quick & dirty rendering

[KENAT]

Our Engineering Director wants a rendoring of our new tool.

It is very large (1000s of parts) and taxes our machines.

One of my colleagues with slightly more RAM than I managed to get a shaded render done but I think SE crashed before he could save an image or print it.

Any tips on a way I could get a "quick and dirty" image that looks good. The Director seemed to like the shadow but I don't think it needs to be a great image.

I tried just cast shadow, drop shadow and low anti-alising photo realistic but it still crashes SE.

Thanks,

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[beachcomber]

Hi Kenat,
Try reducing the number of parts shown in your view using 'Show Visible Parts Only'.
Another way is to set all your arts to show as simplified (only works if you have simplified your models).
This will reduce the number of faces to process.

Another way is to get a better graphics card - I have a 768MB NVidia Qaudro FX4600 -- lovely !!!

bc

 

[fredericmenage]

When you have your rendering on the screen, instead of using <save as image>, hit the printscreen key and then open Paint (in start/programs/accessories) and paste. Then, save your image.

If you have time to go to the 'predefined archives' tab in the edgebar when you are in VS+ (or explode-render-animate now), you can drag a 'draft quality' shader so that the render is simpler and faster (lower quality though)

HTH

Fred

 

[KENAT]

Thanks guys. I managed to get something out on my colleagues machine but might need to go again later.

beachcomber is there a smart way to 'Show Visible Parts Only'. I seem to remember this coming up before but can't for the life of my find it/work out how.

Just checked and I have Quadro fx3400 256 MB and 2GB RAM. My colleague has 4 GB RAM.

Requests for an upgrade haven't gone down well lately so I don't think I'll upset IT by bringing it up again.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[beachcomber]

Kenat,
The FX3400 is a very nice card anyway - we have them in a couple of our machines also.
When you click the select arrow there are 2 icons active on the select options toolbar - just below save/print/cut etc.
One shows 2 small orange blobs and a small arrow - that's the select SMALL parts - the other shows an orange block with a dotted block around it - this is the one you want.
Just click it and it will highlight a load of parts.
When it has done it RMB and 'Show Only'.
This will turn off any parts hidden behind others.
You will need to set up and save your view orientation first, so that you can return to it later.
When you have the view set up with the required parts, save a view config also.
You can reduce things further with the select small parts & then hide.
This is how we produce draft views from our big assemblies of about 30K parts.

bc.

 

[KENAT]

Thanks Beachcomber. My colleague had created an 'exterior' configuration but I'm not sure this was necessarily how so doing it the way you detail may save some effort.

Appreciate it.

Ken

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...