Rendering Solidworks Models
Rendering Solidworks Models
(OP)
Hi, I've got a load of consumer product models that I want to render, but Photoworks just doesn't do them justice.
My end goal is to animate the models so that they are spinning on a central vertical axis, whilst also being fully rendered (I may have to do it frame-by-frame if it's too much to do on-the-fly).
Any suggestions on what I can use?
Thanks!
My end goal is to animate the models so that they are spinning on a central vertical axis, whilst also being fully rendered (I may have to do it frame-by-frame if it's too much to do on-the-fly).
Any suggestions on what I can use?
Thanks!






RE: Rendering Solidworks Models
Chris
SolidWorks 07 3.0/PDMWorks 07
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 04-21-07)
RE: Rendering Solidworks Models
http:
Check out the FAQs, links, etc. at this site. Rob Rodriguez ( http://robrodriguez.com/ ) has plenty about this subject and sponsors a rendering contest each month.
Jeff Mowry
www.industrialdesignhaus.com
Reason trumps all. And awe transcends reason.
RE: Rendering Solidworks Models
RE: Rendering Solidworks Models
Because I only want to spin a model, I can capture rendered images frame-by-frame so I want to be able to generate the most real-looking images possible.
This is for making it look pretty (for my website), it doesn't have any other purpose!
Thanks
RE: Rendering Solidworks Models
Rob Rodriguez CSWP
www.axiscadsolutions.com
www.robrodriguez.com
http://designsmarter.typepad.com/rob_rodriguez/
Eastern Region SWUGN Representative www.swugn.org www.nvtswug.com
SW 2007 SP 2.0
RE: Rendering Solidworks Models
My PC isn't too bad, 2.66ghz core 2 duo, 1gb ram and 7950gt gfx, gotta upgrade the RAM but otherwise can't get much better except for a specialised workstation...
RE: Rendering Solidworks Models
I disagree with the quality able to be obtained with PhotoWorks. I've consistently generated realistic images using it, but this depends on what you want your set-up and rendering time to be to pay for itself. (For the animations I create, realism is normally not the object, but some sort of demonstrative function [often more symbolic than real].) The PhotoWorks interface has been terrible for a long time (although enhanced for 2007) and their default settings simply don't work at all--but the engine behind PhotoWorks is intensely powerful if you can figure out how to access it (Mental Ray engine, I think).
What sort of thing are you trying to render photorealistically? Because of the limited (lame) interface, lots of pointers are available to obtain excellence in particular areas.
Jeff Mowry
www.industrialdesignhaus.com
Reason trumps all. And awe transcends reason.
RE: Rendering Solidworks Models
Rob Rodriguez CSWP
www.axiscadsolutions.com
www.robrodriguez.com
http://designsmarter.typepad.com/rob_rodriguez/
Eastern Region SWUGN Representative www.swugn.org www.nvtswug.com
SW 2007 SP 2.0
RE: Rendering Solidworks Models
I think because I haven't seen any examples of renderings done with Photoworks that look really realistic I just don't think it can be done (unless someone can show me a rendering to prove otherwise). I've had numerous attempts at it but the results I get are more functional than realistic.
I've seen great results with Rhinoceros and Cinema 4D though, what do you think of those?
RE: Rendering Solidworks Models
ive seen great results with
photoworks
maya
cinema 4d
rhino
3d max
houdini
renderman
brazil
final render
if you can work the software then you can get a result
the photoworks renderer is a good implementation of mental ray into a cad package
learn it before dismissing it
RE: Rendering Solidworks Models
RE: Rendering Solidworks Models
Maxwell would suit you pretty well for stills.
I do have a seat of Maxwell, but have been able to get what I need from Photoworks. These are some of the renders that I get with Photoworks,
and some of the techniques used are discussed
here (h
RE: Rendering Solidworks Models
RE: Rendering Solidworks Models
1)Mental Ray Render Engine is fast and realistic
2)It is full integrated into Solidworks and saves time.
Solidworks seems to have "detuned" it somewhat. Softimage XSI and Maya have much more access to the inner workings of Mental Ray than Photoworks. For some reason Solidworks does not provide access like CGI programs do (probably like Matt Lombard said they are trying to dumb down the software so that everyone can play)
I totally get your frustration with Photoworks.
RE: Rendering Solidworks Models
The more CAD based solutions are proE and Solidworks and Rhino
The more freeform based solutions are Rhinoceros 4 and Autodesk StudioTools
Recently I have seen more designers using sub-div programs like Modo or Cinema 4D in conjunction with t-splines for concept modeling.
RE: Rendering Solidworks Models
RE: Rendering Solidworks Models
RE: Rendering Solidworks Models
RE: Rendering Solidworks Models
http://www.bxhdesigns.com/
Excellent results at his place, considering that was before the interface enhancements. I learned quite a lot from him about great renderings possible from PhotoWorks.
Alias is probably the ideal for ID stuff. I couldn't afford it, and also made the market niche for myself of bringing my designs into production. SolidWorks does a great job on the latter, and I've learned to be quick enough for rough forms with sketches or modeling clay that the free-form stuff in the computer (such as with Alias) simply isn't as necessary for me (old-school).
Jeff Mowry
www.industrialdesignhaus.com
Reason trumps all. And awe transcends reason.
RE: Rendering Solidworks Models
RE: Rendering Solidworks Models
Jeff Mowry
www.industrialdesignhaus.com
Reason trumps all. And awe transcends reason.