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SolidWorks + Modo + Splash Kit
Often times when creating rendered images for marketing or promotion purposes you’ll need to use a variety of tools to reach an end result. It would be great if you were able to simply set up something in PhotoView 360 or PhotoWorks, process the image and it would be complete but that is rarely the case. Most times I’m contracted to create the rendered image results of a SolidWorks model only. That image is then turned over to the marketing graphic designers where they use various tools to create a composite image for their specific needs. Most of the time marketing will dictate the specific view(s), colors, size, etc they will require and my work has to fit their specifications. On a recent project however I was provided a SolidWorks model and given complete freedom to create any image I wished. Fun! 
I was contracted to create an image for the ioSafe Solo product. Not only did the final image need to showcase the product but it had to be visually interesting as well. ioSafe markets their product as being waterproof and fireproof, what better way to create visual interest and promote product features than to incorporate some of this into the image. I had a visual in my head of what I wanted to create and I knew the tools available to me in SolidWorks would not be enough to achieve the idea. I knew I had to use software more suited to the task of advanced rendering and for this task I chose modo. The image at the top of this post is the final image I created. It’s the output which came directly from modo, no image retouching or post processing what so ever. Let’s a take a closer look at how I combined SolidWorks and modo to achieve the final results.
First I started in SolidWorks with the ioSafe Solo model. I’d like to point out the assembly file was saved as a surface part file so what I had to work with was a collection of surface bodies. This makes my job a little tougher because surface bodies do have some quirkiness when being used to create rendered images. I would have preferred the native SolidWorks file or an assembly file saved as a part file using solid bodies. I applied appearances and decals (painted the model) in SolidWorks since it’s easier to do this work there and then transfer that information to modo on file import.
I then imported the file into modo using the importer found in the soon to be released SolidWorks kit. The importer is essentially the same one used in PhotoView 360 and it does a decent job of converting the appearance and decal information. It’s not always 100% correct on the appearance and decal conversion but it’s fairly easy to clean up mistakes made during file import. I should point out I’m working with a beta version of the importer, the released version should have any kinks worked out of it. The surface geometry imported without issue.
Next step was to add the water geometry to the modo scene and make the model on screen closer to the image in my head. This was really where the difficult part began and the reason why I chose to create this image using modo. Water, splashes, water drops are created using a more organic type of modeling than that found in SolidWorks. That’s not to say you couldn’t model those things in SolidWorks but I think it’s fair to say you couldn’t model them easily. Modo being a sub D modeler is great at modeling organic type geometry. I’m a novice modo user. I’ve played with the rendering and animation areas of modo and gone through many of the training tutorials to get a better grasp and comfort level. I’ve never modeled anything in modo outside of a collection of basic spheres, cubes and odd shapes so; creating “water” in modo was going to be a challenge for me even though modo made this type of geometry creation easier than SolidWorks.
This is where the “Splash Kit” came in. Luxology has created some kits which speed up certain processes for the user. Currently there is a PAD kit, Splash Kit, HDRE Kit, Slik Kit and soon you’ll be seeing a SolidWorks Kit. The splash kit comes with a variety of pre defined meshes, materials, and environments that makes creating or adding liquid geometry around your model (in our case SolidWorks model) easy. I say liquid because it doesn’t have to be water. It could be milk, blood, chocolate, cola, anything really. I found some predefined splash meshes I liked, drag and dropped them into the modo scene and then resized them to better fit with the imported SolidWorks geometry. Once I had the basic geometry layout I then used some sculpting tools to fine tune the water mesh around the drive model. This was a great learning experience since modeling in modo is such a different mindset than modeling in SolidWorks. My first attempts at adjusting the mesh I wanted to move everything very precisely, having perfect intersections where geometry met and having the water mesh match perfectly with the drive mesh. In modo this “I need to move it exactly ½” mindset isn’t really necessary. It’s more of a feeling of an artist working in clay than an engineer machining something exact on the CNC. The entire process took some time as I was learning on the fly but the Splash kit includes training videos that show you how to work with the various aspects of the kit. It made the process much easier.
Once the geometry layout was complete all I really had to do was complete the rendering work. This was fairly straight forward as modo can work in a very similar fashion as Photoview 360 if you choose to do that. I used some of the predefined materials and environments included with the splash kit which is as easy as drag and drop, much like PhotoView 360. With my materials and lighting ready to go I then set up my camera view(s) which took some time. It’s not terribly difficult to do this but I found it challenging at first to move the camera into the position I was looking for. This is mainly due to the mouse controls in modo. The mouse in modo works nothing like the mouse in SolidWorks or PhotoView 360 for navigating a viewport. You need to learn the combination keyboard shortcuts and mouse buttons to effectively navigate and this was difficult for me since I’m NOT a keyboard person. The upcoming SolidWorks Kit will have a SolidWorks mouse setting which will make this easier for SolidWorks users. After using modo for a while however I did pick up the navigation controls and now it’s almost second nature when using the application.
Now that I had the camera views set I just had to do some test renders and adjust some of the render settings. Test renders are as easy as selecting the render option from the drop down menu and the render window is the same as the one found in PhotoView 360 although it does have a few added controls. Adjusting the render settings isn’t difficult but it does take some time to learn what the settings do and what values work best. Having a multicore CPU greatly helps in this area as more cores means faster render performance.
In the end I was able to utilize three tools, SolidWorks, modo and the Splash kit to achieve the idea in my head. The final image probably would have looked very different with the use of only one or two of these tools. Modo gives the SolidWorks user the ability to create more advanced renderings and animations than can be done utilizing the SolidWorks tools (Motion, PhotoView 360, PhotoWorks). Modo does have a learning curve and you do have to put forth an effort to become comfortable with the product. If higher end rendering an animation is your goal then the time spent learning modo will not be wasted. Once the future SolidWorks kit is released the tranisition from SolidWorks to modo will be easier but not automatic.
Rob
April 20, 2010 Tags: Modo, Rendering, Solidworks
Category: Modo, Uncategorized 5 Comments 
The New SWUGN.ORG
It’s been in the works for a while an now it’s finally here. The SolidWorks User Group Network has a new website! The new site sheds the “homegrown” feel of the old for a fresh modern look. All the information you’d expect to find about SolidWorks user groups is there. It’s been dressed up a bit and repackaged for easier navigation which can oly be a good thing.
What kind of information will you find at the new SWUGN.org?
How to become a user group leader
Search local groups in your area
Meeting calendar for future meetings
Contact info for SWUGN representatives
Benefits of being a user group member and leader
User group support
Upcoming SWUGN Summits
I’ve really just scratched the surface here. If it’s been a while since you visited SWUGN.org you should check out the new look. While you’re there find a group in your area, check when their next meeting is and attend. You’ll be glad you did.
April 7, 2010 Tags: SolidWorks user Group
Category: User Groups No Comments
PhotoView 360 2011
Last fall SolidWorks issued this announcement about the retirement of PhotoWorks and the future of PhotoView 360.
Beginning with the release of SolidWorks 2011, PhotoView 360 will now be the standard photorealistic rendering solution for all SolidWorks software versions moving forward.
PhotoWorks will no longer be available. With the launch of SolidWorks 2011, SolidWorks software and PhotoView 360 will provide the equivalent rendering capabilities that are now available in PhotoWorks, including, but not limited to:
- The creation and reuse of custom appearances, scenes, and decals
- The ability to directly render different configurations, display states, and model changes
- The production of rendered animations from a SolidWorks Motion study
- The ability to use physical lights in renderings
- The scheduling of renderings to be completed later
This announcement was meant to set PhotoWorks users minds at ease since many of them felt PhotoView 360 wasn’t in a position to replace PhotoWorks. PhotoView 360 simply didn’t have a deep enough feature set and a lot of catch up would have to be played in order for it to be ready to replace PhotoWorks in one release cycle. Even though SolidWorks made the announcement with the best of intentions its vague nature left unanswered questions and skepticism.
- With skepticism also came speculation.
What exactly would the 2011 version of PV360 look like?
Would we see full integration into the SolidWorks window?
Would there be stand alone and integrated versions?
Would we have more features than PhotoWorks offered?
Would there be a mac version?
Would PhotoView 360 be a native 64 bit application?
Would animation support be the same as PhotoWorks or enhanced with modo type tools?
Would we be able to create custom appearances from scratch (using a texture for example)?
Would decal functionality be part of PhotoView 360 rather than SolidWorks?
Would we have greater control over appearance mapping type, location and scale?
Would we be able to transfer cameras from SolidWorks to PhotoView 360?
During the Wednesday general session at SolidWorks World 2010 we were able to see some of PhotoView 360 2011 in action. The screen shots and descriptions were short but I was able to see enough to have a good idea of what PhotoView 360 2011 will be like. I was also able to talk with Ron Bates, senior manager of graphical applications, at SolidWorks. Ron couldn’t specifically comment about future releases but he could comment on things shown during the general session and was also able to give some generalized answers to certain questions. So, lets start going down our speculation question list and see what we know.
What exactly would the 2011 version of PV360 look like?
Would we see full integration into the SolidWorks window?
These two questions can be answered together. From the SolidWorks World general session demo it looks as though PV360 2011 will see full integration into the SolidWorks window. In a similar fashion to what PhotoWorks users have now, the appearance pane was on the right of the screen, the render manager was on the left of the screen, the work was being done in the SolidWorks graphics window and the PV360 preview was opened in it’s own window. It actually appeared that RealView now has the ability for the users to modify, create and save custom appearances and this RealView information is carried into PhotoView 360. This actually gives the standard SolidWorks user greater control over RealView appearances which is a good thing I think. The user has the choice of the standard SolidWorks viewing mode or RealView. If the user wants to see the rendered version of the graphics area they enable the PV360 preview window. Some people we’re worried about the full Integration of PV360 into SolidWorks because they liked the current PV360 ability to be able to process a render and work in SolidWorks at the same time. Ron has confirmed, even with the new full integration users will still be able to work in SolidWorks while a render is processing. To go one step further, users will be able to continue to work on the same model in SolidWorks they are rendering with PV360. This isn’t possible in the current standalone version.
Would there be stand alone and integrated versions?
There was no mention of a stand alone version of PhotoView 360 during the general session demo. If it’s true then the PhotoView 360 we’re using in 2010 will cease to exist and the UI, which many people seem to like will disappear with it. Ron would neither confirm or deny a standalone version but did say technically it’s possible to have both.
Would we have more features than PhotoWorks offered?
It was impossible to answer this question from what was shown at the general session. I think SolidWorks may have found just matching the current PhotoWorks features was challenging enough in the short window of time they are working in. Ron didn’t comment on PV360 features beyond 2011 but did reiterate the information given in the fall announcement and made it clear the user would be able to achieve all the same things they could in PhotoWorks with PV360 2011. Contour rendering, scheduled renders, reflective and shadow floors, custom appearances, configuration support, direct lights, rendered animations……..it’s all there.
Would there be a mac version?
There was no mention of a mac version of PV360 but since there is now full integration with SolidWorks and SolidWorks on the cloud seems to be in the not to distance future then it would be true that PhotoView 360 would be operating system independent along with SolidWorks. The main reason behind the standalone and mac version question I believe stems from the desire that marketing or graphics people would like to be able ot create renderings from engineering data on their own without needing a seat of SolidWorks or relying on someone from engineering to complete this task. Looks like this ability will not be available for 2011.
Would PhotoView 360 be a native 64 bit application?
Whether installed on a 32 or 64 bit operating system PhotoView 360 is a 32 bit application. This is important because that means it’s bound by the memory limitations of a 32 bit application. Currently, it’s quite possible your able to open and work on a large data set in 64 bit SolidWorks but unable to render that data in photoView 360 because of it’s 32 bit memory limits. I was hoping there would be a 64 bit version of PV360 for 2011. No mention was made of this during the general session but since PhotoView 360 has been fully integrated into SolidWorks this would mean the 64 bit version of SolidWorks would install a 64 bit version of PhotoView 360 by default. I posed this logic to Ron during our talk and he did confirm that’s what will happen. So, there will be a 64 bit version of PhotoView 360 for 2011. Nice!
If you’re a modo user then you already know 64 bit modo does not support the import of SolidWorks files. The user needs to import the SolidWorks file in the 32 bit version of modo, save in the modo format and then open the file in the 64 bit version. This is because Luxology licenses the SolidWorks file importer from SolidWorks. It’s the same importer PhotoView 360 uses. If a native 64 bit version of PhotoView 360 is on the horizon then I’m speculating the ability for 64 bit modo to import SolidWorks files is coming soon as well. Oh, I hope so. Just to stretch that thought a bit more, is it possible we might see a 64 bit version of PhotoView 360 in a 2010 service pack? I asked Ron this question and all I received was a smile and these words, "anything is possible".
Would animation support be the same as PhotoWorks or enhanced with modo type tools?
The general session demo showed a short rendered animation of a blender rotating on a table. PhotoView 360 was the rendering tool used along with SolidWorks Motion. There were no specific details on how the animation was created but I suspected the current motion tools were used and PhotoView 360 was selected as the render buffer at the time of save. Exactly the same way you’d use PhotoWorks with Motion now. Ron did confirm this was the case. No new tools in terms of rendered animations but we may see some in the future.
Would we be able to create custom appearances from scratch (using a texture for example)?
Would decal functionality be part of PhotoView 360 rather than SolidWorks?
Would we have greater control over appearance mapping type, location and scale?
Would we be able to transfer cameras from SolidWorks to PhotoView 360?
We can really answer all these questions with one word, integration. Now that PhotoView 360 has been integrated into the SolidWorks window all the tools already found inside SolidWorks for things like cameras, lighting, decals, appearance controls, etc. can be used with PhotoView 360. I have to think it’s much more time and cost effective for SolidWorks to integrate PhotoView 360 technology into the SolidWorks window rather than re-write these tools for a standalone version of PhotoView 360. I’m sure full integration was part of the plan all along but SolidWorks didn’t have time to make this happen in one release. Rather than give the user a fraction of the functionality they had with PhotoWorks, SolidWorks chose to provide both rendering solutions until the integration of PhotoView 360 was complete. We’ve come full circle now with the 2011 release and I think the PhotoWorks user will feel very comfortable with the changes. We now really have what PhotoWorks users have been asking for all along. New underlying technology that makes rendered image creation much easier and a streamlined more intuative user interface.
Special thanks to Ron Bates and Marlon Banta from SolidWorks. Both of these gentlemen have listened to me ramble on and ask questions for years about rendering. I may have even complained a time or two.
Rob
February 11, 2010 Tags: PhotoView 360, PhotoWorks, Rendering
Category: PhotoView 360, SolidWorks Worls 2010, Uncategorized 5 Comments
SolidWorks World 2010 Presentations Available For Download
It will be a while before SolidWorks makes the presentations from SolidWorks World 2010 available for download. Luckily for you I’m able to make four of those presenations available now.
Two of the presentation were created by me.
PhotoView 360: instant images
Find out how easy photorealistic rendering can be with PhotoView 360. In this session, attendees learn how to apply materials, set up the scene, explore the new features of PhotoView 360 2010 and watch the image come to life. Find out how easy photorealistic rendering can be with PhotoView 360. In this session, attendees learn how to apply materials, set up the scene, explore the new features of PhotoView 360 2010 and watch the image come to life.
PhotoView 360: Maximum Realism.
Attendees will learn techniques to better utilize the tools in SolidWorks and PhotoView 360 to create images of the highest levels of realism. We’ll also learn to use photo editing software with PhotoView 360 to fine tune final images.
Two of the presentations were created by Ron Bates
Visualization 101 – The Basics of Appearances, Materials and Rendering
Understand the basics of appearances and rendering. Understand how colors, textures and PhotoWorks/PhotoView materials are consolidated to give users a single workflow of changing the model to get desired look and feel.
Visualization 201 – Creating great Images Easily with RealView and PhotoView 360
Attendees will be able to grasp how easy it is to create realistic images of their models for basic use in presentations or otherwise.
You can download all of them and many more here.
February 9, 2010 Tags: PhotoView 360, Rendering, SolidWorks 2010, SolidWorks World 2010
Category: PhotoView 360, SolidWorks Worls 2010 2 Comments
SolidWorks World General Sessions
The Monday and Tuesday general sessions have taken place here at SolidWorks World 2010 and I have to say I’ve been totally blown away by them. They haven’t been particulary flashy or overally dramatic but they have contained entertaining and interesting content. Here’s a quick run down of some of the things we’ve seen.
There are about 5000 attendees at SoldiWorks World this year which is amazing given the past and current state of the economy. There was an explosion of registrations in the early weeks of 2010 which helped the 5000 attendee number to be reached, maybe this is a sign economic times are improving for 2010?
Dassault Systems
Bernard Charles, CEO of Dassault Systems was present at his first SolidWorks World ever. Bernard spent a lot of time talking about the past the future and the strength of commitment Dassault has to its product line including SolidWorks. He talked about the goal of providing “life like” 3D to everyone in the world and how the Dassault product line is going to achieve this.
I think the strongest message I pulled from his speech was the melding of Dassault and SolidWorks. It’s only been the last couple of years (when Jeff Ray assumed the CEO role at SolidWorks) that Dassault and SolidWorks have started portraying the “family” message. It appears that the family tie between Dassault and SolidWorks is getting stronger I think we’re going to start seeing this stronger tie in the form of better product collaboration. I have the feeling we’ll be hearing about some new product announcements at the Wednesday general session and those announcements might include products that span the entire Dassault family. In the short term, maybe SolidWorks will finally be able to read / write Catia files?
Cloud Computing
Normally previews of new technology is reserved for the Wednesday General session. This year a fair amount of time was spent showcasing cloud computing. I don’t know a whole lot about the technology but in a nutshell your files and software live on a server(s) somewhere in the world (the cloud) and you can be anywhere in the world and have access to that software and data on any type of system. What was shown was said to be totally running live for the presentation and has been being tested (in secret) for over 2 years. The cloud computing platform hand a very modern, fresh looking interface and I thought it was pleasing to the eye. It reminded me of CGI software more than CAD software. There were many demonstrations shown of the benefits of this type of platform including, reliability, OS independant and performance. There was also some new technology showing direct editing, touch style interfaces and content search and re-use. I’m not sure this is specific to cloud computing but was being shown as a “this could be the future” type of statement.
In my opinion over the last couple of years SolidWorks has been really quite about what the future looked like. While other CAD vendors have been showing, selling or making available for download software which has direct editing, new UI and touch interfaces SolidWorks has remained quite. I welcomed the technology preview at the Monday general session. It’s nice to know SolidWorks is investing heavily in the future. They may not be hyping that investment but it’s being made and they are working. All this technology might not be available for a while but Jeff Ray did say some of it would see users later this year.
James McLurkin
James McLurkin is a roboticist/inventor/researcher/teacher who was up after the technology preview. His presentation got off to a rocky start with some technical difficluties but once it was rolling it was GREAT. James talked about programming robots to live and work in the human world. He brought about 15 very small rover robots with him on stage and showed some demonstrations of what they could do. All very interetsting stuff but what really made the presentation was his sense of humor. James was as much an entertainer as educator and I have to think his students benefit from his style. He put on a great talk.
CSWP Event Report
Avelino Rochino and Mike Puckett took the stage to give the CSWP report. There are now over 25,000 CSWP worldwide and they also announced the new CSWP Expert exam. They also brought Jeff Ray on stage to play a round of “hole in one”. Jeff Ray’s task was to answer some questions from the CSWA exam. Every time he answered a question correctly he received one put. Think Drew Carey and the Price is Right. Jeff won 5 puts but it only took him two to make a “hole in one”. For the ”hole in one” put he won a Team Associated RC truck for John Matrishon, leader of the Western Mass SolidWorks User Group. It was an entertaining Skit.
James Cameron Interview
The highlight of the Tuesday general session was the James Cameron interview given by Former SolidWorks CEO John Hirshtick. The interview covered a wide range of topics all revolving around 3D technology of course. I was impressed by James’s depth of knowledge in a number of areas. He made it clear he wasn’t an engineer but has spent many hours working with engineers on projects covering deep sea exploration, films, film equipment, camera design and a variety of other things. He talked about how building bonds and relationships in his work with others was more important to him than awards and money. This seemed to really resonate with the audience. One thing that stuck in my mind was a statement he made. When he’s ready to launch a project he assembles his team and writes a phrase on the white board for them all to ponder. The statement…….Hope is not a strategy, luck is not a factor, fear is not an option. Words to live by I think?
I have a another busy day today. A PhotoView 360 presentation in the afternoon, Stump the Chumps following that and then a meeting with the Luxology team at their press dinner. Exciting stuff. Stay tuned.
February 2, 2010 Tags: SolidWorks Worls 2010
Category: SolidWorks 2010, Uncategorized No Comments
SolidWorks World 2010: Sunday
I spent the day Saturday alpha test SolidWorks 2011. There were about 15 other users there doing the same along with the SolidWorks product definition and usability teams. Of course I can’t really talk about anything I saw at alpha testing since that would violate my NDA but I was impressed with some of the functionality. One area in particular caught my interest (you can probably guess what that was) and I think I can safely safe past PhotoWorks users will feel very comfortable with SolidWorks 2011.
A lot of people began arriving Saturday after noon for SolidWorks World and by early evening there was a pretty good crowd forming in the Hilton Lobby. I’m noticing SolidWorks hats, shirts and back packs everywhere and this means we are getting closer to the Sunday evening kick off in the partner pavilion. In the picture to the left you’ll see some of the other SolidWorks bloggers. We all met up for dinner and caught each other up on what’s been happening over the last year since SolidWorks World is really the only place where most of us see one another.
It’s Sunday morning now and while my official schedule is 100% open today until 5:30 I do have a lot of stuff to finish up before Monday morning. First on the list is to register for the event. Looks like all attendees at World will be receiving some really nice SolidWorks branded backpacks this year. This is great since my old one is showing its age.
Next I have to check my session rooms and be sure the correct files have been loaded onto all the computers for my hands on session. I’d hate to have to do this 10 minutes before the session starts since there are about 30 systems that will need to be checked. I’ve also gathered up all the hand out material and have that ready for the session. Small things really but it will ensure a smooth presentation when the time comes. It’s nice to have time to do this on Sunday since the pace will be non stop once things get started on Monday.
I have a little clean up work to do for my sessions and I’ll try and finish that up today. They are 98% complete but I need to rehearse them one last time and revise a few things. The sessions need to be submitted to SolidWorks a couple weeks before SolidWorks world so they can get them ready for posting after the conference. Just because they have been submitted doesn’t mean they are 100% finished. I’m not sure what others do but typically my presentations are evolving right up until the session. I want to make sure I give the best session I possibly can. For that reason the best place to download my presentation after SolidWorks World is my website. It will contain the most current copy.
I’m going to meet up with Paul McCrorey for lunch. Paul and I have been chatting over the last year by e-mail and phone but have never met face to face. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. One of the great things about SolidWorks World is meeting people face to face you otherwise wouldn’t. Paul is one of those people.
Of course at 5:30 I’ll be attending the reception in the partner pavilion. That’s when Solidworks World officially starts and then I’ll be heading over to a user group leader party organized by Randy Lennox of the Boston Area SolidWorks User Group. Rumor has it about 100 people have RSVP’d for that event so it should be a good time. From there it’s off to the House of Blues for the Twitter/blogger social event being hosted by Matt West of SolidWorks.
So, even though officially my schedule is open all day you can see I’m still going to be pretty busy! That’s part of the fun of this event!
January 31, 2010 Tags: SolidWorks World 2010
Category: SolidWorks 2010, Uncategorized No Comments
Modo SP3 Supports SolidWorks 2010 Files
Service pack 3 for Modo was released on January 26th. If you’re a SolidWorks / Modo user this is good news because as of SP 3 Modo now supports the SolidWorks 2010 file format. You’ll also notice the SolidWorks importer now converts SolidWorks/PV360 appearances and decals better. Now, if we could only convince SolidWorks we need an importer that’s compatible with 64 bit Modo. Service pack 3 is free for all Modo 401 customers. You can view a complete list of Modo SP 3 changes here.
January 29, 2010 Tags: Modo, SolidWorks 2010
Category: Modo No Comments
SolidWorks World 2010, I have arrived!
We had to wait on the runway for about an hour because of high winds and the ride was a little bumpy for a while but the 65 and sunny weather here in Anaheim is so much nicer than the 5 degrees and snow I left at home. 
It’s Friday afternoon and I just had lunch with Randall Bock. Randall leads the Happy Valley SolidWorks User Group. I found him exploring outside the convention center. The conference doesn’t offically start until Sunday evening with the partner reception but I came in a couple days early for some SolidWorks 2011 alpha testing. I’m excited to see what’s been done with PhotoView 360 since the 2011 release is when it will fully replace PhotoWorks.
Stay tuned. I’ll be reporting on the conference happenings as time permits. I also have an interview lined up with Ron Bates. Ron is the Manager of Graphical Applications at SolidWorks. I’m hoping he can share some information with us about PV360 2011. I’ll be at the Luxology press event as well where I have the feeling some interesting announcements will be made about Modo.
If you’re attending World this year hurry up and arrive. I’m here and I’m ready to get this thing started!
January 29, 2010 Tags: SolidWorks World 2010
Category: SolidWorks Worls 2010 No Comments
Is It 2010 Already!
I’ve been absent here for a while. Reason being I’ve been completely swamped with work and really just haven’t had time to post. I’m currently working on an animation about 1 minute 30 seconds in length and created entirely with SolidWorks Motion and PhotoWorks. This fully rendered animation is approximately 1150 images (frames) and will require approximately 100 hours to fully process. So, since I just set it to process a couple hundred frames I have a free moment to write. There has been a lot going on in the CAD / rendering world. I haven’t been posting about it but have been following along and other bloggers are doing a great job of brining you this type of information. So, let’s take alook at what’s been happening.
PhotoWorks Meltdown:
The news of a critical issue with PhotoWorks and 64 bit versions of SolidWorks was a total shocker. It surprised me since I’ve been using PhotoWorks and SolidWorks 2010 x64 SP1 for a while without issue. Apparently the problem arises when you enable PhotoWorks during a SolidWorks session and SolidWorks is using more than 2 gigs of memory. What saved me I think was the fact I typically have photoWorks set to enable at SolidWorks start up. Glad I did since the results are reported to be pretty harsh. SolidWorks did a good job of getting a hotfix out quickly although the thought that such an issue ever made it to the public is a little unsettling. I do give SolidWorks credit, they posted bulletins, sent e-mails, got the word out and offered a fix quickly. That’s more than I can say for another company who’s software I own.
HyperShot Implodes:
If you read Develop 3D you probably also follow their blog. They broke the news about BunkSpeed losing the rights to sell HyperShot. According to the Develop 3D article Luxion pulled the HyperShot licensing rights from BunkSpeed because they didn’t pay their bill. BunkSpeed says there are other issues which caused the split between the two companies. I have the feeling there is a whole lot more going on than the public will ever know but honestly I really don’t care. All I really care about is wheather or not my license of HyperShot is now worthless. Both BunkSpeed and Luxion say, “no” and both say thay will have new software for customers soon. The word “soon”, it’s so vague isn’t it. What I’d like to know is why Develop 3D had to tell me BunkSpeed was no longer able to sell HyperShot. Why wasn’t BunkSpeed sending notices to their customers letting them know the situation? It seems a little shady to me and honestly if I were a person who relied on HyperShot to make a living I’d be a little nervous. Luckily I just play with HyperShot here and there, I don’t use it for any real work.
SolidWorks World 2010:
Doesn’t seem possible but SolidWorks World 2010 is only about 10 days away. I’m really excited to attend and it will be nice to get away for a while. I’ll be giving 2 sessions this year and both cover PhotoView 360.
One session is titled “PhotoView 360: Instant Images“ and it will be a hands on session. It’s essentially the same session I gave at SolidWorks World 2009 but it’s been updated to show some of the new features of PhotoView 360 2010. It’s geared for beginners and I think it gives them some good tools and information to move deeper into rendering.
The other session is titled “PhotoView 360: Achieving Maximum Realism“. This session is more for the intermediate to advanced user and will cover a number of tips and tricks to create better images.
I’m also going to be involved with the “Stump the Chumps” session. I was originally going to be present for the entire 90 minutes of the session but a conflict came up so I’ll only be there for the first 30 minutes. It should be a good time and there have been some really good questions asked already.
The CSWP event is shaping up to be very unique. It’s been a long time since I’ve raced remote control cars and this event should be a ton of fun. It’s so cool to know these cars were designed with SolidWorks. I wonder if they render their products?
I’m also really excited to meet up with the crew from luxology again. I haven’t had as much time as I would like to learn Modo but I’m making progress. Rumor has it Luxology will be making some announcements at SolidWorks World. I have a pretty good idea of what they’ll be and if you’re a SW/Modo user user I think you’re going to like them.
Of course it will be great to see all the people I only see at SolidWorks World and I look forward to meeting some new faces. If you ever have the opportunity to attend SolidWorks World you should take it. It’s time well spent.
NVTSWUG:
I founded the Northern Vermont SolidWorks User Group (NVTSWUG) about 5 years ago and have been leading the group ever since. It has been a great experience which has allowed me to meet a lot of people. I’ve also learned a lot along the way and its really given me an appreciation for how much time and work goes into organizing a user group meeting. Pats on the back for all the user group leaders out there. Thanks for investing your time and energy for other SolidWorks users. I say all this becasue I’m stepping down as leader of NVTSWUG in February. The group will continue on under new leadership. I now have the luxury of just showing up at the meetings.
Keep watching this blog over the next few weeks. I’ll be posting live from SolidWorks World and I might even be able to share some of the projects I’ve been working on. 3 weeks in and 2010 is already shaping up to be an interesting year.
Rob
January 24, 2010 Tags: Luxology, Modo, Rendering, SolidWorks World 2010
Category: misc. No Comments
Vermont SolidWorks User Group Meeting
The next Northern Vermont SolidWorks User Group Meeting will be Thursday November ,19th from 6-9pm at the Waterbury Best Western in Waterbury, Vermont. If you’re a SolidWorks user in the area feel free to stop in.
Here’s more information about the meeting.
This will be one of the best meetings we’ve ever held, here’s why.
If you’re a SolidWorks user you’ve no doubt been frustrated at some point by color, textures, appearance and RealView. Right? Depending on which version of SW you’re using they work differently. Right? Widely used and really basic functionality like this shouldn’t be confusing. Right? I think the answer to all that is “right”. Over the last 3 releases SW colors, textures, appearances and RealView have evolved and that evolution can be confusing. Luckily for NVTSWUG members that confusion is going to be cleared up. We’ll have Ron Bates, Graphical Applications Manager from SolidWorks. Ron is going to talk about colors, textures, appearances and RealView. He’s going to explain how they have evolved over the last 3 releases, future changes and explain why and what has been done. This is the same session Ron will be giving at SW World 2010 so if you can’t make SW World and you want a taste of what a SW World presentation is like this is a good one to catch.
Have you ever had an SolidWorks installation issue? Do administrative installs confuse you? Do you have a difficult time with the SW Install Manager? Have you wondered why you have to download 3 gigs of information to install a service pack? Again if you’re an NVTSWUG member you’ll get the answers to these questions and any other install questions you might have. Melissa Appel is a Product Definition Specialist at SolidWorks and she’s been heavily involved with the SolidWorks installation process. Like Ron her NVTSWUG presentation on installing SW will be the same presentation she gives at SW World 2010.
The REALLY great things about these presentations is they cover information EVERY SolidWorks user needs to know. It doesn’t matter your industry, your job title, your specific task, your product……………………..if you’re a SolidWorks user you need to be well versed in installation and colors.
The two presentations described above alone are reason enough to attend the November meeting but if you need a bit more than how about this. We will not be having pizza at this meeting! Yes, that’s correct, “we will NOT be having pizza at this meeting”. I’m going to change up the food bit for this one.
Still want more? Ok. We will be having cake at this meeting. Why? It’s the 5 anniversary of NVTSWUG and I think that deserves some cake.
Oh, almost forgot. We’ll have some prize giveaways as we typically do.
We also need to talk about electing new group leadership for 2010 so that might be another reason to attend this meeting.
Whew, can we pack all this into 3 hours. We’ll try but I have to admit this meeting might run a little long for the diehard’s.
So, honestly I don’t think we’ve ever had a meeting with technical content this good. If you only go to 1 NVTSWUG meeting in your life this one should be it.
OK. I’m done. Really
See you Thursday November, 19th at 6pm at the Waterbury Best Western. Don’t be late
Rob
November 11, 2009 Tags: Solidworks, SolidWorks user Group
Category: User Groups No Comments
