PhotoView 360 Options

The PhotoView 360 Options PropertyManager controls settings for PhotoView 360, including output image size and render quality.

To open this PropertyManager:

With PhotoView 360 added in, in the DisplayManager, click PhotoView Options .

Output Image Settings

  Dynamic Help Displays pop-up tooltips for each property.
  Output image size - Preset image sizes Sets the size of the output image to a standard width and height. You can also select the settings assigned to the current camera or set custom values.
Output image size - Image Width Sets the width of the output image, in pixels.
Output image size - Image Height Sets the height of the output image, in pixels.
  Fixed aspect ratio Retains the current ratio of width to height in the output image.
  Use camera aspect ratio Sets the aspect ratio of the output image to the aspect ratio of the camera field of view. Available if the current view is through a camera.
  Use background aspect ratio Sets the aspect ratio of the final rendering to the aspect ratio of the background image. If this option is cleared, distorts the background image. Available if the current scene uses an image for its background. This setting is ignored when Use camera aspect ratio is enabled.
  Image format Changes the file type for rendered images.
  Default image path Sets the default path for renderings that you schedule with the Task Scheduler.

Render Quality

Preview render quality Sets the level of quality for the preview. Higher quality images require more time to render.
Final render quality Sets the level of quality for the final render. Higher quality images require more time to render.
Typically, there is little difference between Best and Maximum. The Maximum setting is most effective when rendering occluded spaces or interior scenes.
Custom render settings Allows you to set custom values for the number of reflections and refractions in the final render.
You can use the Preview window to check that you are using the ideal custom reflection and refraction settings. The Preview window updates after you click PM_OK.gif.
Number of reflections Sets the number of reflections (maximum of 32). For example, when two reflective objects face each other, you can set the number of reflections that multiply and appear to recede into the distance. You need one reflection for each successive face that the light must bounce off of.

The number of reflections impacts rendering performance, so you should use a high number of reflections only you must to see objects in the rendering correctly.

Number of refractions Sets the number of refractions (maximum of 32). Refractions occur when light passes through a transparent object. One refraction is required for each successive face that the light passes through. For example, for light to pass through a pane of glass and hit the object behind it, the light would need to refract through two faces. If there are not enough refractions, black spots might appear in transparent objects.

The number of refractions impacts rendering performance.

Example: Setting the Number of Refractions
Gamma Adjusts the midtones of the rendered image while preserving the extreme whites and blacks. Increasing the value lightens the midtones. Decreasing the value darkens the midtones. You can further adjust the gamma in the Final Render window.

Gamma Adjustment Example

This table describes the effects of render quality settings.

  Good Better Best Maximum
Anti-aliasing quality 8 samples 16 samples 32 samples 128 samples
Number of reflections 1 4 8 10
Number of refractions 4 8 8 10
Indirect rays 128 512 1024 2048

Examples of rendering quality and time to render:

Good, 29 seconds
 
Best, 2 minutes 19 seconds
 
Better, 54 seconds
 
Maximum, 6 minutes 45 seconds

Bloom

Bloom Adds a bloom effect, a glow around very bright emissive or reflective objects in image. The bloom is visible in the final rendering only, not in the preview.
Bloom setpoint Identifies level of brightness or emissiveness to which bloom effect is applied. Decreasing the percentage applies the effect to more items. Increasing it applies the effect to fewer items.
Bloom extent Sets the distance the bloom radiates from source.

Contour/Cartoon Rendering

  Contour/Cartoon Rendering Select Contour to contour lines to the outside edges of the model. Select Cartoon to set the new cell shading.
Render Only with Contours Available when you select Contour. Renders with contour lines only. Retains background or scene display and depth-of-field setting.
Render Contours and the Solid Model Available when you select Contour. Renders the image with contour lines.
pv_cartoon_edges.png Render only with cartoon edges Available when you select Cartoon. Renders the image with cartoon lines without scene reflectivity.
Render with cartoon shading Available when you select Cartoon. Renders the image with shading but no cartoon lines.
pv_cartoon_shaded_edges.png Render with cartoon edges and shading Available when you select Cartoon. Renders the image with cartoon lines and shading.
Line thickness Sets the thickness of the contour or cartoon lines, in pixels.
  Edit Line Color Sets the color of the contour or cartoon lines.

Direct Caustics

Direct caustics are only visible in the Final Render and only when reflected off a floor appearance or physical geometry using a spot or point light. The light bounces off or filters through the model creating a bright pattern on the floor.

Direct Caustics Enables direct caustics in the Final Render.
Caustic Amount Controls the amount of visible caustics by defining the maximum number of photons fired. Increasing the amount creates sharper and clearer caustics but increases rendering time.
Caustic Quality Controls the quality of the caustics by controlling the number of photons sampled at each pixel. Increasing the value creates a smoother caustic effect at the expense of detail. Decreasing the value results in a sharper caustic effect with increasing graininess.

Network Rendering

SOLIDWORKS Subscription Services customers can share the effort of rendering across multiple computers.
Client Workload Determines how many buckets (sections of rendering) will be sent to each Client processor. For example, if a Client machine has 4 processors, a setting of 200% will send 8 buckets (two per processor) to that client.

A high Client Workload setting is appropriate if the client machines are more powerful than the coordinator machine. If the client machines are less powerful than the coordinator, a Client Workload higher than 200% will likely reduce rendering performance.

Example: Buckets and Network Rendering
Send data for network job Sends data over the network, rather than using a shared directory. Sending data over the network avoids issues with permissions and cross-platform configuration that might come up when using shared directories
Network Shared Directory Uses a shared network directory for network renders, which avoids having to send scene asset data to each node on the network. Using a shared directory can be faster when using many client machines.