Fly-throughs

[Guest0527211403]

Hi Everyone

I'm wondering if anyone does fly-throughs/fly-by's using software other than Pro/E.

We're interested in creating professional quality fly-throughs of our wind tunnel facilities, and we are investigating the use fo other software. We already make fly-throughs in Pro/E but we really aren't happy with the quality that we get, even with ARX.

We want videos that we can put up on a large flat panel display for use at industry trade-shows, so we want something that has that "wow" factor that Pro/E's animations just can't provide.

Is anyone using other software with Pro/E (Cinema4D, Maya, etc) to create these flythroughs? Do the mechie's work on that sort of thing or do you commission the services of an animator? We're considering getting a summer student from Sheridan college (a well respected school in that industry), but we're cautious about that since a pro might be more cost effective.

If anyone could relate their experiences with this, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks!

 

[Hora]

JKJ,

You can export your ProE Assembly in VRML (Virtual Reality Model Language).

To open the VRML in your Microsoft Explorer Browser, you'll need COSMO Player 2.1 (this is a Internet Explorer plug-in made in the past by Silicon Graphics Incorporated Company). Is the best VRML viewer I saw up to date. It is not supported anymore, but still can find it on the web. It's free.

You can edit any time your VRML file (using a VRM edit program or simply just wordpad), You can add more cameras, and create motion paths (using javascript)for your camera or events like collision detection. I made in the past some nice animation using VRML.

In my opinion is one of the best because:
- it is free;
- it is editable (suggest you to work with VRML 2 (aka VRML 97);
- works with Internet Explorer;
- you can add lights, textures (pictures and movies) on your model surfaces;
- you can add motion paths;
- easy to learn the language;

Godd luck,

-Hora

 

[Hora]

Again me JKG

I forgot to mention that VRML is live. I mean you can navigate "manualy" if you want on the model.

You can use other packages for creating animations, but will bnot be live. Cinema 4D, LightWave, 3D STUDIO, MAYA, XSI are best programs to create photorealistic animations.

-Hora

 

[daveykbelgium]

My business partner recommends 3ds max. He's used it for animations from other CAD packages but not Pro/E yet. However, we very sucessfully render Pro/E models with another rendering product, using 3ds max for the meshing, so have perhaps have all the parts of the jigsaw.

We have a lot of experience rendering architectural projects too, so...!


Do you have a budget, and do you want to do it in-house? I know you are a skilled guy, so I hope you don't mind me asking?

Best regards

Dave

 

[Guest0527211403]

We don't have a dollar sign on the budget yet, as we're feeling out our options.

We'd prefer it to be in-house, or in the very least to have someone come in and show us how it's done, so that way we can do it again in the future on our own.

The more I look at Cinema4D, the more I like it, especially when I see pics like this

http://www.maxon.net/pages/products/c4d/engineering/images/gallery/11_big.jpg

But I'm concerned about how long it will take me to make anything half decent on my own...