Widget Done! Now How to Show It?

The age old question still exists, even after we have designed the
lastest & greatest product.

Show it off!

1. The RP model is OK if that is as far as you can go with cost.

2. A final assembly is best, or the final molded part/s

But,...even with the above, examining the subtlties of how it works
often means using software.

Here is where the questions come in:

How do YOU do Show & Tell?

A. SolidWorks
B. eDrawings
C. Acrobat 3D
D. Animator
E.

WHY?
WHERE?

Bo

 

My common show&tell is done via a screenshot macro that saves
consecutively numbered jpegs (bound to a key). This allows me to
quickly zoom, pan, rotate, section my assembly highlighting key
features and 'clicking' screenshots with the push of a button.

This way, when I have an upcoming conference call I can send either a
package of jpegs or a powerpoint that guides people through the
assembly showing them exactly what 'I' want them to see. This static
view is so much easier to manage especially via conference call.

I used to send edrawings and then your on the phone saying "ok, now
rotate around to the other side - umm the rotate button is on the
toolbar beside the... repeat ad infinitum.

I can add captions to the powerpoint if desired, or I will lay a
pencil line grid over the images in photoshop (letter/number grid) so I
can focus people's attention to specific area ie. 'look at grid b-3'

Animation for exploding assemblies, rendering for photorealism etc, but
that stuff is all eye-candy. Screenshots are like an edrawing only
better because you control what people look at. If edrawings had a
'slideshow savedview with captions' mode maybe I would use that?

Zander

 

Z, the screenshot seuence is a creative approach I have not thought of,
in addition to setting the stage for a more intensive PowerPoint.

Have you set up these screen shots in a multipage pdf which (hopefully
by now) everyone can open?

Thanks for the reminder.

Bo


I use a couple screen shot utilities, and I have uned animator

 

Just out of curiosity are you guys using Realview when you capture
images?
It seems to me that SW although benefiting for more triangle displaying
power is not yet using the full capability available from graphics
cards these days.
Would having things like 16xAA, hdr lighting and better
materials/textures and shadows be useful to you?
Would you be happy to capture realtime animation from the screen rather
than phototrealistically render it (putting aside the issue of time to
produce it)? or perhaps you just want stills? would a built in grid
overlay on screen be useful?

 

The overlay would be useful - but I generally put a light texture on
parts but then blend funky colors. I need to be able to say "see the
purple part beside the orange part'.

 

So ok a toobar button for on screen grid display with ABCx123 and in
options for density and colour? Also worth noting here is that
perpective notes have never worked well so the ability to place some
leaders and labels via the overlay might be helpful.
Someone on subs can put in an enhancement or SW may read it here.

The trouble I think with Realview is that the metal materials are a
lttle bright or perhaps overpowering to be realistic ...and really some
of the other textures are not too hot either..or perhaps limited in
choice (no camouflage texture for instance)
Maybe there should be an option to select a material with bright or
blurred/weathered finish.
If things were a little toned down and AA was higher it would help.
It seems to me too that the modelling environment with gradient fill
and simple shadow projected on a plane is rather primitive in
comparison to the lighting of a game.
Sometimes the lighting is obviously wrong at least with 05 which I use.
I can see potential for something a little better esp as GPU like the
new nvidia 8800 are programmable and have many cores.
Anyway food for thought )

 

BTW would it be handy to use SW own Rx screen capture to capture the 3d
window as you rotate and zoom and also push and pull on moving parts?
add voice coments?
.....well maybe another enhancement request if it is....

 

On the Macintosh in OSX, the screen shot utility SnapZ ProX can do
video screen capture.

www.ambrosiasw.com

I can't remember whether a SnagIt version on Win XP Pro does video, but
one of the company's PC utilities does, like SnapZ ProX.

www.techsmith.com

Bo

 

yes I realise that but I was wondering if Rx can be made use of for
this purpose since it is already in SW.

 

The neat thing about on-screen video capture utilities is that you can
take a quick clip direct from SolidWorks without having to set up an
Animator animation.

They can save time.

Bo

 

Yes )

 

With animator you can do screen capture also you don't have to preset
views. Though view animations are extremely easy to create.