Turn SOLIDWORKS CAD Data into Photorealistic Imagery
SOLIDWORKS Visualize is a robust and versatile tool for creating lifelike imagery out of your 3D CAD models for product pitch presentations, marketing materials, and more. Using the latest in photorealistic rendering technology, you can produce lifelike images, animations and interactive virtual reality publications.
With Visualize, you have the option to either pull appearance data from SOLIDWORKS and use Visualize as the final rendering application, or you can assign all materials, lighting, cameras, and environmental effects right within Visualize, creating imagery that is indistinguishable from real life.
Both Visualize Standard and Professional create stunning
photorealistic static images, but with Visualize Professional you
get additional capabilities such as custom interior lighting,
motion blur, and lens bloom.
AR/VR (.glb & .glTF) Export
Easily export your Visualize projects as industry-standard file
formats (.glb & .glTF) for use in immersive downstream augmented
reality and virtual reality experiences.
Automatic Rotation Animation
Publish photorealistic rotational animations with the click of a
button.
Full Timeline Animation Video
Tell a deeper story with your CAD data using a full animation
suite. Animate exploded views, part opacity, cameras, and much
more with ease to create photo-quality videos to describe even the
most complex projects. You can even include imported SOLIDWORKS
CAD motion studies and decals created from video.
3D Interactive Image
Create 3D images of your products that anyone on any device can
view and rotate.
Visualize Boost Support
You’re busy and responsible for more than just creating
renderings. Visualize Boost allows usage of GPU/CPU of any
networked computer for both live viewport performance and final
publication rendering. Offload the rendering process and free up
your computer for other tasks.
Other Professional Benefits
Live and final network rendering
Rendering queue: Send multiple projects to the rendering queue
for sequential batch rendering.
Product configurations: Develop customizable versions of your
products all in the same Visualize project.
Custom lighting and IES light profiles support: Develop your own
lights or import IES light profiles for dramatic photorealistic
effects.
Vehicle driving simulator and integrated physics engine: Create
beautiful driving images and animations of your vehicle that
doesn’t even exist yet, or enable physics with a few simple
clicks and watch your items collide and fall, just like they
would in real life.
HOW CAN HAWK RIDGE SYSTEMS HELP?
The Hawk Ridge team is here to help you succeed with SOLIDWORKS Visualize. Whether you need training, consulting, or other assistance with a project, our team is here for you.
For example, we had a unique situation where our customer was under the gun on a competitive bid. Their SOLIDWORKS assembly was quite large, and they needed a detailed 360 animation, along with several static renders, completed and delivered in a tight timeframe. We were able to help them take the customer’s design, apply materials and lighting per the customer's request and create the renderings on time to win the bid.
SERVICES
MORE THAN JUST A PROVIDER
If you ever need advice or advanced training on a specific
rendering project, we are here to help.
TRAINING
IMPROVE PERFORMANCE THROUGH TAILORED LEARNING
At Hawk Ridge, we offer a complete Visualize training program
with three half-day sessions that will teach you everything
you need to know to create professional imagery and animations
of your products. We offer both online and in-person training
options to fit your schedule.
Whether you are looking for on-demand training, access to the
latest software releases, exclusive resources and offers, or
just needing expert support – there's a subscription option
for you.
What hardware is needed to run
SOLIDWORKS Visualize?
It might be best to contact us for your specific situation. It all boils
down to the video card(s). Visualize is a 3D application so a basic
engineering computer is fine for running the app. We recommend Nvidia
cards Kepler and newer, the more CUDA cores, the better. When it comes to
rendering, it will utilize all available hardware, GPU or CPU, or
optionally both. Therefore, we suggest using a separate computer to
perform the rendering, that way your work computer isn’t tied up during
that process.
Will SOLIDWORKS Visualize create
AR/VR publications?
Visualize will export GLTF which is a standard format for AR/VR. It will
also create 360-degree videos with preset camera tracks. Think of it like
you're riding on a rollercoaster – you must stay on the tracks, but you
can look around while the video is playing. Visualize also publishes HTML
website content so you can rotate your product in photorealistic quality.
Is SOLIDWORKS required? If so, does
it take up a SOLIDWORKS license?
No to both. SOLIDWORKS is not required. Visualize installs outside of
SOLIDWORKS and uses a separate license to operate. Visualize will work
with nearly any 3D model but can pull visual attributes directly from
SOLIDWORKS.
Does Visualize come with materials
and environments to use?
Absolutely. Several will install with the application and a library opens
when you start using the application via the cloud library. No login is
required, you just press the button to use the cloud library and the
assets download as needed when used. Visualize is also compatible with the
full Nvidia material library, which adds hundreds of additional materials.
Is there an update link between
SOLIDWORKS and Visualize?
Yes. On import there is an option to link back to SOLDWORKS so when a
design change is made, the Visualize project will update. There is no link
back to SOLIDWORKS, however. This is intentional so that design changes
cannot be made in Visualize; it is a one-way street.
Is it possible to setup a network
renderer or a render farm?
Yes. With every license of Visualize Pro you also get what is called
Visualize Boost which is installed on a network computer and creates a
connection with any other computers on the network running Visualize Pro
so all render jobs can be outsourced. Boost servers can also be network
linked together to create a cluster. Think of it as all the servers
working as one, similar to cloud computing.
Is Visualize better than
PhotoView360?
SOLIDWORKS Visualize does utilize newer, more accurate rendering
technologies and therefor will render much more realistic imagery, but it
really depends on your needs for which one is better. PhotoView360 works
within SOLIDWORKS and doesn’t require the user to leave the software. That
is also a double-edged sword because that requires the person to know how
to use SOLIDWORKS. Visualize has a more simplified interface and workflow
running outside of SOLIDWORKS. PhotoView360 is intended for quick product
stills, while Visualize is intended for more professional renderings,
animations, and interactive content.