Rendering NX models

[BenEddy]

Hello all,

We are looking for some different options as far as rendering NX models for sales purposes. We build pleasure boats, and would like to have the capability of creating photo-realistic images of prototype boat designs sitting in the water with appropriate backgrounds, etc. We would also like to create renderings of interiors with realistic lighting, textures, etc. So far we've looked at the NX vis/render module, as well as just buying a seat of Rhino with Flamingo. (That would of course require translating the models, which I would like to avoid.) Does anyone have any experience with the NX vis/render package? Any recommendations?

Thanks in advance,
Ben

NX 5
Win XP 32

 

[Xwheelguy]

As long as you get the full NX Studio Render and not just the NX Visualize Shape module, you should be able to do whatever you want with your models in NX.

The Visualize Shape module allows you to view your models semi-rendered in real time (even while modeling). However, I feel that Visualize Shape renderings look nothing like the actual renderings created in NX Studio Render. This could be due to lack of know-how on my part.

With all of that said, I feel the rendering side could use a bit of organization (some items like Materials and Environments are located on Tabs, others are buried in dialogs) but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty straight forward.

Tim Flater
Senior Designer
Enkei America, Inc.

http://www.enkei.com

Some people are like slinkies....they don't really have a purpose, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs.

 

[JohnRBaker]

If for nothing more than inspiration, at the bottom of the web page linked below, there are other links to several galleries of recent images produced using the NX rendering tools:

http://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/campaigns/calendar_2009/index.shtml

For the rest of you out there, the link about is to our website where we're soliciting submissions for this year's Siemens PLM calendar (2009) contest.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
NX Design
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

 

[hudson888]

Ben,

Talk to the sales guys from PLMS about what licenses that you need you can get Studio Bundles that add modeling capacity which you may like to have at what is probably a competitive price point with buying just the rendering package separately. Also talk to them about some help with demos based on your data they may be able to point you at ways to achieve suitable results.

Rendering wise the package is optically capable of reproducing lighting , shadows, reflections, and importantly refraction even magnification using lenses. There is a good library of materials which you can add to or modify to suit your needs.

The biggest challenge for you is going to be that you'll want to create images with water, and this package will have some limitations in showing anything that isn't modeled. Water can be defined but the rough surface texture of waves is and interesting challenge. That is to say if you model a wavy surface and define that material as water you can edit it to be a bit greener or bluer to simulate depth but a choppy surface is less easy to make look realistic.

Your other alternative is to render just the boat really well and Photoshop it into a real world image. I've had some luck with that sort of thing in the past so I know that it can give impressive results.

 

[MSPBenson]

I found the best results for a water effect was to use the sand texture in UG. when scaled correctly and translucified you can get some very realistic results. This was all done in NX3.


Mark Benson
Aerodynamic Model Designer

 

[hudson888]

Mark, agreed about the best I have gotten thus far if you change almost all the settings except the texture it works pretty well and gives nice reflections if lit from beneath.

Cheers

Hudson

 

[BenEddy]

Thank you all for your advice!

Have a good one,
Ben