VRML Export Issue

I have two parts in an assembly. If I export the parts individually to
VRML files the face color data is included in the exported file.
However, if I export the assembly as a single VRML file or as
individual files from the assembly all faces are converted to gray.
Anyone know if this is a known issue and/or there is a workaround?

-Matthew

 

PS: SW 2005 sp 0.1

 

I think the answer is that you need to apply colours in the assy... the
individual part colours don't carry over.

 

On this topic can you apply textures to the VRML, I have never played with
this export before and may have a application for it.

Ben

 

I ran a quick test on exporting a model that has a texture set and it
does not seem to pass through to the VRML for EITHER a part or an
assembly.

Applying colors at the assembly does cary through to VRML but I am only
able to select the full part to apply the color. Note that the part is
a solid model imported (I think) as IGIS and then colored per face at
the part level. Don't know if that makes a difference.

Thanks to both of you for the ideas.

-Matthew

 

I use VRML to export to Blender for rendering.
AFAIK no texture or face info is able to be exported from SW.
you probably need to export your multi coloured assy and use it is another
program to apply the detail that you want.
there is a program for fly throughs that has the ability to use textures
www.navisworks.com if that is what you want but I think you need to apply
your own in that...not VRML though
cheers
neil

 

latest version of navisworks ('jetstream' for some reason) reads vrml
hth
peter

 

OK, I found a solution. I was applying colors to the faces in my part
using edit color and these did not get passed along to the VRML.
However, if I assign a material to the part then the materials color
will be passed through to VRML for the appropriate faces. Have not
tested textures via material properties.

 

sorry, run that by me again please -
you applied colour to faces in the assy of parts that had materials assigned
and the VRML had the face colours present?

 

If you select faces on a part and use the color assignment control
directly to change how the part renders on screen and export directly
from the part to VRML then the per-face colors cary through to the
VRML. However, if you export the same parts from within an assembly -
whether you do so as a single file or multiple files - the per-face
color information is discarded.

If instead you assign a material to the part and then adjust the color
of the material the colors carry through to VRML for both individual
parts and assemblies.

In both cases I was managing the appearance at the individual part
level. The change/work around/fix/hack is to use materials instead of
per-face colors. If you are building parts from scratch you likely
have a single material and this approach is fine. A number of my
parts, however, are IGES models where multiple materials are present.
With the handful that I've been testing against I ended up splitting
the model into pieces per material to make this work but it's anoying
and would be a major pain for a large component part.

-Matthew

-Matthew

 

ok thanks for your experimentation and explanation. I'll try it out.
cheers
neil