Snapshots of PhotoView 360: Viewpoint
Photoview 360 gives the user the option of using a standard named view for the orientation of the rendering or a camera.
Read the Entire Series: (Part One: The Basics, Part Two: Appearances, Part 3: Scenes, Part 4: Lighting)
PhotoView 360 gives the user the option of using a standard named view for the orientation of the rendering or a camera. A named view requires less time and setup than a camera; however a camera gives many more options. These two methods will be discussed in this snapshot.
Named Views
Named views allow the user to either use standard views like isometric or trimetric from the orientation views selection. The other option is the orient the model that way the user would like to render it, and save the view, so the user can come back to it later.
To do this:
- Open the orientation dialog (spacebar or the heads-up view toolbar)
- Click New View
- Type the name of the view
Perspective View
Perspective view gives a more realistic real world view, related to the size of the object and the observed and the distance of the object from the observer.
See the full tutorial after the jump –
Cameras
Cameras allow the user to set up a view with camera-like settings including field of view and depth of field. To add a camera, follow the steps below:
- Go to the DisplayManager pane.
- Right click on Camera > Add camera
This will bring the user to the Camera property manager.
Also a user can edit a camera by right clicking on the camera in the list of cameras on the DisplayManager and click Edit Camera.
When the user is in the camera property manager there will be two screens within SolidWorks. One is the overall model, and one is what the camera is viewing.
Aiming the Camera
Just like a real camera, a user can aim the camera at the model. This can be done with a target point (the red dot) that can be dragged on the screen. A user can also specify the camera position by spherical or Cartesian coordinates. The user can also drag the camera on the screen using the camera triad. The camera can also be rotated.
The user can specify a field of view, using a standard lens type. This helps determine the angle, length, and height of the field of view.
Depth of Field
The user can also specify a depth of field, keeping certain parts of the model in focus and certain parts out of focus. This is indicated by three planes. The middle plane is the focus point, beyond the two outside planes the camera starts to become out of focus. This distance can be adjusted using the depth of field box on the camera property manager.
These are the basic options for setting up a camera or named view to use to render in PhotoView 360. I would recommend taking the time to create a camera view, because it gives the user many more options to make the render look more realistic. In the last snapshot, advanced options in PhotoView 360 will be discussed.
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Katie Huffman is a Customer Support Engineer at Fisher/Unitech,
a SolidWorks Value Added Reseller with locations across the Midwestern
and Northeastern United States. She is a regular contributor to the Fisher/Unitech blog.
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