SOLIDWORKS Visualize User Spotlight: Peter Hildebrandt

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The Visualize Featured User spotlight has now launched! Join us here for a Q&A highlighting how one of your peers uses SOLIDWORKS Visualize in their daily workflow. This month’s featured Visualize user is Peter Hildebrandt from Working Image, located in Germany.

What you are seeing are not photographs! They are images and animations created in SOLIDWORKS Visualize.

Q: Let’s start with the basics. Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
A: I’m Peter Hildebrandt and the owner of Working Image. I’m an advertising photographer and started my business in the “good old analog time” in 1989. I’ve always been impressed with the imagery produced from CGI. On my search for a software that is easy to use, shows results immediately and produces photographic renders, I found Bunkspeed in 2011, and used several Bunkspeed products. I’ve since transitioned to using SOLIDWORKS Visualize Professional.

Q: Looking at your Visualize imagery, I can tell you’ve created some amazing photo-quality content for loads of clients in different industries. How is Visualize currently used in your workflow?
A: Visualize has changed my workflow. I don´t create models in CAD, however, I do use Visualize for creating photorealistic renderings for advertising use. Examples are for print, web and even exhibitions. I used to have to manually photograph products in photo studios, but now they are easily rendered in Visualize, saving loads of time. Using a combination of photography, CGI and post-production gives me an incredible power to create photo-quality pictures for my clients.

Q: Given your background in traditional photography, how has Visualize accelerated or improved your workflow?
A: Using the example of the car lifting platform in the image above, prepping these large objects to photograph in a traditional photography studio takes a lot of time, effort and money. You need a place large enough for the lift to fit, and lots of time and manpower to assemble it. Choosing Visualize to create the pictures made all this costly work obsolete. Also it was no problem to show the line-up of the platforms in two difference color schemes, which was a big benefit for my client. An easy way of reproducibility, organization and logistics is a decisive point of using Visualize/CGI for my presentations. Not to forget, for creative-minded people, there are almost endless possibilities to create pictures using Visualize.

Q: Why is SOLIDWORKS Visualize Professional integral to your daily workflow, and a ‘must-have’ for your company to stay ahead of the competition?
A: Simply stated, SOLIDWORKS Visualize gives me the power to create stunning pictures and animations. I couldn’t achieve the same quality with traditional photography and especially not on budget.

Q: What features do you use the most in Visualize?
A: I like the possibility to customize the Appearance settings for my specific needs. Another is the Depth of Field option. I often use this feature to give my renderings a photorealistic touch. The possibility to render out different Render Passes makes compositing work in post-production much easier. Lastly, one thing I cannot live without is the integrated Render Queue in Visualize Professional. It´s a real time saver.

Q: Well it seems like you know exactly what you’re doing in Visualize. What is your favorite feature in Visualize?
A: My most favorite feature is the excellent connection to HDR Light Studio. It makes lighting very intuitive and super easy. You get to experiment with powerful features and fancy settings, because you can see the results immediately using the Visualize plug-in.

Q: What tip would you share with all the new Visualize users out there?
A: Play with the different settings and options for the Appearances. You´ll discover settings you never even thought of changing. Don´t make your renders perfectly clean; make sure to add little dust, textures, scratches and imperfections by using texture maps. At last, remember, there is only one sun outside. So when lighting a scene/object, only use one main light. This will help keep your scenes simple and produce great results. And keep your eyes open; watch how objects, materials and light interact in the real world.

Here are some more examples of Peter’s inspiring work. Thanks for sharing, Peter and happy Visualize-ing!

If you have SOLIDWORKS CAD Professional or Premium and are on active Subscription, then you get SOLIDWORKS Visualize Standard complimentary! And this free seat of Visualize Standard can be given to anyone in your company…even a different department! Visualize is a separate stand-alone product and does not occupy the SOLIDWORKS CAD license. Check out this blog post for download/install instructions and get started today!

Want to be spotlighted as a Visualize Featured User? Simply post your Visualize content to this Forum link for consideration.

Brian Hillner

Brian Hillner

Brian Hillner is a Senior Product Portfolio Manager for SOLIDWORKS, responsible for Education and Early Engagement, and specializes in the intersection of business, technology & user experience. He focuses on creating customer-driven software products tailored for schools, educators and students to develop designers, engineers and dreamers of the future. Prior to joining the Education team, he was the Product Manager for SOLIDWORKS Visualize, eDrawings and the Extended Reality (XR) workflows.
Brian Hillner

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