Virtual Reality

Video: What's New in SOLIDWORKS 2020 - eDrawings VR

With Virtual Reality (VR), you can explore models at a 1:1 scale.

Using HTC VIVE™ and VIVE Pro™ VR headsets, you can walk around and through your model in VR. You can examine each part in assemblies and take apart assemblies one part at a time.

Computers with Microsoft Windows® 10 1709 and later using Valve SteamVR™ support VR in eDrawings.

Controller Interaction

The controller supports additional functionality when you interact with models.

Button Functionality
Creates an exploded view of the model from the nondominant hand controller.
Resets the view and model.
Scales/rotates the component. When you select the component (button 4) and hold down button 3, the scale or rotation is continuous. Previously you had to click multiple times to scale or rotate.
  • Places the component.
  • Changes the scale.
  • Rotates the component.

When the component is not selected, button 3 teleports you to the location that you are pointing to with the dominant hand controller.
Selects the component with a single click. You can focus on manipulating the component with button 3 without holding down button 4 simultaneously. If you click button 4 again, the component returns to its original position. Previously you had to hold down button 4 to keep the component selected.

Custom Floor and Sky Environments

You can add image files to create custom floor and sky environments in VR. Requirements include:
  • Floor. Must be .png or .jpg files.
  • Sky. Equirectangular .png or .jpg files. Skies must be equirectangular. Images must have an aspect ratio of 2:1. Cube maps are not supported.

To add image files for custom floors and skies, click VR Options (if you have a VR model open) or Tools > VR Options. In the dialog box, browse to a folder that includes the image files and click OK.

Floor Sky

Environment Pane

You can change the Floor Scale in the Environment pane.

Image Quality

Image quality in VR has improved with:
  • Full screen anti-aliasing
  • Larger draw distances
  • Realistic reflections and transparencies on models


2019


2020

Model Display

You can display models with:
  • Ambient occlusion
  • Dynamic shadows
  • Non-RealView appearances

Opening Models

You can open multiple models in VR in eDrawings. Although you can view only one model at a time in the VR headset, you can switch between models on the desktop. eDrawings can have either VR or non-VR documents open, but not both at the same time. To switch between VR and non-VR documents, close all current documents in eDrawings.

Warning Messages

Warning messages help you use VR properly. They appear when:
  • A laptop is not plugged into a charger when you click Play to view the model in a VR headset.
  • The VR headset is not plugged in.