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Appearances

An appearance is a set of mathematical attributes that determines the ways in which a model surface reacts to light. These attributes are subdivided into individual channels.

SOLIDWORKS Visualize comes with a library of predefined appearances to apply to 3D models in projects. You can also create new appearances.

You can add an existing appearance to a project in two ways:
  • Apply an appearance from the Appearance library to a model.
  • Load an appearance from a model into the Appearances tab (into the project).

After an appearance is in a project, you can apply appearances to parts in models. A part is a subset of a model. A complex car model could have thousands of parts, for example: each of the wheels could be separate parts, and each wheel part could be composed of smaller parts for the metal rim, rubber tire, lock nuts, and brake rotors.

You cannot define parts in SOLIDWORKS Visualize. You define parts in the 3D modeling software used to create the original model. When you import a model with parts into SOLIDWORKS Visualize, the parts are preserved.

An appearance in a project is independent from appearances in the Appearance library. Appearances in the project are saved in the .SVPJ file with the rest of the assets in the project (such as models, HDR images, backplates, and cameras). Appearances in the Appearance library are files in the SOLIDWORKS Visualize Content\Appearances folder.

When you apply an appearance from the Appearance library to a model or part in a project, the appearance is added to the project. If you then edit the appearance in the project using parameters on the Appearances tab in the Palette, the copy of the appearance in the project is affected, but the source appearance in the Appearance library is unaffected. The reason is that appearances in the project and those in the Appearance library are independent of each other, even if they have the same names and parameter values.

If you open a project containing appearances that are not in Appearance library, the new appearances appear in the Palette on the Appearances tab.

Contents

  • Opening the Appearance Library

  • Applying an Appearance from the Appearance Library

  • Loading an Appearance from a Model

    If the model already has an appearance applied to it, you can apply the appearance to a part in a model.

  • Custom Appearances

    The appearances in SOLIDWORKS Visualize are different than shaders in traditional rendering applications. All appearances in SOLIDWORKS Visualize are scientifically accurate. Less guesswork is required for you to create or edit an appearance to have the properties you want.

  • Creating and Editing Appearances

    Creating and editing appearances are nearly identical procedures.

  • Texture Mapping

    If you select an applied appearance on a part in a model, and the appearance includes textures, then you can customize its texture mapping.

  • Sharing Appearances

    You can share appearances with others. The software saves the appearances in the Appearance library in .SVAP files. These files are located in SOLIDWORKS Visualize Content\Appearances.

  • Creating Decals

    Decals are surfaces with a texture that can include a transparency channel so it shows through anything underneath it. Decals are commonly used to put logos on top of other appearances, something a sticker would achieve in the real world, for example.

  • Decal Parameters

    The Appearances tab in the Palette includes Decals parameters which appear when you select a decal in the Appearance tree.



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