How can I get Clara.io Visualiser to use a "wood" material?

john_smith077

Hello

Is there any way to import additional materials (e.g. wood) to the Clara.io Visualizer app?
If so how do we do this?

Background
I just want to do some "quick and dirty" visualizing so that I can see very roughly what my model will look like in some new materials (e.g. Wood) that does not come as standard with Clara.io Visualiser.

I'm very keen not to learn an entire new application. The full-blown Clara.io seems rather intimidating... 

Thanks

J

michał_1

Go to share panel and hit edit in Clara.io:
In proper editor you'll have vray library:
Don't hesitate to use full Clara.io

Michał

john_smith077

I did try going into Clara.io full editor... but it is way, WAY too complicated for my requirements.

Not only did I find the Clara.io editor to be it deeply counter-intuitive, but also the messaging is either non-existent or unhelpful.
e.g. I don't mind that rendering some things is time consuming, but there is little/no feedback to tell you that it is attempting to do something.... and the suddenly without warning BANG it has applied some material you selected 3 minutes ago.  

Likewise, unlike in Onshape when an item that is selected changes colour to orange, there was little or no feedback to tell me when I had actually selected something in Clara.io. Nightmare. 

And when I changed the environment first time it worked, second time nothing happened. 

I can see that it's probably extremely powerful but I don't want to spend (waste?) my time learning something this complicated.

I JUST want to see roughly what my model would look like in brushed steel & some kind of dark wood.  If there was some way to get additional materials (e.g. a couple of choices of dark wood & a brushed steel) that would be all I need. (i.e. I dont want to hear about complicated backgrounds or lighting conditions)

michał_1

Ok, did you try Lagoa? it's not Onshape app but is very easy to use, just drag & drop. For file format to exchage, I use solidworks.
Images bellow were made within 5-7 min (setting up and render):If you will need I can help start.

john_smith077

Lagao is also a pretty complicated environment. Worse the training videos appear to be of a completely different version. Nonetheless, I did managed to get a bit further this time however there was no sign of any wood type materials. Any suggestions?

michał_1

I forgot to tell that Lagoa while translate cad files, loses UV data, so you need to add new UV, unfortunately they have only planar cylindrical and spherical, there's no box projection. But there is "simple" workaround. It's not perfect but require only few clicks more. Open your model in Clara.io editor, select all bodies and export as obj. then that obj. import to Lagoa. Lagoa will see UVs and you need only to drag&drop material. If you can share some sample file I would show you how?

john_smith077

I uploaded an STL file and I can add various materials. The trouble is that I can't find materials that look like "wood" of any sort(!).

Re UV data - I barely understand what that means. Something to do with texture it seems. [For now I'm trying not to get too sucked into the world of 3D rendering as it looks pretty complicated. I just want to choose some simple combinations of materials and see what they would look like in normal/average lighting conditions...]

OK here is a public document which I'll share for a few days:
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/56b133f2e4b07682577e734a/w/833e61fc4db3414bec7491f2/e/89865db9f9db908a554513c2

michał_1

Here you have first quick rendering, later I'll try to record short tutorial.

On images above there are some glitches, but only because I didn't take time to finish them.

john_smith077

Yep that's the ticket - (rather amazing in fact!)   :^)
Do I take it that the above were generated in Lagao itself rather than within an Onshape plugin? (if that's a meaningful question!)

Many thanks

J


P.S. Meanwhile it looks increasingly like I'm going to have to try to find the time bite the bullet to watch some official Lagao training videos...  [sigh] 
(it's just that I'm v tight on time to properly learn all this! )  

michał_1

No worries, you will get in to it, in no time
This time I've change UV projection to simplest one and resaults are best for now:

joe_dunne

Eh, hmmm...

It might be a good idea to focus our attention to one of the 5 existing rendering partners already available in the app store vs adding a 6th that is not in the App Store?  Since after all this is the App Store forum




Both Maxwell and Keyshot will handle wood very well.  

I did this is in 3 clicks.

1. Open (1 click), model
2. Drag 2 different wood materials  (2 clicks)
3. Hit render... Ok it was 4 clicks.

It is an easy workflow, accessible to any Onshape user right now. I used Keyshot BTW...  And I used PowerSurface for the modeling of the can.... 

PowerSurface

Keyshot

john_smith077

@joe_dunne - OK I just downloaded "Keyshot v6.1 CAD Lite - 64 bit"(over 500MB, btw) but although it says 

> How it works:

> After installation of the application, open KeyShot and select “Connect to Onshape” from the File menu. 
I can't find any such option on the File menu within KeyShot. [GRRRR! ] 



Could you possibly tell me how to connect to Onshape?
Also please confirm that it is not a time-bombed trial.

J


EDIT:
Wait - I just spotted that on this page (https://www.keyshot.com/onshape) it says "If you do not currently have a paid license of KeyShot, you will be offered a free 14 day trial." That is NOT what I call free. Get me out of here.

Also PowerSurface talks about a "Free monthly usage plan" - which sounds like free use only for one month. Nope that is a deal-breaker.

To explain: I will only be using these rendering applications rather occasionally and I do not want to be locked out of the system without paying what will add up over a year to a huge sum, and that on top of the time I have wasted trying to learn them. No chance in Hell.

CONCLUSION
So unless I can work out out to import wood materials into the Clario app (without going into Clario proper) ... I guess that takes me back to Lagoa even though it's not an Onshape app.  [sigh]


@michał_1 - Btw, a small request - your images are great but they are a full 8MB each and are murdering my bandwidth. For next time any chance of adding a little compression?

DriesV

john_smith077 said:

@joe_dunne - OK I just downloaded "Keyshot v6.1 CAD Lite - 64 bit"(over 500MB, btw) but although it says 

> How it works:

> After installation of the application, open KeyShot and select “Connect to Onshape” from the File menu. 
I can't find any such option on the File menu within KeyShot. [GRRRR! ] 



Could you possibly tell me how to connect to Onshape?
Also please confirm that it is not a time-bombed trial.

J


EDIT:
Wait - I just spotted that on this page (https://www.keyshot.com/onshape) it says "If you do not currently have a paid license of KeyShot, you will be offered a free 14 day trial." That is NOT what I call free. Get me out of here.

Also PowerSurface talks about a "Free monthly usage plan" - which sounds like free use only for one month. Nope that is a deal-breaker.

To explain: I will only be using these rendering applications rather occasionally and I do not want to be locked out of the system without paying what will add up over a year to a huge sum, and that on top of the time I have wasted trying to learn them. No chance in Hell.

CONCLUSION
So unless I can work out out to import wood materials into the Clario app (without going into Clario proper) ... I guess that takes me back to Lagoa even though it's not an Onshape app.  [sigh]


@michał_1 - Btw, a small request - your images are great but they are a full 8MB each and are murdering my bandwidth. For next time any chance of adding a little compression?

Hi,

Just to be clear:
It is the connection to Onshape (within KeyShot) itself which is free. The Connection still requires a licensed KeyShot installation.
It is included in any of these versions:

• KeyShot 6.1 HD
• KeyShot 6.1 Pro
• KeyShot 6.1 Pro Floating
• KeyShot 6.1 Enterprise

So if a free rendering app is what you're looking for, then KeyShot is not for you.  
However, we do have great support for pushing updates from changed models and different workspaces into KeyShot.

Dries

joe_dunne

John,

Thanks for the comments. Looks like PowerSurface should more clearly describe what they offer.  Since I think you made the wrong assessment.

PowerSurface gives you a fully functional product with up with up to 30 surfaces..... That covers a lot of geometry. I covers the model I showed.  I think you should be very happy with that.  If all you need is 30 surfaces or less, looks like you have a great solution. If you need more, upgrade. if you then need less later, downgrade... You can't really ask for a more reasonable offering IMO.

Many of the apps in the App store are brand new.  I'd just check back in a short amount of time.  Nothing you asked for should require to you go to a 6th option.  So check back soon. 

Joe

joe_dunne

Not sure you ask for more than this.  it does everything you ask....  And it is much better than the 6th option you are mentioning.  Much better... 

michał_1

Hi, I have problem with KeyShot trial, there's no Connect to Onshape option. Should I look for some plugin???

DriesV

michał_1 said:

Hi, I have problem with KeyShot trial, there's no Connect to Onshape option. Should I look for some plugin???

Hi,

Which version are you running? The Connection was not included in the 6.0 release of KeyShot.
If you are running the 6.1 Demo, then you should see 'Connect to Onshape...' under File.
Btw, I suggest you update to the latest version (6.1.72, just released today...) by downloading from here or here. This version has a critical fix for importing Onshape assemblies.

Dries

michał_1

my version is 6.1.65.... could you post a link to 6.1.72v ?

michał_1

wow, how that's possible, last friday I was able to get only this file: keyshot_w64_6.1.65.exe, now I'm downloading keyshot_w64_6.1.72.exe... funny

DriesV

Update installers:

Win64: https://www.keyshot.com/?ddownload=329833
Win32: https://www.keyshot.com/?ddownload=329832
Mac: https://www.keyshot.com/?ddownload=329834

Let me know how it works.
dries@luxion.com

Dries

michał_1

thx

michał_1

is it matter that my Keyshot is localized?

DriesV

Re: For wood, KeyShot has an advanced procedural wood texture (non-image based) that can be used to generate a wide variety of woods.

Dries

DriesV

michał_1 said:

is it matter that my Keyshot is localized?

No, that should still work.
Can you get in touch with our support?
support@luxion.com

Dries

michał_1

I will, thx

michał_1

Ok, I found where was the problem... I was running KeyShot without registration, when I register my demo, option connect to onshape suddenly appeared

DriesV

michał_1 said:

Ok, I found where was the problem... I was running KeyShot without registration, when I register my demo, option connect to onshape suddenly appeared

Ah yes, without registration quite a lot of stuff gets disabled.
It'd be great to know if you like the KeyShot + Onshape combo.

Dries

michał_1

Sure thing