In the second part of of this two part series (see part 1 here), we will dive deeper into xStudio to give our microwave a more realistic look.
Rendering Intricacies
Rendering is an art form that breathes life into digital creations. Let’s delve into the intricacies of rendering studies and explore lighting, textures and camera settings to achieve photorealistic results.
Creating Ambiance : Method 1
Using the “Create Ambience” command, you can tweak the backdrop and illumination (the high dynamic range, or HDR). Within the application, you can establish two ambiances. Initially, I’ll position the microwave diagonally on the table for the first attempt at ambient light. Following image and HDR selection, you can alter the brightness and rotation of the HDR illumination.
Material Identification
Material identification.
xStudio offers an extensive array of materials supported by DSPBR. When opting for a material from the library, you can either utilize the Insert Material command or simply drag and drop it onto the component.
Once the glass component of our microwave product is selected, locate a patterned glass from the material library and assign it by dragging and dropping the material onto the component.
Cut-out opacity (value=1, inset) and opacity at 0.22.
When material identification occurs, the Properties Panel appears on the right side, allowing customization of its specific attributes. For instance, among these attributes is an option to adjust opacity. When a value of 1 is chosen, all patterns on the glass become fully visible and the glass is at the maximum opacity. However, as the rendering progresses, you will want to see more of what is inside the oven. Therefore, I’ve set the value to 0.22 to make the patterns partially visible while still maintaining visibility into the microwave’s interior.
Emissive Material
Emission value.
In xStudio, certain materials can be adjusted to emit light. By identifying the material named Emissive from the material library to the component named Lampin our microwave product, we can illuminate the microwave with the desired color and light intensity. To achieve this, identify the material through drag and drop. Increasing the emission value enhances the emitted light.
Identify the material from xDesign
xDesign Material Identification.
xStudio is flexible in the way you can do material identification. Let’s say we want to make the clock in the microwave emit light, but this time we’ll utilize the material library in xDesign instead of xStudio. Returning to the xDesign interface, identify a Plexiglass material for the clock component once again using drag and drop. I’ve chosen this material because it includes the emission property.
After saving, navigate back to the xStudio screen and update the data using the Reload from databasecommand. Then, opt for a red color and elevate the light intensity by increasing the emission value.
xDesign Emissive Material.
Energy normalization (Passive).
Energy normalization (Active).
When you activate the Energy Normalization option in the emission properties, the emitted light beam noticeably intensifies, as illustrated in the comparative images above. For more information, hover your mouse cursor over the command.
As the microwave’s buttons were previously defined in xDesign, you can modify their colors and emission values.
Create New Scene
Show Product Tree.
To Create a New Scene, click the “+” sign in the Scenes section of the Content Panel on the left side. Within this scene, you unveil the microwave cover to generate a distinctive visual for product promotion. After double-clicking the microwave cover, opt for Show Product Tree from the tool menu and click on the top-level assembly linked to the cover. This action redirects the view to the top-level assembly you established for origin adjustment.
Cover Open.
Afterward, all that remains is to utilize the robot to open the cover to a specific angle and position it on the table.
Scene 1.
In this phase, you conceal the lamp component designated for interior lighting by switching to the Assembly tab, guaranteeing the lighting is deactivated when the cover is open. Alterations performed in xStudio scenes are scene-specific; a component hidden in one scene remains visible in others. Below is the Assembly screen displaying the adjustments in Scenes 1 and 2, with Scene 1 initially unchanged.
Scene 2.
In Scene 2, you can see which components are influenced by the alterations. You can also observe this modification in the Material and Ambience sections.
Ground offset. A negative value raises the object.
Here you can fine-tune the ground offset to ensure the product seamlessly aligns with the table surface. To adjust the ground offset, transition from the Content Panel to the Ambiance tab and select the current ambiance. This action unveils the Properties Panel, where you can access the ambiance properties.
To witness the impact of the ground offset value, refer to the two images above. In the initial image, configuring the ground offset to -20 (mm) results in the product appearing elevated above the ground (the counter, in this case), suggesting an incorrect ground offset for achieving the desired appearance of the product resting on the table. When you set the ground offset value to 20, the counter appears sunk beneath the product, which is also undesirable.
Ground offset. Ideal value of 10 mm.
Considering that the product has feet, it should be slightly elevated above the counter. The appropriate ground offset value is 10mm, as shown in the picture, ensuring the product is positioned correctly relative to the counter.
Create Ambience: Method 2
As previously mentioned, I’ll utilize a second ambient light for a direct frontal view and position it alongside other kitchen appliances, seamlessly integrating it into the kitchen environment. This approach enhances realism even further.
Export
With an export, we’ll send the product for rendering to generate a photorealistic image. We adjust the camera settings to a 16:9 aspect ratio (HD Standard) for each scene.
Aspect ratio.
Photo Render Export
Photo Render Export.
After selecting Export, you need to set the resolution and quality of the image to a resolution of 3840×2160 (4K) and quality to High. Based on the selections made, xStudio will show the credits needed to process this image. Select the Save & Render button to render the photo and repeat this for the other scenes with the same properties.
GLB Format Export
GLB format export.
With xStudio it is possible to export GLB format. By embedding this format on your website, you can enable your customers to examine your product in 3D or you can move your product to the AR environment. Our goal will be to move our product to the AR environment. After clicking on the Export button with Scene 1 selected, we export the product in GLB format by selecting the glTF section.
360 Sequence Export
360 Sequence.
The 360 Sequence consists of as many images as the number of frames selected. Using these images, you can create interactive photos that rotate around a vertical axis, often referred to as a turntable.
To activate 360 Sequence, when we select the Camera button from the Action Bar, Camera Settings will appear in the Properties Panel. After activating 360 Sequence, we can learn how the product moves by pressing the play button. By making the frame 30 instead of 20, you will slow down the movement and obtain a higher-quality interactive image by rendering the image from more angles.
360 Sequence export.
On the export screen, activate 360 Sequence, set the resolution to 1920×1080 to reduce credit usage and then initiate the rendering process.
Results
Now for the big thrill, we see the results!
About the Author
Rıdvan Polat, Co-Founder of Champion Xperience, also holds the position of Elite Application Engineer at TEKYAZ, a leading SOLIDWORKS reseller in Turkey. With a distinguished background in Automotive and Mechatronics Engineering, Polat has repeatedly showcased his passion for this field, notably as the first 3DEXPERIENCE Edu Student champion worldwide. Recognized as a Champion in SOLIDWORKS and ENOVIA, he has secured two consecutive ENOVIA Champion Excellence awards. Polat was invited twice as a special guest to 3DEXPERIENCE World for his outstanding projects and actively participated in the Edu booth at 3DXW24 alongside the Champion Xperience team. His expertise significantly contributes to advancing technical excellence and fostering innovation in this domain.