Photoworks bug?

I'm wresling with PW about the material and colors. Here is the setup:
(CTRL-Q every time)

SW2004 sp0
No material defined in PW
physical SW material is pure gold
part color is blue with a face red

PW option to use SW material, result is a grey part
PW option to use SW material and use physical SW material, result is a gold
part as expected
PW option to use physical SW material, result is a gold part as expected

Now I set a material in PW, let's say a wood one (maple).

PW option to use no SW material, result is a black part
PW option to use no SW material and use no physical SW material, result is a
wood part as expected
PW option to use physical SW material, result is a wood part. The setting
is overrode by the PW material
PW option to use SW material and use physical SW material, result is a black
part.

Did I missed something or there is a bug?

Robin

 

Do you have a SolidWorks Material set using the new sw2004 materials? Is
your SW material set to use advanced graphics? Is your video card real
view capable?

I have seen parts render black when I have a SW material set with no PW
material.

matt

 

Yes, material is set to pure gold so that the parts should not be grey. SW
material set to no advanced graphic and no part color. Video card is a
geforce softhacked to quadro. I think graphic card is not related to this
problem since PW is a CPU process rather than a graphic card process. I
have both problems: the black problem you described and a general use of a
grey color at rendering.

I upgraded the SW2003 to 2004, could it be the problem? My var told me
about a special way to install SW2004 to avoid bugs in PW.

 

Even if I set the SW material to copper and option set to use Sw material I
get a grey render!

 

There was a bug in SP0 where PWx would not use the SW material. A quick
test in SP1 makes it look like its fixed (defualt material is red, but
object renders as grey like it is on the screen), but changing the part
color shows there's problems - PWx lags behind changes, but I can't figure
out the pattern. Change part to Blue, the PWx rendering stays grey for a
couple fo times then goes blue. Change part to yellow, it continues to
render as blue... etc.
I have seen the black render, but wasn't as methodical as you to noodle out
why it happens.

I generally don't run into problems because I NEVER use SWx to change/set
my PWx colors. I would like to, but I've found applying all colors via PWx
is, for various reasons, the path of least resistenace. Using overwrite SWx
properties has its deficiencies (especailly with trnasmissive materials -
you ahve to set the diffuse up so the material isn't black in SWx, even
though trnsmissive materials will not use diffuse), but it is imo more
reliable.

 

I would guess that's the problem. You have to assign a PW material. The
SW material won't show in PW.

Also, I've read that that problem is fixed in SP1. Looks like you're on
SP0. If you can upgrade, does that fix your problem?

matt

 

I believe it was reported as fixed, but it isn't really fixed. Do anything
beyond a super-basic test (just try changing colors a couple of times in
SWx, and use a non-standard default material in PWx), and the flaws will
show. Bummer.

BTW - have you all noticed how bugs get exponentially worse once your
settings get away from the default? For instance, the default cone angle
for a spotlight is 45°. If the cone edge angle varies even slightly from
this (heck, try 44°, or 46°), the coherence and cone edge angle give
dramatically different results in the render. The bug has already been
reported, but the basic sensibility - that once you get away from default
values, the bugs get worse - still seems to hold. Anyone else become aware
of this?

 

Ed:

I can't speak with much authority on Photoworks. If I make a rendering
that looks good, it was probably an accident. I've got a mechanical
engineer's eye for visual finery, what we musicians would call a "tin ear".

My main experience with PW2 is that I tend to crash it more often than I
save.

What you say is likely the case, but the fix was listed in the release
notes or somewhere.

matt