Introduction to Solid Modeling Using SolidWorks 2013 PhotoView 360 Tutorial Page 1

PhotoView 360 is an add-in package that allows for photorealistic rendering of solid models in the
SolidWorks software environment. It allows the user to add realistic materials, finishes, and labels to
the models, and to place the models in a variety of stock or custom
environments. The photorealistic renderings can be used to provide virtual
images of finished product designs before the products have ever been
manufactured. For example, a photrealistic rendering of the door assembly
model (from Chapter 6 of the textbook) can be seen in Figure 1.

The PhotoView 360 add-in can be used to render either part or assembly
models. In this tutorial, the rendering shown in Figure 1 will be creating using
both techniques.
Figure 1
Part 1: Photorealistic Rendering of a Part

Open the solid model of the Hatch part, created in Chapter 6 of the text (shown in Figure 2). From the
SolidWorks main menu, select Tools: Add-Ins, and enable the PhotoView 360 add-in, as shown in
Figure 3. Click OK.

Figure 2 Figure 3

The main menu will now have a PhotoView 360 entry, as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4

If the Task Pane is not visible, enable it from the View menu, as shown in Figure 5.

The first step in the rendering will be to apply a material property to the appearance
of the hatch part.
Figure 5
 Introduction to Solid Modeling Using SolidWorks 2013 PhotoView 360 Tutorial Page 2

From the PhotoView 360 menu, select Edit Appearance, as shown in Figure 6. In the Task Pane,
expand the entry for Appearances by clicking the plus sign, as shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7

Figure 6

Expand the Organic entry, and then the Wood entry. Click on Satinwood, as shown in Figure 8; the
various types of Satinwood will be previewed in the Task Pane. Double-click on the polished
satinwood entry, as shown in Figure 9.

Figure 8
Figure 9

Click the check mark in the PropertyManager on the left side of the screen to apply the material, as
shown in Figure 10.

Figure 10

Photorealistic rendering can take significant computing time and resources; however, our rendering can
be previewed in an interactive lower-quality graphics window prior to final rendering. To do this, select
Preview Window from the PhotoView 360 menu, as shown in Figure 11. Click OK in the message
window that appears, as shown in Figure 12.
 Introduction to Solid Modeling Using SolidWorks 2013 PhotoView 360 Tutorial Page 3

Figure 12

Figure 11

The preview window will appear, as shown in

Figure 13.

If desired, we can place the rendered model into a stock

scene. To do this, select Edit Scene from the Figure 13
PhotoView 360 menu, as shown in Figure 14. In the
Task Pane, click on the Basic Scenes entry under Scenes, as shown in Figure 15. Scroll through the
entries, and click on Office Space (Figure 16).

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Note the change in the preview window. Click the check mark in the PropertyManager to apply the
scene.

Decals can now be added to the part. A standard library of decals is available; in addition, custom
graphics files can be created and used as decals as well.
 Introduction to Solid Modeling Using SolidWorks 2013 PhotoView 360 Tutorial Page 4

Begin by rotating the model into the approximate position shown in Figure
17. The decals will be applied to this large flat surface.

Select Edit Decal from the PhotoView 360 menu (Figure 18). Scroll down to
the Warning decal from the library, shown in Figure 19, and click. In the
Decals PropertyManager, click on the Mapping tab (Figure 20).

Figure 17

Figure 20
Figure 18 Figure 19

Select the large flat face as the surface to which the decal will
be applied (Figure 21).

Using the pulldown, change the mapping to Label. The decal

will be previewed in the preview window; if it appears upside-
down, click the Mirror Vertically entry in the Size/Orientation
box of the PropertyManager to change it (Figure 22).

Figure 21

In the modeling area, use the Resize

handle (Figure 23) and Move handle (Figure 24) to size/locate the decal area as
shown in Figure 25.

Figure 22
Figure 23

Figure 24

The decal will be previewed as in Figure 26.

Figure 25
 Introduction to Solid Modeling Using SolidWorks 2013 PhotoView 360 Tutorial Page 5

Click the check mark in the PropertyManager to apply the decal.

Custom decals can be created as well. Using a graphics Figure 26

program such as Microsoft Paint, create a label such as the
one in Figure 27 (in terms of scale, the label
shown is 750x250 pixels, but it could also be
resized in PhotoView 360 later). Save it as a
bitmap (*.bmp file) in a convenient location.

To apply this custom decal to the model,

select Edit Decal again from the PhotoView
360 menu. In the Decals PropertyManager,
click the Browse button (Figure 28), and
browse to the file location for your custom Figure 27
label. Double-click your custom filename,
and it will appear in the PropertyManager (Figure 29).

Figure 28

Figure 29

As with the previous label, click the Mapping tab, select the large flat
surface, change the Mapping to Label, and mirror/move/resize your
custom label until it appears as shown in the preview window in
Figure 30.
Figure 30
 Introduction to Solid Modeling Using SolidWorks 2013 PhotoView 360 Tutorial Page 6

To improve the appearance, we can modify the appearance of the label to make
the white label background transparent, allowing the wood surface to show
through. This can be accomplished by using a mask. Click on the Image tab in
the PropertyManager, and click on Selective color mask in the Mask Image
options, as shown in Figure 31. Select the Pick Color tool (Figure 32). Using the
Pick Color tool, click on the white background area in the Decal Preview, as in
Figure 33; this will select the color white to be “masked out” as transparent in
the final rendering. Click the check mark to close the PropertyManager.

Figure 31

Figure 32
Figure 33

The preview window will appear as in Figure 34. Save the part
file, which will now include the changes to the appearance.

A final high-quality photorendering can be produced for use in

other documents, or for printing. To produce the final high-
quality rendering, select Final Render from the PhotoView 360
menu, as shown in Figure 35.

The high-quality image will be rendered in the Figure 34

Final Render window, as shown in Figure 36. The
file can be saved as an image file, using the Save Image button in the lower-left
corner (Figure 37).

Figure 35

Figure 37

Figure 36

Close the Final Render window, the preview window, and the part file. This modified file will be used in
the next tutorial as part of a photorendering of the door assembly.
 Introduction to Solid Modeling Using SolidWorks 2013 PhotoView 360 Tutorial Page 7

Part 2: Photorealistic Rendering of an Assembly

Assemblies can be photorendered in two ways. In one technique,
photorenderings of each of the part files can be created (as in the
previous tutorial); the resulting assembly file can be
photorendered using these part file appearance properties.
Alternatively, the appearance properties for the photorendering
can be added directly to the assembly. In this tutorial, we will use
each of these methods. We will create a photorendering of the
door assembly created in Chapter 6 of the text, as shown in Figure
38. We will use the appearance and decals added in the previous
tutorial for the hatch component, but will add the appearance
information for the hinges and screws directly to the assembly.

Begin by opening the Door.sldasm assembly file created in

Chapter 6, as shown in Figure 39. Open a preview window from Figure 38

the PhotoView 360 menu. Notice that the appearance properties

of the hatch component (wood texture and decals) have propagated to
the assembly. Click on the Appearances, Scenes, and Decals tab in the
Task Pane.

We will now add a brass appearance to the hinges. Expand the Metals
entry, and click on Brass, as shown in Figure 40. Appearances can be
dragged from the list directly onto parts in the assembly window as
follows: Click and hold on the polished brass entry in the Task Pane, as
shown in Figure 41. With the mouse button still held, drag the
appearance onto one of the hinges in the assembly window (not the Figure 39
preview window), as in Figure 42.

Figure 40 Figure 41 Figure 42

In the context toolbar that appears, select the part option, as shown in Figure 43.
This will apply the appearance to all instances of the Hinge part, and the preview Figure 43
window will be updated.
 Introduction to Solid Modeling Using SolidWorks 2013 PhotoView 360 Tutorial Page 8

The screws can be photorendered using this technique; however, we will demonstrate an alternative
technique in this tutorial.

In the FeatureManager, select all instances of the screw component (using

the CTRL key to allow for multiple selections), as shown in Figure 44. Select
Edit Appearance from the PhotoView 360 menu. The eight instances of the
screw component should be listed in the PropertyManager, as shown in
Figure 45.

Figure 44

Figure 45

In the Task Pane, select Brass from the list of metals, and click on
the sandblasted brass material. The screws will be rendered, and
the preview window will update. To see this in detail, you may
zoom in on the hinge in the assembly window; the preview window
will be updated accordingly, and the rendering of screws can be
seen in detail, as shown in Figure 46.
Figure 46
Zoom out to the previous level. Add a Scene if desired, and zoom/pan in the
assembly window until the image appears as desired in the preview window
(shown in Figure 47, with the Courtyard Background
from the Presentation Scenes selected). Save the
assembly, if desired. A final rendering could now be
produced and saved, using the same procedure as in
the previous tutorial.

Figure 47