Experience Modo from Luxology LLC at SolidWorks World 2013

SolidWorks World 2013 will be held January 20-23, 2013 at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin in Orlando, Florida.

Luxology is a computer graphics software company that specializes in modeling and rendering. They offer end-user products (e.g., Modo) and licensed technologies based on our Nexus platform. 

Visit booth #1114 in the Partner Pavilion to get live tour of Modo and enhance your rendering and animation skills with Modo.

Join thousands of users from around the world to:

• Learn: Choose from over 200 technical breakout sessions led by SolidWorks users and industry experts.
• Network: Meet other SolidWorks users, Solution Partners, resellers, and SolidWorks employees.
• Explore: Discover products and services from SolidWorks Partners that can help you tackle just about any design, engineering, and manufacturing challenge.

If you are first timer to SWW check this as “Why you should attend“. The new  SWW 2013 website will give you all the required details like Agenda, Location details (for checking near by hotels and the surrounding areas), registration, etc.

Need help convincing the boss to let you go?: Boss’ Justification Letter

Another reason to be there: Get SolidWorks Certified at no charge!

When you register to attend SolidWorks World 2013 you get the opportunity to take a Certified SolidWorks Professional exam alongside other SolidWorks users—at no charge!

Get three registrations when you pay for two. On top of it if you are a CSWP/CSWE then add another $100 as discount to your conference pass. That’s a nice chunk of discounts. Get all fees details here

Visit www.solidworks.com/sww for the latest information about this exciting event.

I enjoyed and had a great time at SolidWorks World 2012 and I hope to meet you at the SolidWorks World 2013 in Orlando, Florida. 

PS–be sure to follow SolidWorks World on Twitter for regular news and updates.

Please note:  All individuals will be required to show proof of identification prior to collecting their badge and registration materials. Attendees must be 21 years or older to attend SolidWorks World 2013. Also residents of some countries may require a visa to enter the United States.

KeyShot for SolidWorks to showcase at Solidworks World 2013

SolidWorks World 2013 will be held January 20-23, 2013 at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin in Orlando, Florida.

3D Rendering for SolidWorks couldn’t be easier. KeyShot is widely recognized as the easiest and most powerful rendering and animation software when it comes to selling concepts, creating internal presentations, delivering digital prototypes, and creating sales or marketing images – all from native SolidWorks data.

Visit booth #129 at SolidWorks World 2013 Partner Pavilion to see the new features being announced for KeyShot 4, along with the simple rendering and animation workflow, KeyShotVR and the ease of creating stunning visuals that KeyShot brings to SolidWorks users

Why users choose KeyShot for SolidWorks

1. You don’t have to be a rendering expert to create great photorealistic renderings for SolidWorks models.
2. KeyShot uses unique rendering technology which makes it possible to see everything happen inside KeyShot in real time.
3. KeyShot uses scientifically accurate materials and real-world lighting for the most accurate rendering of SolidWorks data.
4. KeyShot takes full advantage of all computer cores and threads and doesn’t require any special hardware or graphics card.
5. KeyShot has a SolidWorks plugin and direct import support, including the ability to make live model updates while in KeyShot.
6. Since data is stored in RAM, KeyShot can handle extremely large data sets, even on simple laptops.

Join thousands of users from around the world to:

• Learn: Choose from over 200 technical breakout sessions led by SolidWorks users and industry experts.
• Network: Meet other SolidWorks users, Solution Partners, resellers, and SolidWorks employees.
• Explore: Discover products and services from SolidWorks Partners that can help you tackle just about any design, engineering, and manufacturing challenge.

If you are first timer to SWW check this as “Why you should attend“. The new  SWW 2013 website will give you all the required details like Agenda, Location details (for checking near by hotels and the surrounding areas), registration, etc.

Need help convincing the boss to let you go?: Boss’ Justification Letter

Another reason to be there: Get SolidWorks Certified at no charge!

When you register to attend SolidWorks World 2013 you get the opportunity to take a Certified SolidWorks Professional exam alongside other SolidWorks users—at no charge!

Get three registrations when you pay for two. On top of it if you are a CSWP/CSWE then add another $100 as discount to your conference pass. That’s a nice chunk of discounts. Get all fees details here

Visit www.solidworks.com/sww for the latest information about this exciting event.

I enjoyed and had a great time at SolidWorks World 2012 and I hope to meet you at the SolidWorks World 2013 in Orlando, Florida. 

PS–be sure to follow SolidWorks World on Twitter for regular news and updates.

Please note:  All individuals will be required to show proof of identification prior to collecting their badge and registration materials. Attendees must be 21 years or older to attend SolidWorks World 2013. Also residents of some countries may require a visa to enter the United States.

Tow Truck and The Rope Animation – 1

This has been long over due and now I finally got the time to do it.  Many of my reader and viewers has been asking for it and I really feel sorry for not able to deliver it in time. But finally it is here. Check the video below and if you feel you need to know “How to do it” (I can assure you that this is a simple animation), then proceed on.

OK to make this spicy dish (oh I mean animation), you need following ingredients (made in SW2012). You can download them here. You can also your make your own ingredients and use them.

1. Tow Truck Assy (we’ll use this as the base for the final animation)
2. Pulley
3. Winch Drum
4. Rope
5. Wooden pallet
6. Steel Hook
7. PhotoWorks pr PhotoView 360 (either of one is required to make more realistic animation). I’ve used PhotoView 360.
8. A secret Spice (this is the main ingredient of this dish).

I’ve made very basic shapes and did a quick modelling. So please pardon me for any mistakes and not following the design intent, colors and other recommended tools/options.

I’ll be updating further soon.

Enjoy SolidWorks on GoBOXX 1840 Mobile Workstation

BOXX is the leading innovator of high-performance workstations and rendering systems for visual effects, animation, product design, engineering, architectural visualization, and more. Combining record-setting performance, speed, and reliability with unparalleled industry knowledge, BOXX is the trusted choice for creative professionals worldwide. For more information, visit www.boxxtech.com.

GoBOXX 1840 features a third generation Intel® Core™ i7 (Ivy Bridge) quad core mobile processor delivering outstanding performance for 64-bit applications in animation, compositing, motion media, design, and more. 1840 also includes NVIDIA® Optimus™ technology which chooses the best graphics processor for running a given application and automatically routes the workload to either the NVIDIA Kepler GPU or Intel integrated graphics – delivering outstanding performance while providing longer battery life.

Processor

• Third generation (Ivy Bridge) Intel® Core™ i7 Quad Core (Up to 2.9 GHz and up to 3.8GHz turbo mode)

Graphic Card Options

• NVIDIA Kepler GeForce Mobile
• Intel HD GMA Video

Memory

• Four Memory Slots Expandable up to 
• 32GB DDR3 of 1600Mhz

Monitor Size

• 17.3″ Full HD with 1920 x 1080 resolution

Features

• NVIDIA Optimus technology enables switchable GPU  
• Optional RAID Storage
• Intel Smart Response Technology SSD 
• Intel Rapid Start technology 
• Up to 2 drive bays 
• Built-in 2 mega pixels web cam 
• Integrated Intel® Wi-Fi Link
• Integrated Bluetooth Ver2.0 
• Integrated Fingerprint Reader
• Built-in Speakers and Microphone
• USB 3.0

Check complete details here

Time to Study and Learn with SolidWorks

I’ve been quite a busy these days after I’ve returned from SolidWorks World 2012 in San Diego. I’ve been working on many things and don’t get much time to write. And to add to this I’ll be busy for next few weeks. This would not be only because of my ongoing projects but also something different, I’m getting back to my school days.

I’m not going to join any school though but will be doing a self learning. I’ll be doing my favorite stuffs in SolidWorks which are Rendering, Animation and API. I’ll be studying and learning via following books in next couple of weeks.

Photorealistic Rendering Using SolidWorks and PhotoView 360

(Courtesy of Rob Rodriguez)

Creating Animations with SolidWorks Step-by-Step

(Courtesy of SolidWorks)

SolidWorks API – Programming & Automation

(Courtesy of Luke Malpass)

SolidWorks API – Advanced Product Development

(Courtesy of Luke Malpass)

I’ll be posting my learning experience with these books soon.

Luxion Releases KeyShot® 3.0.96

Luxion has released KeyShot 3.0.96 for its users.

This release is to add Maya Importer (Beta) with Improved Render Performance and More…..

KeyShot 3.0.96 improvements

Here’s the bullet list of updates you’ll find in KeyShot 3.

• Improved importers for SolidWorks, Solid Edge and Inventor
• Added manipulation tool for labels
• Added ability to position textures and labels interactively
• Improved render performance and quality for diffuse materials
• Improved quality of background in rendering
• Improved quality for compressed video output formats
• Fixed issue with HDRLightStudio plugin
• Misc. bug fixes

Maya Importer

Maya importer is also included in 3.0.96. Please note that it is in BETA (it says so next to the file type in the list of supported formats  ). The idea to include it this release to get as your feedback on how it works with your models. In order to use the importer on PC or Mac make sure you have either MAYA 2011 or 2012 installed AND licensed (Maya import works a bit different from our other importers in that way.)

Latest download links

Hit downloads section on Keyshot site, enter your email and the download information will be on it’s way. Have questions about updates or functionality in 3.0.96? Just hit the forums and if you have questions on licensing or upgrades just email sales@luxion.com.

Luxion releases updated plugins for SolidWorks

Irvine, California, December 21, 2011 - Luxion, the leading developer of advanced rendering and lighting technology and makers of KeyShot®, the first real time ray tracing and global illumination program, has released an update to its 3D CAD plugins for direct import into KeyShot 3.

KeyShot® is an interactive 3D rendering and global illumination program developed by Luxion for both PC and Mac that breaks down the complexity of creating photographic images from 3D models. Combined with its ease of use, KeyShot gives anybody involved with 3D data the ability to create photographic images and animations in a matter of minutes, independent of the size of the digital model.

The plugins are seamlessly integrated into the modeling software’s UI with a small download that installs a quick-access menu item allowing the model to be transferred and opened directly in KeyShot 3 while keeping both applications separate. The plugins provides the ability to maintain the assembly, group or layer structure of the model, as well as any color information associated with the 3D data.

There is no cost for the 3D CAD software plugins. The updated KeyShot plugins are available immediately for download and installation within all  modeling software supported. The plugins, including a detailed description of supported features, are available at http://www.keyshot.com/downloads/plugins.html

For more information on KeyShot 3D rendering and animation software please visit http://keyshot.com

Luxion Releases KeyShot® 3

Luxion is pleased to announce the release of KeyShot 3! KeyShot 3 is the long-awaited update to KeyShot 2 featuring an all new, patent-pending animation system, major improvements to UI and workflow, over 400 new materials and new importers for NX, Parasolid, JT, Solid Edge and SolidWorks for PC and Mac.

Realtime 3D animation:

Geared towards designers, engineers and marketing professionals, the KeyShot 3 patent-pending animation capabilities break down the complexity when creating part and camera animations from 3D models. Key features include:

• Animation setup, edit and playback take place inside KeyShot’s real-time raytraced environment.
• Rather than relying on setting up keyframes, Luxion has developed a unique, patent-pending animation system based on offset transforms. These transforms can be combined to create complex part and camera animations.
• Offset transforms can moved interactively in the timeline, being copied, pasted, linked with and moved to other parts.
• All animations can be output to standard multi-media formats such as AVI, QuickTime®, or Flash.

Improved User Interface and workflow:

Particular attention has been paid the user interface and workflow. Many areas have been completely redesigned to make the user experience even better than before. A significant amount of new functionality has also been added. Key areas of improvements are:

• Improved model interaction: Individual or multiple parts can now be moved in local or global coordinate space, making it possible to quickly generate exploded views of your model.
• Redesigned library with all new content: The library has been completely redesigned using a folder structure. This makes organizing content much more flexible. The library has also been populated with over 400 materials and over 40 lighting environments with more content available on the KeyShot website.
• Material editing: To make editing of existing materials and creation of new materials simpler, the material dialog has been reworked. Parameters have been logical named and grouped. Texture maps have been grouped under a single tab making it easy to see what texture maps are in use and how they are applied. The realtime preview lets the user explore the changes to the material under the given lighting environment in the scene.
• Texture mapping: Texture mapping has been greatly enhanced with the addition of specular and opacity maps, allowing users to create even more advanced effects with their materials including geometric patterns based on an image. Texture manipulation is now more interactive and allows for better control of the desired result.
• Dialog cleanup: All dialogs have been cleaned up and partially consolidated to make the interaction with the scene easier and the settings more logical. Advanced settings are always present, but never exposed directly to the user. This way the novice user is not overwhelmed, and the advanced user has quick access to an advanced toolset.

 More import options on PC and Mac:

For KeyShot 3, the import pipeline has been significantly expanded to include even more native file formats. All formats are now supported on PC and Mac. This makes KeyShot one of the first applications to support file formats of leading CAD applications on both platforms. New importers are:

• NX: Support for NX 8 and prior with the ability to control tessellation.
• Parasolid: Support for native Parasolid files including control of tessellation quality.
• SolidWorks: Support for SolidWorks 2012 and prior (32/64bit). The tessellation can now controlled upon import.
• Autodesk Inventor: Support for Autodesk Inventor 2012 and prior.
• SolidEdge: Support for SolidEdge ST4 and prior with the ability to control the tessellation upon import.
• FBX: The FBX importer now supports part animation that can be imported and played back.

A complete list of all new items inside KeyShot 3 can be found here: keyshot.com/whats_new.pdf

Flexi Tube -1 (motion thorough a tube)

Just another fun with the SolidWorks animation. This one talks more on in-context modeling approach and how to use that for animation. Though more focus will be on creating the animation but yes there is small though most important role of in-context modeling.

Preparing for the animation:

1. To start, create a spherical ball of any dia and the save the part as Ball ( I have taken the dia as 3in).

2. Start a new assembly and save it with any desired name and preferred location.

3. Insert a new part via Insert > Component > New part*.

4. Select front plane as the base plane for new part. You may choose a different plane too.

5. Create a sketch on as shown in the pic (you may choose different values for the dimensions).

6. Using revolve feature, create a cylinder and finally exit the part edit mode. You may save the part internally or externally as desired.

7. Now insert the ball part (created in step 1) into the assembly. Place it any where in the assembly and make sure it is floating i.e. not fixed.

8. Add two coincident mates (between front planes of ball and assembly and similarly between top planes of ball and assembly).

9. Add a 1.6in value distance mate between right planes of ball and assembly.

10. Now switch to part edit mode and edit the long tube/pipe (created through steps 3-6). You can right click on the part in graphics or in the feature manager and select edit part.

11. Start a new sketch on the front plane of the pipe.

12. Expand the feature tree for ball part and select the sketch used to create the ball.

13. Click on convert entities. This will copy the sketch used for ball onto the front plane of the pipe

14. Using horizontal line as centre line, create a revolved feature.

15. Hide ball part for easy selection and further feature addition/editing. Right click on the ball part and select hide components.

16. Add a fillet of 0.25in as shown.

17. Add a shell feature with 0.1in as wall thickness, shell outward and select both the ends of the tube under faces to remove.

18. Create another sketch on the front plane of the pipe (as shown) and do a revolve cut.

19. Exit part edit mode. And finally save the assembly.

You have finished with doing the required steps prior to animation.

* If you are using SW2007, then you’ll have to save the part externally but in higher versions, you can save the part internally in the assembly. Check SolidWorks help for more details on it.

Creating the animation:

1. Switch to motion manger/study. Set the view orientation as required.

2. Drag the timebar to any time value (I have set it to 10 seconds).

3. Now double click on the distance mate mate. This will highlight the distance value and dimension modify window will pop up.

4. Key the desired value (I have used 13.5in) and click OK to finish distance modifications.

5. Now hit calculate and then finally you can play/save your animation. Check the video under My Videos section.

Enjoy playing motion with different shapes/sizes.

Creating Animations with SolidWorks step-by-step

Animation had always been an interesting thing for me and I keep on doing experiment with animation in SolidWorks. SolidWorks has recently come up with its new version of “Creating Animations with SolidWorks step-by-step”. And when I was asked for reviewing the book I was full of joy as this will be my first chance to learn more about the animation from a step by step guide.

The book contains 35 easy-to-understand tutorials and practice exercises, each building upon the previous lesson. The best thing is that everything has been explained via step by step, enhancing your skills on SolidWorks animation as you progress from simple to more complex animations. There are case studies and practices files included at the end of each chapter to make your grip more stronger on animation and revise what you have learned through out the chapter.  Total 536 pages book which also include DVD-ROM containing files (SolidWorks 2010 version) for tutorials and practice exercises. The book costing $89.95 can be order via SolidWorks online store.

The quick overview is that it’s a good book every SW animation beginner or who wants to enhance his/her skill with animation, should have this book as there is lot of stuff to try and learn. I’ll be posting more about the book as I progress with the chapters blogs. You can also learn more about the book on Gabi Jack and Rob Rodriguez blogs

Chapter 1: Explains what is Animation, why it is required and how to create it. And what different types of Animations can be created with SolidWorks Animator.

Chapter 2: Explains easy steps on creating simple animation and get you started with animation. Also discusses on saving the animation.

Chapter 3: Explains editing the timeline and key points.

Chapter 4: Explains creating/editing and tweaking the view orientations. Also explains use of perspective view.