PhotoWorks release 2—

enhanced photorealistic rendering for

SolidWorks users

The Standard in 3D
Introduction

PhotoWorks release 2 is a new release of the PhotoWorks product. The

foundation of the product is now based on the rendering engine of
New in PhotoWorks mental images®, which forms the basis of many premium entertain-
release 2: ment, computer-aided design, scientific visualization, architecture, and
other photorealistic rendering tools. This new foundation provides the
• Higher Quality SolidWorks user the ability to generate more sophisticated and realistic
Rendering images than previously possible using PhotoWorks.

• More Anti-Aliasing
options

• Indirect Illumination

• Improved Lighting
control

• More Materials

• Improved Decals

• New Scenes

• User Interface
Enhancements

• New Help system

• Enhanced Preview

• Contour Rendering

PhotoWorks release 2 enables powerful

photorealistic renderings of SolidWorks de-
sign. The above example demonstrates new
“Contour Rending” techniques new in Photo-
Works release 2. This new rendering technol-
ogy can also be applied to animations gener-
ated using SolidWorks Animator
- Design data courtesy of UAMZ
- Rendering by: www.bxhdesigns.com

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Higher Quality Rendering

The quality of rendered images (and rendered animations when used with SolidWorks Animator) created
with PhotoWorks release 2 is better than those made using earlier versions of PhotoWorks, see Figure 1a
and 1b.

Figure 1a: Rendered PhotoWorks Figure 1b: Rendered using the

release 2 current version of PhotoWorks

PhotoWorks release 2 now provides four different anti-aliasing qualities. The anti-aliasing in PhotoWorks
release 2 is enhanced over previous revisions (see Figure 2a and 2b). In addition, PhotoWorks release 2
creates rendered images with better color contrast than earlier versions (see Figure 2a and 2b).

Figure 2a: Rendered using Figure 2b: Rendered using the

PhotoWorks release 2 current version of PhotoWorks

The shadow quality in PhotoWorks release 2 is higher and more realistic. PhotoWorks release 2 calculates
shadows more accurately because rendering is now based on true ray tracing, see Figure 1a and 1b, 2a
and 2b, 3a and 3b. Prior versions of PhotoWorks used less realistic “shadow map” techniques. Please refer
to Appendix 1 for a detailed comparison of shadow control in PhotoWorks release 2.

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PhotoWorks release 2 maintains the color of the transparent object in the resulting truely transparent
shadows (see Figure 3a). The current version of PhotoWorks did not offer this capability (see Figure 3b).

Figure 3a: Rendered using Figure 3b: Rendered with an

PhotoWorks release 2 earlier version of PhotoWorks

The Render selection mechanism of PhotoWorks release 2 now renders only the selected entities; even if
these entities are hidden in the current SolidWorks model view. The Render selection mechanism in the
prior version of PhotoWorks renders only the area selected and hidden geometry, even if selected, is not
visible in the rendered image.

Lighting

PhotoWorks release 2 provides fog light effects, which are enhanced and more realistic than those available
in prior versions, see Figure 4a and 4b. In addition, PhotoWorks release 2 provides individual control of the
density of the fog-lights.

Figure 4a: Translucent candle ren- Figure 4b: Translucent candle

dered using PhotoWorks release 2 rendered using the current ver-
sion of PhotoWorks

PhotoWorks release 2 provides pre-defined lighting scenarios independent of the scenery. The user can
select a certain scenery and in addition he can select a pre-defined light scenario, see Lighting tab in the
Scene Editor.

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Using PhotoWorks release 2 the user can create individual lighting scenarios. If the user has selected a
scene and added light sources with a very specific light properties the user could save the scenery.
PhotoWorks release 2 automatically creates a *.p2l file for lighting properties in the same folder where the
scene (*.p2s file extension) is stored. The name of the lighting file is the same as the scene file only the
extension is different.

Indirect Illumination

PhotoWorks release 2 introduces a new technique called Indirect Illumination. This further enhances ren-
dered scenes by using immediate, indirect lighting created by sending rays out in a hemisphere and
accumulating the colors found at the endpoints of the rays. No secondary rays are cast and the effect is
more uniform lighting of the surface or area.

Figure 5a: Rendered using Figure 5b: Rendered using PhotoWorks

PhotoWorks release 2 using Indirect release 2 without using Indirect Illumina-
Illumination tion

Figure 5d: Rendered using PhotoWorks re-

Figure 5c: Rendered using PhotoWorks
lease 2 without using Indirect Illumination
release 2 using Indirect Illumination. The
effect is more uniform illumination.

PhotoWorks release 2 now provides a larger number of pre-defined procedural and texture-based materi-
als. All materials from prior versions of PhotoWorks are covered by a similar material and many new
materials are added.

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The PhotoWorks release 2 render manager now shows the material associated with specific geometry. The
geometry with same material is grouped under the same material entry. This allows the user to immedi-
ately see the relationship between geometry and material.

For example, if the user modifies the top material, all associated faces are sharing the same information
except the texture map information. This is not supported in current version of PhotoWorks.

A "attach to selection" menu entry is available in RMB menu of the Render Manager when selecting mate-
rial. It is quick and easy to attach any existing material to new geometry. Select any geometry from the
SolidWorks model view and RMB on a material in the Render Manager in order to associate the material to
each of the selected geometry.

A material can be exchanged while maintaining its mapping. Using prior versions of PhotoWorks this map-
ping is lost when attaching a new/different material unless the “keep on select” flag is checked.

The Texture Mapping tab of the material and decal editor provides a new feature, called Mirror. The user
can mirror the texture horizontally and/or vertically.

It is possible using PhotoWorks release 2 to map a material on a face and on a feature in the context of an
assembly. In earlier versions, the user has to edit the part in order to map a material on the face or fea-
ture of the part of the assembly.

In the texture tab of the material or decal tab the mapping reference "Current View" indeed uses the cur-
rent view for a mapping. Earlier versions of PhotoWorks use an arbitrary value, that sometimes snaps to
main axes (x, y, z of world space).

Decals

The decal editor now uses the same graphic user interface (GUI) as the material and scene editor. The
user can control the decal list directly from the render manager, using the RMB context menu.

• Position of decal (move up/down, reverse order in the list)

• Visibility of decal

Additionally, user can drag and drop decals directly from the Render Manager to change their position in
the list. No need to open the decal editor.

If color exclusion was used previously in PhotoWorks an extra mask file was created that has to be saved
manually. PhotoWorks release 2 can handle color exclusion without a manual save.

There is no need to control the amount of the anti-aliasing for decals in PhotoWorks release 2. The anti-
aliasing control is controlled globally.

PhotoWorks release 2 provides a clearer user interface, especially for selecting colors in color exclusion
mode.

In the image tab of the decal editor in PhotoWorks release 2 the preview is based on correctly scaled im-
ages. Also result preview uses computation on the original size images and then displays them scaled
down. This reduces color selection artifacts. The current version of PhotoWorks did have difficulties to cor-
rectly preview images of repeated patterns.

Please refer to the toaster image and can image with toaster decal applied in Appendix 1.
PhotoWorks release 2 now maintains the aspect ratio of decal images for planar mapping. Previously,
PhotoWorks distorted images to stretch over the whole object, this destroyed aspect ratios. The result us-
ing PhotoWork2 is a more realistic representation.

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Scenes

PhotoWorks now provides a large number of pre-defined scenes. All prior PhotoWorks scenes are covered
by a similar PhotoWorks release 2 scenes with many new scenes being introduced.

PhotoWorks release 2 introduces a new type of scenes, called environment. The environment is reflective
but not visible.

The light sources are separated from the scenes. That means if the user selects a new pre-defined scene in
the scene editor of PhotoWorks no lights are added or deleted. Only if the lighting tab is chosen and one of
the pre-defined lighting files are selected new lights are added to the scene. The old lights are deleted only
if the keep flag in the PhotoWorks release 2 light tab of the SolidWorks light property editor is switched off.

General User Interface Enhancements

Beyond the rendering engine significant changes were made to improve flexibility of use while maintaining
elements of the original PhotoWorks interface to ensure a quick transition for existing PhotoWorks users.

Enhanced flexibility of use is demonstrated in the editing of materials, scenes and, and decals. In these
cases, if one of the editors of PhotoWorks release 2 is selected nothing in SolidWorks is locked. All dialogs
in PhotoWorks release 2 are non-modal. Editing can be done while accessing the model, also renderings
can be started without closing the editor.

The thumbnail previews in all PhotoWorks release 2 editors display more detail now. Prior to this release,
PhotoWorks thumbnail previews were much smaller which made it difficult to see differences between ma-
terials.

PhotoWorks release 2 now stores all relevant material and scene information in the SW document (self-
contained). Previous versions of PhotoWorks required in addition to the SW document the associated mate-
rial and scene archives for exactly the same rendering.

Help System and additional Render Control

The dynamic help is displayed in the Feature Manager which leaves more space in the SolidWorks graphics
window.
In PhotoWorks release 2 the ESC key can now be used to interrupt rendering even when the progress dia-
log is hidden. Earlier versions support the ESC key only when the progress dialog is shown.

Preview
The preview window of PhotoWorks release 2 pops up as a separate window as soon as one of the
PhotoWorks release 2 editors or the SolidWorks lighting editor is selected. It can be placed on arbitrary
positions on the screen.

The window is resizable, that means it could be used as an independent render window. The SolidWorks
frame could be used for other activities.

The PhotoWorks release 2 preview window provides additional features compared with earlier versions of
PhotoWorks which are: Zoom in/out, automatic zoom to fit if a scenery with a larger size is selected, more
realistic light icons (the spot light icon takes the cone angle into account).
If the user selects another SolidWorks document the preview updates and displays the new document.
If the user switches from perspective to orthographic mode the preview window updates automatically the
view.

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Contour Rendering

PhotoWorks release 2 also introduces a new technique called Contour lines which was not available in prior
versions of PhotoWorks. This is sometimes referred to as ink Lines. These may be used to help the
SolidWorks user to produce Service Manuals, assembly instructions or training materials for the Equipment
being designed.

Contours over a Rendered Image Pure Black and White Image Contours

Broader Render-to-File and File Export Options

PhotoWorks release 2 provides more output image formats in the “Render to File” feature including:

• Silicon Graphics 8-bit RGBA color

• Portable pixmap, 8-bit P6 binary
• Utah/Wavefront color, type A
• Utah/Wavefront color, type B
• Softimage color
• Alias color
• Abekas/Quantel, PAL (720x576)
• Abekas/Quantel, NTSC (720x486)
• mental images 8-bit color

The approximate rendered file size takes the output image file format into account. It considers the num-
ber of components in format (3 for RGB and 4 for RGBA).

In addition, PhotoWorks release 2 can now export a *.mi file, which contains the renderable representation
of the SolidWorks scene, (Geometry, Materials, Light Source, Camera definition, etc.). The *.mi file can be
imported into Autodesk 3ds max™, Softimage XSI, Alias|wavefront™ Maya®, and Dassault-Systemes CA-
TIA V5 providing SolidWorks users with access to additional rendering application if required.

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Appendix 1: Portfolio of Images Generated using PhotoWorks release 2

Shadow Examples

PhotoWorks release 2:
PhotoWorks release 2 translation of the Photo-
Works edge setting of "Hard”

PhotoWorks release 2:
PhotoWorks release 2 translation of the
PhotoWorks edge setting of "Soft”

PhotoWorks release 2:
PhotoWorks release 2 shadows set to full
"Soft”

Design data by: www.bxhdesigns.com

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 Design by: Xportation
rendering by: www.bxhdesigns.com

Design and rendering by: www.bxhdesigns.com

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 New rendered image of the classic SolidWorks toaster using
PhotoWorks release 2 (rendering by: www.bxhdesigns.com)

Food packaging can with decal made from the toaster image shown
above. PhotoWorks release 2 enables powerful reflection and refraction
effects as shown on the base.

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change without notice.
PW rel 2—diff doc
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