Articles
It’s well known that most carmakers’ TV adverts are computer-generated. When you see that sleek new model gliding effortlessly along pristine alpine roads, often no car has been anywhere near the tarmac. It’s all been done using digital trickery in some fancy design bureau.
That’s fine, because carmakers have big budgets and access to the latest 3D software packages to create such beautiful imagery. But for smaller manufacturers, producing such content to market products in an ultra-slick manner has always been prohibitively costly. That’s started to change, though, and now Dassault Systèmes has added new functionality to its popular Solidworks 3D design software that will open up high-quality graphics to all.
Solidworks Visualize (formerly Bunkspeed) has been created for engineering firms that want to take prototype models and designs through to professional photo-quality images, animations, and other 3D content. That means it’s much easier to create convincing, lifelike movies and images to use for product comparisons, print and web content, design reviews, or interactive experiences.
Engineers can show off products in multiple visual configurations with different scenes and artistic filters, with Visualize accurately simulating real-world lighting and advanced materials. The software makes it easy to add movement, create 360° spins, or to animate cameras, materials and models. Changes are displayed in real time for maximum flexibility and speed. The software is hardware-agnostic, which makes it suitable for engineers who use other CAD creation tools such as Rhino and Autodesk Alias for product design.
What’s the point in such capability? Well, Dassault thinks that, increasingly, marketing matters, whether for engineering firms that want the best-quality displays at exhibitions, or for product pitches at customers’ premises. Visualize makes it easy for companies of all sizes to create quality images that are indistinguishable from photos, along with pin-sharp interactive animations.
So throw away those ropey marketing brochures and company videos with cringeworthy music overlays. Tomorrow’s engineered products will look better than ever.
Supported file formats
- Solidworks
- Rhino
- Autodesk Alias
- Pro/E
- 3ds Max
- SketchUp
- Maya Binary
- and more
Quickly create
- High-resolution detailed images (JPG, TIF, PNG, BMP)
- Multiple configurations in seconds
- Interactive web content (VR and panoramas)
- Camera fly-by videos
- Interactive presentations