !IfiJ C: 25 %
G: 191 ~1: 20 %
B: 191 Y: 20 %
____.,#bfbfbf K: 0 %
Color Swatches
Color swatches provide a way to save a color scheme or Cu rrent color
-
_J:A~-:=====,=:~=-....:
frequently used colors. Swatches are created to save color Colo r swatch :~"--" -
~~
information but they do not save appearance information. Color
swatch files have the extension* .s ldclr.
191 .'-~
RGB-HSV
system
C .
, .. 0;;-
L..._
191
1
HSV
546 Appendix A
I ORGB
r
HSV
PowerPoint ~ Colon
.:J[J
=.::011:1
Aspect
Civic
:=: :!.c
: Concourse
Equity
= o
c::c::c:J
f (O\'/
Foundry
~r::c Median
~c Metro
.~r.::c Module
::.:JU~:rc Opulent
11r:c= .: . Oriel
;:::a:::;;:: Origin
=-=
em:;;
c~::EIClll Trek
Solstice
Technic
--=-=
.:oJ
EDI Urban
Verve
re;,te New Theme Colors...
Paint Manufacturers
Paint manufacturers have different predefined color combinations. The m e
-~.....~ ..-;;.;-~ ll!l'-1:';ftl
page to t he right comes from Glidden paint showing the colors of NFL
football teams. By downloading the image and opening it in a paint
--o: - :. .
O""" O~..::::::J ...V .!o-
- i ..,.. ... ...
~ O'~'t::!l
- ---
program with a color picker, you can det ermine t he settings to reproduce o if0,- 1::1 ~... r:;::?~;
..va.- a.Vllo ... ~.:Ro_..
the color. As an example, we could determine that the color values for the ~Q:LJ G?~LJ D~-::::!
colors of the San Diego Chargers are:
:i\:
:...
tl~~ ~~~
:...
- '- -- -
SD Gold: Red-255. Green-194. Blue-a -~ ~ or;~LJ .- ;:::;-...
:ases ~ ~-- ... -'1<!1- Q.Uli..:::J
SO Navy: Red-O, Green-47. Blue-91 iit~ii-- II!!!IL
-
..,-~~ 0ll!!ll0b:ii
--
SO Powder Blue: Red-O, Green-121, Blue-186 e~~ ii~~ ~~~:
ii:~:ii ~:~ ~~~
----0-- -
l
SO White
548 Appendix A
Color Names c
With all t he possible colors, how do we know what the settings are for a color when we are told that it w
should be "CadetBlue"? There are multiple sources on the web that will yield tables that will give the w
RGB or Hex values for each color. Tl
The examples below are from 'i\fWYY,_Qigi!l~QID. and wwww3schools.com. We can see that to mix br
CadetBiue, we use Red-95, Green-158, Blue-160, or Hex #5F9EAO. 51
HTML
Pantone
TRUEMATCH
FOCO LTONE
These standards do not support the full range of color. Pantone for instance only supports 1,114 colors,
but these systems are important for consistent, re producible color.
Color 549
"'I --: - -
- 'l..'t.i,;O,I ::
:uo
uoqewJOJU! Jeuor~Jppe sapJAOJd X]puadde 5!41
II
II
552 Appendix B
Acknowledgement Oii
Some of the material in this section is adapted from work done by Mike Wilson and Phil Sluder of Dif
Triaxial Design and Analysis and is used with their permission. sur
a pi
Illumination
Within the settings for all appearances is an Illuminat ion tab. To understand t he choices, we must first api
understand the different settings. Dif
Appearance Properties
Appearance properties control the way the surface reacts t o light. Each
property has a control in the PropertyManager. Understanding each of the ~ )( ~
individual controls can be difficult because the individual effects are almost BaSe Advanced }
always mixed with other appearance properties. In the following section, the
p;;J Colo< /lm1lge 1<6 MoppOJg )
images are meant to show the effects of changing a single appearance property ~ Ibrination YQ& ~rnmj
through its entire range while holding all other properties constant. ~Illumina tion
J; Dynamic help
Common Controls Doffuse amount:
In this section, the various common controls will be examined individually. These 1.00
)
are the settings that apply to all appearances. In each graphic, only one control
will be varied to see its effect.
Speajar color:
Th
Speajar spread:
0.6875 the
Ph
1 Reflection amount:
0.200 USI
j
~~ BUry reflections
Transparent amount:
0.00
:)
L..mnous intmsoty:
0.000 w/srmh2
anfirrmmrmrfj1'ttiH
Illumination Settings 553
Diffuse Amount
_::e- o" Diffuse amount controls the intensity of the light on the surface. This property is dependant on the
surface's angle to the light source but is independent of the viewpoint. If you change your viewpoint, the
appearance of the model should not change. The higher the diffuse value, t he brighter the model
appears. This is a nonmirror type reflection.
:: ~:..!st ~irs~
Diffuse at values from 0.0 to 1.0; Specular amount: 0 .0
g;~.__ :
:21 !Utioa: Fi'ilil
.,I The above image was captured in RealView and the below image was re ndered in PhotoView 360. Note
~
that when rendered, there are specular highlights even t hough Specular amount was set to o.o. Within
,.
Itilt: Photo View 360, t he specular amount is set by the appearance definition and cannot be adjusted by the
I
user.
-rn:
r
I
r
orr.
l_
.-
:l.1liW
554 Appendix B
Spec
Spec1
illumi
If we render t his image. we can see that there are no changes in the appearance from instance to
instance because the specular amount only affects OpenGL and ReaiView.
Illumination Settings 555
Specular Color
Specular color controls t he color of the specular highlight. In each case below, all the spheres are
o illuminated by t he same light but each specular highlight has been set to a different color.
::x;: ~o
556 Appendix B
In the
adjust1
Reflective Amount
Reflective amount controls the reflectivity (ability to act as a mirror) of a material. If Reflective amount
is set to 0.0. no reflections are visible on the surface. If set to 1.0, t he materia l simulates a perfect
mirro r.
Illumination Settings 557
Blurry Reflections
11~ar spread This blurs the reflections so that the surface does not look as smooth. The amount of blur is controlled
by the specular spread. This image has t he same settings as shown above where each has a different
reflection amount, except that Blurry reflections is se lected.
:.ed as
In the following image, all spheres have the same Reflective amount of 1.0 and the Specular spread is
adjusted.
ctive amount
c perfect
558 Appendix B
Appear
Luminous Intensity
The Luminous intensity cont rol is used to control the light radiation property of the appearance, which
allows the surface to radiate light.
In the image, each sphere is acting as a light source.
-
Illumination Settings 559
Additional Controls
Some appearances or properties have additiona l controls which appear when that appearance is applied
to the model. Whenever an appearance is t ranspa rent, additional controls for Index of refraction and
Refraction roughness become available.
Index of Refraction
Index of refraction controls the bending of light as it passes through a transparent object. This control
is only available when the t ransparency amount is greater than zero. The higher the index of refraction.
the more that light is bent. In the below image, all the lenses are geometrically identical. With an index
of refraction of 1.0, light would not be bent as it moves through the material. With an index of refraction
above 1.0, the lens acts t o magnify the image on the other side. With the index of refraction less than
1.0, the image is reduced in size (like looking through the wrong end of a telescope).
c"'Ce, which
(
Refraction Roughness
Refraction roughness sets the amount of blurriness of geometry seen beyond the transparent object.
In the fo llowing image. the index of refraction is held constant at the default value of 1.59.
T
0
0 .02
Refraction Roughness
s8umas ys!ul:l- aJej.Jns
sad,.\+ YS!U!:J. aJe:J.Jns
:uo
uoq.ewJO:J.U! ]euo1:pppe sap)AOJd X)puadde 5!41
.pafqo ll.!a..:!
562 Appendix C
Brushed
c::.~~ This is Brushed gives the appearance of regular linear
ca e image striations.
e ore the
r:: ::aanges
:.::--. make
Sandblasted
Sandblasted gives the appearance of being
sandblasted with a small irregular pattern.
- ~defa ult
E r,nishes,
52
Burnished
see if you Burnished gives the appearance of a smoothed, or
knocked down, pattern over an irregular surface.
564 Appendix C
Casting Treadp
The casting surface finish applies an irregular Treadpl;
casting pattern. plate pc
Machined Treadp l
A machined surface finish should look like the This is a
surface has been ground.
The kmr
control ~
appear.::
Surface Finish 565
Treadplate 1
Treadplate applies a regular rect angular tread
plate pattern.
Treadplate 2
This is a variation of Treadplate 1.
Knurled
Kn urled simulates the pattern created by knurling
the surface.
The kn urled surface finish has an additional
control t o adjust t he height of the knurl
appearance.
566 Appendix C
Dimpled
Dimples are a regular pattern of uniform-sized Chain
dimples. Chain I
just th
Surface Finish 567
Chain link
Chain link simulates the pattern of a chain link fe nce. In RealView. the solid will become t ransparent and
just the chain link will be visible.
568 Appendix C
Wrought Bump P
This appearance simulates a wrought surface with The folio
appropriate grain and imperfections. maps for
Bump N
The br
tone ir
Diffus
SpecL
bump~
The s,
if t he
Shade
Rough 1 surfac
This is a finish of random variations.
Shade
really
Unlike
shado
The li
map.
Refle1
Refra:
Displao
Rough 2 The b1
This is a coarser variation of Rough 1. in a ci
Shaclc
but c
shado
Shade
topog
Like r-
shado
The lil
smoc
Surface Finish 569
Bump Maps
The brightness of a bump map is used to cha nge the visual appearance of a surface. The brighter the
tone in a bump map, the farther out a point on the surface will appear to be.
Diffuse shading is varied as if the bumps really existed in the surface.
Specular highlights are broken up and scattered. Tiny highlights can even appear on t he individual
bumps caused by a bright pixel in the bump map.
The surfaces of the model are not changed by a bump map. They will remain smooth or straight even
if the map simulates a rough surface.
Shadows cast by a bump-mapped object will still have their shape of the original object. Because the
surfaces are not deformed, there is nothing to create the shadow.
Shadows received on a bump-mapped surface will remain straight and will not be distorted as if they
really landed on a rough surface.
Unlike modeled or displaced details, details added to a surface via a bump map do not produce self
shadows onto the surrounding surface.
The line where a bump-mapped surface intersects with another surface is not changed by a bump
map. This can give away the real shapes of the objects.
Reflections are distorted and broken up.
Refraction is correctly modified and distorted.
Displacement Maps
The brightness of a displacement map is used to change the shape of a surface. The brighter the tone
in a displacement map, the farther out a point on the surface will be displaced.
Shadows are cast by a displacement-mapped object because their original shape has been changed,
but only during the rendering process. Because t he surfaces are deformed, they naturally create
shadows.
Shadows received on a displacement-mapped surface will be altered based on t he displacement
topography.
Like modeled or displaced details, details added to a surface via a displacement map produce self
shadows onto the surrounding surface.
The line where a displacement-mapped surface intersects with anot her surface will not blend
smoothly as each surface has a separate displacement that ends at the boundary of t he surface.
Hardware and PhotoView
360 Performance
background. The swap from a draft to high quality view is done transparently when the calculation is
complete.
Generally speaking. multiple cores/ threads will allow for mult itasking. For example, wh ile SolidWorks
loads a large assembly/drawing. you can more effectively take care of other tasks such as email. word
processing. or spreadsheets. Ra
RA
Multithreading therefore can produce a performance increase with computers equipped with more than
for
one processor or processors with multiple cores/threads. Because of this, having more than a dual core
ins
or dua l processor comput er benefits SolidWorks performance.
file
Sol
ele
dri'
will
Hardware and PhotoView 360 Performance 573
:;:""':er thread
the rendering will compute. To obtain the most
performance from PhotoView 360 the
12.: :il . .. - - - --- -
~ views
.
--o
~
as
computer system should contain a multiple core
or multiple processor CPU at the highest clock
speed available.
i 1.~ -~---~----
0.. 2 .
0.5
=::.::!.dation is 0 -- ---- - - - - - - -
.
Slow Fast
:: SolidWorks Render Processing Speed
:; email, word
Random Access Memory (RAM)
RAM stores the information to be processed by t he CPU. Unlike a syst em's hard drive, which is meant
L:""' ;nore than
fo r permanent data storage, RAM is a temporary area to store data required by the CPU based on the
,_a dual core
instructions from software. Larger amounts of RAM allow for the storage of more data. As your model
fi les become larger and more complex, they require more RAM to store and process the data. Like
SolidWorks, Photo View 360 will benefit from the installation of larger amounts of RAM. The key
element when determining if you have enough RAM is that of having to page information t o t he hard
drive. If your system is paging (using the SWAP file). then you do not have enough RAM and your system
wi ll be slow.
574 Appendix D
The amount of RAM a user requires for rendering is controlled by a number of fact ors: ThE
The
Complexity of model
ap~
Size of final rendered image ope
Appearances being rendered
Render quality settings Wh
sys
Generally speaking. the higher the level of realism and the larger t he size of rendering you require, the for
more RAM the system will require. 64
Operating System 64
The amount of RAM installed on a computer system is limited by the operating system. Today's 64
operating systems are either 32- or 64-bit, with 64-bit now t he dominant choice in computers used for to
SolidWorks. USE
One of the most significant differences between 32- and 64-bit operating systems is the amount of all
memory they can address. A 32-bit system can have 232 addresses while a 64-bit system can have 264 uti
addresses. ant
Ph
32-bit Operating Systems an
32-bit operating systems (Vista 32 and Windows 7- 32) allow for t he insta llation of up to four gigabyt es wi
(GB) of RAM.
Gr
Limitations of 32-bit operating systems do not, however, let your software applications take advantage Th
of the full four gigabytes of RAM. In fact the 32-bit operating system reserves up to almost one gigabyte pu
of RAM for devices which require memory mapping. sh
An example of a device which requires memory mapping is a graphics ca rd. If your graphics card has
Af
512MB of on board memory, that memory will be mapped in the one gigabyte the operating system has pr
set aside for these types of devices. A computer system with four GB of RAM actually only has o,
approximately 3.12 GB of RAM available. In addition to the one GB of RAM set aside for memory-mapped re
devices, a 32-bit operat ing system only allows each running application a maximum of two GB of RAM. re
Basic math tells us if you have four GB of installed RAM, you subtract one GB for the memory-mapped th
devices and two GB for the running application limit, there is one GB of RAM not being utilized by your bE
system. hi
gr
3(
Hardware and PhotoView 360 Performance 575
Graphics Card
:.'c ntage The graphics card (video card) processes the information from software to paint an image to screen
ggabyte
pixel by pixel. Complex 3D information not only requires the graphics card to compute lines, color, and
shading but also textures, lighting, sha dows, reflections, transparency, and more.
-;:has
Applications that render 3D information in real time. like SolidWorks, use the widely known
;:em has programming API OpenGL. Graphics hardware certified for use with SolidWorks is optimized to execut e
!S
OpenGL calls very efficiently and effectively. ReaiView is GPU- (graphics processing unit) based and
-lapped requires a certified OpenGL graphics card to process huge amounts of information to display semi-
o" RAM. realistic rendered models in real time. When using SolidWorks the model is rarely in an idle state. Since
-'""lapped the model is continuously being dynamically panned, zoomed, and rotated, the graphics card needs to
: :Jy your be of a higher level to process the display information quickly and efficiently at high frame rates. The
higher end the graphics hardware, the more information it can store and process in real time. Any
graphics card certified for use with SolidWorks will also be suitable for Photo View 360 since Photo View
360 is CPU-based rendering and does not place as high a demand on graphics hardware.
You can view SolidWorks certified graphics cards and drivers on t he SolidWorks website.
577
Index
Numerics folder location 350 8
3GB switch 575 folders 345 background 228
from Modo 370 environment 226
A from photograph 388 images 226, 466
additive color method 535 hierarchy 97, 117, 293 backlight 414, 418
adjusting arrow keys 186 hybrid 122, 365 backlit LCD lights 412
alpha channels 278 illumination 95, 375 bloom 283
ambient light 412, 430 image files 342 blurry reflections 557
ambient occlusion 434 level of detail 518 brushed surface f inish 563
analogous color 533 library 345 bump map 393, 562
anti-aliasing quality 75 lighting 412 burnished surface finish 563
apparent depth 209 mapping 95,122
appearance properties missing files 406 c
See also Appendix B patterns 518 camera 36, 189 -222
appearances 3, 17, 22, 33, 40, procedural 99 adding 189
68,92 101,345-350 PropertyManager 41 , 95 aiming 190
advanced properties 95 reflections 518 apparent depth 209
appearances, scenes and refractions 518 aspect ratio 202
decals tab 26 removing 130 depth of fie ld 211
applying 93 rounded corners 405 effects of focal length 209
basic properties 95 search order for files 406 field of view 194
callouts 94 sources of additional 347 lenses 194
color 106 surface finish 95, 393, 518 lock camera view 444
color/image 95 target 93 lock position 191
create 349 texture 99, 122 rotati on 193, 200
custom folders 110 transparent 334 standard lens 211
default 33 user-defined 345 use in photography 5
deleting 349 views 518 view area 208
display 98 area lights 412, 438 view rectangle 195,199
editing 374 arrow keys casting surface finish 564
file composition 355 adjusting 186 caustics 335, 521
files 342 aspect ratio 202, 269 settings 336
578
~------------ ---- ----- -------- ---- --------- -- ----------
chain link surface finish 567 value 534, 540 visibility 169 p2s
chroma 534 web safe 549 decals PropertyManager 152 sa
chromatic 534 See a/so Appendix A default appearance 33 see
CIE 1931 chromaticit y color correction 18 depth of field 211 files
diagram 530 color management 501 diamond treadplate surface mor
CMYK color model 536 color models 359 finish 564 sav
color color wheel 532 diffuse amount 553 fi lllig
additive 535 color/image 95 dimpled surface f inish 566 final r
analogous 533 CommandManager 25 direct illum ination 410 cor.
chroma 534 comp lementary colors 533 direct lighting 428 sta
chromatic 534 computer hardware directiona l lights 412 f loor
CMYK color model 536 See also Appendix D displacement mapping 394 Focol
complementary 533 contours 258 display pane 34, 94, 291 fog L
create definitions 107 convention s 8 icons 292 folder
custom 106 CPU 572 display states 3 app
depth 536 cube mapped images 462 DisplayManager 25, 34 see
gamut 534 custom view appearances 35
HSV color model 535 folders 110, 349 view decals 36 G
hue 107,534, 540 render settings 76 view scene, light s and gamrr
in design tables 543 scene files 464 cameras 36 ga mu:
intensity 534 cylindrical mapping 135, 142 dpi (dot s per inch) 268 gradie
luminance 107,534 145 dynamic help 28, 376 graph
mat ching syst ems 548 grays
monochromatic 534 D E
names 548 decals 22, 152- 175 edit ing appearances 374 H
optical properties 546 adjusting 167 environment 225, 226 hard\',
primary 532 applying 156, 162 environment al images 237 3 G:
RGB color mode l 535 file typ es 152 environment al lighting 314, 412 32 t
saturation 107, 534, 540 gradient mask 176 64 :
schemes 546- 548 illumination 156 F CPL
secondary 532 image 156 field of view 194 gra~
shade 534 image masks 169 fi le compression 497 RA.
subtractive 535 mapp ing 156, 158, 162- 165 fi le types he lp
swatches 545 mapping t ypes 162 for deca ls 156 dyn<
terminology 107 masks 169 fo r rendering 496 Pho
tertiary 533 order 175 p2d 156 Solil
tint 534 PropertyManager 156 p2l 464 hide/ s
tone 534 saving 156 p2m 345 hieran
579
~
tutorials and practice exercises.
USA$89.95
58995
~
jjS SOLIDINORKS
Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Corporation
175 Wyman Street
Waltham, MA 02451 USA
www.solidworks.com 9 781589 3 4036