*This blog has been UPDATED for 2018 SP1 release:
Have a smartphone or VR headset and wish you could teleport yourself into your Visualize project? Well wish no more! New for SOLIDWORKS Visualize Pro 2018 is the ability to create immersive Virtual Reality images and animations. This adds yet another level of photo-realism to the already awesome Visualize content you have relied on to get your products to market faster:
• Drastically reduce physical prototyping costs
• Improve internal design/engineering reviews
• Make important decisions much earlier in the development process
• Create viral marketing experiences to promote your newest products
Visualize 2018 allows you to create ‘360’ cameras, which render out a flattened-spherical image, changing how you design, develop and deliver your products. This image can then be viewed with any VR headset (from HTC Vive all the way to even a $15 Google Cardboard). We’ve even given you an option to preview this 360 image before you render it – saving annoying rework time. You can also create proper stereo (left eye, right eye) as well, however it’s not required for this new 360 content.
Let’s see exactly how this works.
TO RENDER A 360 IMAGE:
1) Create a camera and select the new ‘360’ option from the ‘Type’ dropdown in the Cameras Tab ‘General’ sub-tab. This will automatically set your camera to the required 2:1 aspect ratio.
Once your 360 camera is perfectly positioned, and with the ‘Preview 360 Panorama’ enabled, rotate your view to where you want to start in the VR experience – then click the ‘Set Startup View’ button. This sets the first view you see in the final VR experience.
6) Start the render and when it finishes, see the next steps below.
TO VIEW A 360 IMAGE IN VIRTUAL REALITY:
Since everyone has a smartphone these days, we’ve first focused on that device for experiencing this new Virtual Reality content. Plus this new VR content is perfect for viral social media campaigns. That said, you can still view this new VR content on any VR device, including Vive and Oculus with their installed viewers.
1) Once your 360 image render has completed, you now need to host it online somewhere to view it on your smartphone. There are several ways to do this – the following is the one I like to use.
2) I choose to upload my images to Flickr. Once your image has uploaded to Flickr, click on the image to view it. This displays the direct URL needed for the next step. Copy this unique URL.
3) This next step takes your freshly rendered 360 image and zips it up for viewing it on any smartphone. Follow the instructions in this link and paste your unique URL in the first step. Then select ‘360’ and keep the defaults. Click load (sometimes twice) and you’ll see your 360 image in the preview below. Almost done!
4) Now all you have to do is share this modified 360 image. Scroll down below the Preview section, expand ‘Export/share’ and click ‘Shareable URL.’ This will open a new tab with your final VR 360 image. Copy this link and paste it into an email, for the final step below.
TO RENDER AND VIEW 360 VIDEO FOR VIRTUAL REALITY:
Since the new 360 option is a camera type, you can use this new camera type to create any animation supported by Visualize Pro and experience it in virtual reality. This includes walkthroughs, camera flys, exploded views, fading the opacity of parts/models, Sun Studies and more.
Simply set up your animation, create your 360 camera, and then render out the animation. Make sure to enable the new checkbox in the render settings “Adjust for Virtual Reality playback on social media.” This encodes your 360 video with the metadata required for instant playback in YouTube. You cannot playback your new 360-VR video without this checkbox.
Once the 360 animation is finished, upload the MP4 to YouTube. You can set any confidential videos to Private or Unlisted to share internally.
Don’t forget to download the latest YouTube app on your smartphone to view this stunning 360-VR content! My $15 Google Card works just fine with my iPhone. Tap the VR goggle button at the bottom to experience your freshly-rendered 360-VR video!
VR EXAMPLES
Below are some example VR links to experience the immersive photo-quality for yourself. Simply open this email on your smartphone, click on one of the links, and pop your phone into your VR headset of choice:
TRAKKA 3
AIRPLANE 1
AIRPLANE 4
Don’t forget to follow SOLIDWORKS Visualize Product Manager @bhillner on twitter for product news and updates, and share your SOLIDWORKS Visualize creations on social media with #swvisualize and #gettinvizzy!
More Resources to get started with SOLIDWORKS Visualize:
DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE SEAT OF SOLIDWORKS VISUALIZE right now to bring your products to market faster than ever before.
WATCH TWO WEBINARS on SOLIDWORKS Visualize and its many benefits to up your render game to a whole new level.
WATCH THE TUTORIALS to master SOLIDWORKS Visualize in no time and impress your boss with photo-quality content.
*SOLIDWORKS CAD Professional & Premium users on active Subscription receive the matching number of complimentary Visualize Standard seats. Learn more here.
Originally posted in the SOLIDWORKS Tech Blog.