Realistic Animations for educational illustrations 2

[EngineeringDr]

Does anyone know how to create a realistic animations for educational-illustrations purposes like these

I tried using SolidWorks but I could not export motion (animations) to other animation software like Cinema 4D to add particles, arrows and other visual effects (you may suggest other easy to learn 3D animation).
Is there a CAD software that can easily export its motion analysis to animation software.

PhD Mechanical/Industrial Engineering
Licensed professional engineer

 

[3DDave]

If it was easy anyone could do it. I keep looking at Blender. It is a more than capable tool - originally a professional animation and video editing suite, rescued from oblivion when the creating company could no longer afford development by a guy who loved the software and created the foundation that continues development for and by those who both love it and make a living using it.

As far as I know all the CGI systems work the same - for rigid motion you create a skeleton that represents elements to be animated and then associate mesh elements to them. For people, it's pretty much like the bones in the typical skeleton. Then position the skeleton items, usually with the aid of forward or reverse kinematics, tell the software that this position is a key frame, and then move them more and repeat. The software interpolates between the key frames.

I'd expect about 40 hours with Blender to understand enough and get comfortable enough to do the animations you are looking for; I would be surprised if that was any faster on any other software. Once the animation is working you can layer on the particle motion system and the effects of color and so forth - the effects are also managed via key-frame.

See

https://www.blender.org/features/animation/

I would look to YouTube tutorials rather than the documentation. The docs are good for what they are, but they don't have enough answers to "why" to do something. They are a good outline for what Blender can do.

 

[Sparweb]

I've made animations using Inventor (like Solidworks) but nothing as fancy. No fly-throughs, no changing point of view. I needed to display the operation of a latch so I set up the CAD model to move like the mechanism would move. Then made a series of screen-shots as I moved it. Sounds tedious and it was, but once I planned an efficient work flow it didn't take long.

Set up a workflow that will
[ul]
[li]alter the position of the moving piece a set distance for each frame.[/li]
[li]rigorously prevent the field of view from moving.[/li]
[li]capture the appearance of the screen at each interval with same framing.[/li]
[/ul]

This will generate a series of images which you can then either put in a slideshow or splice together in a moving GIF or MP4 using Photoshop.

Your workflow depends on what software you have at your disposal and what you know how to use. In fact, the result is entirely dependent on your skill with a variety of software, not my suggestions.

 

[EngineeringDr]

If it was easy anyone could do it.

True

I'd expect about 40 hours with Blender to understand enough and get comfortable enough to do the animations you are looking for; I would be surprised if that was any faster on any other software. Once the animation is working you can layer on the particle motion system and the effects of color and so forth - the effects are also managed via key-frame. See

https://www.blender.org/features/animation/

I would look to YouTube tutorials rather than the documentation. The docs are good for what they are, but they don't have enough answers to "why" to do something. They are a good outline for what Blender can do.

I was trying to use SolidWorks motion study, then use a 3D animation to add vfx. The problem I am having is I can't export the motion study. The only software other than Visualize that I found that could export motion studies was KeyShot.
Thanks

PhD Mechanical/Industrial Engineering
Licensed professional engineer

 

[EngineeringDr]

I've made animations using Inventor (like Solidworks) but nothing as fancy. No fly-throughs, no changing point of view. I needed to display the operation of a latch so I set up the CAD model to move like the mechanism would move. Then made a series of screen-shots as I moved it. Sounds tedious and it was, but once I planned an efficient work flow it didn't take long.

Set up a workflow that will
[ul]
[li]alter the position of the moving piece a set distance for each frame.[/li]
[li]rigorously prevent the field of view from moving.[/li]
[li]capture the appearance of the screen at each interval with same framing.[/li]
[/ul]
This will generate a series of images which you can then either put in a slideshow or splice together in a moving GIF or MP4 using Photoshop.

Your workflow depends on what software you have at your disposal and what you know how to use. In fact, the result is entirely dependent on your skill with a variety of software, not my suggestions.

I believe Autodesk Inventor might export the motion to an fbx which you can later use in other 3D animation software.
Thanks

PhD Mechanical/Industrial Engineering
Licensed professional engineer

 

[3DDave]

Here's what looks like a helpful description of moving data from Solidworks to Blender:

https://all3dp.com/2/solidworks-to-blender-how-to-import-solidworks-models-in-blender/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1nlNYSxvMs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdILHNZoxOM

(SW -> Blender -> Keyshot) I think the last step is because the Keyshot materials workflow is simpler, not because it is required.)

 

[EngineeringDr]

Here's what looks like a helpful description of moving data from Solidworks to Blender:

Thanks a lot.
There are few problems in using Blender, the most important one would be using the motion study in SolidWorks or converting the Solidworks animation.

PhD Mechanical/Industrial Engineering
Licensed professional engineer

 

[3DDave]

I would skip using Solidworks to do the motion study. Animate in a tool that can produce the results you want and not one that cannot.

 

[JohnRBaker]

Here's video I created a few years ago:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XzGpqqcJOk

And I like this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd6VeEFc-70

But my favorite is this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldLh7L6ib1Q&t=4s

Note that all of these were made using UG/NX ;-)

John R. Baker, P.E. (ret)
Irvine, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

The secret of life is not finding someone to live with
It's finding someone you can't live without