Visualize Monthly Contest

I think this new thread/contest is a beautiful idea    I'll see what resources/prizes SW can put towards it. Until then, let's use this Visualize forum thread to post the models and subsequent rendered images. Then share tips/tricks used to sharpen each other's skillset. I'm eager to learn from you all as well!

Rob Rodríguez any models you have in your bank to kick off with?

Notifying others who expressed interest in this monthly contest or recently posted in the main thread: Chris Mowatt, Scott Ellery, Jeremy Grigsby, Mark Jackson, Rich Fagioli, Richie More, Alexander Smith, Kevin Pymm, Kevin Schlaepfer, BARIŞ KILINÇ, Michael Dirisio

Let's come up with some loose guidelines. I think maybe we should be able to modify the model supplied. Maybe the person that uploads the model can provide the guidelines to make it interesting. I'm glad I had this thought today. I think it's going to be fun.

I think this is a wonderful idea. I know there are very talented people on this site and I would love to see some of their work so I can pick up some tips from the pro's.

Nice to see a monthly SOLIDWORKS Render Contest back up and running again.

Thanks Chris Cunningham

I'm in. Please provide details of how we proceed. Dates and obviously the data...

Hi Everyone.

Apologies for not pitching in sooner. I think this is a fantastic idea and I would love to engage with the process myself. My only thoughts on this at the moment are that perhaps we should offer a decent length of time such as a month per project. This is essentially going to be extra-curricular, so people are going to need time to dedicate to it.

Secondly as far as the starting models are concerned. I wonder if we might run into trouble, given that there may be some of us who aren't using the most current version of SW or some who aren't SW users at all for their modelling. Additionally, as another member quite rightly said on this subject some weeks ago, the quality of your renders is very much also driven by the quality of your modelling, SW or other platform.

So perhaps what might be a good idea is to issue a brief and a submission date and let us all model how we want to model as well as render how we want to render.

As we know, SW and SWV are an integrated platform and as far as I'm concerned (though it sounds contradictory to my earlier assertions about others who model in other platforms) one of the biggest selling points into the SW/SWV community is that link between the two.

Finally a bit of 'proper incentivisation is never a bad thing in my opinion, perhaps not as a prize for each submission but at the end of a year or every 6 months.... That might drive repeat submissions and greater engagement.

Hope you are all enjoying your weekends.

THE MODEL:

Searching through my files of possible models to use for the contest I came up with 4 options based on this criteria

• Interesting product
• Model has adequate detail
• Would require a variety of material types / decals

I have chosen one of the 4 models for the 1st contest and have 3 others we can use for future contests.

This model was provided to me by SolidWorks corporate and I believe it was modeled by Mark Schneider (of model mania fame).  It's been used in many a demo and we also used the model in the PhotoWorks / PhotoView 360 Rendering Guides when they were available.  The model was included with the guides when you purchased them so its been publicly available for about 10 yrs.  This model has good detail and is very representative of a great CAD model.

You can download the SVPJ file for the Miter Saw here (35mb download)  Dropbox - Miter Saw_render contest.svpj

I was asked to place this disclaimer with the model:

By participating in this customer-ran Visualize render contest, you agree to the following terms:

1.       Datasets uploaded for this render contest are to be used within Visualize ONLY and no other program. You are not permitted to export these datasets from Visualize to be used in another program.
2.       The assets (images, videos, 360s, etc) you create with these datasets in Visualize can only be used in this render contest and cannot be used for any other usage nor purpose, for professional nor personal gain.
3.       These datasets are NOT to be shared outside of this customer-ran Visualize render contest. You do not have rights to re-distribute.
4.     If any of these terms are broken, we will have no other choice than to call Liam Neeson’s character Bryan Mills to do what he does best.

THE RULES:

Based on the feedback given by others in this thread here are the rules:

• Small model modifications will be allowed to achieve a more realistic rendering.  Please keep model edits to a minimum.

• You are free to add anything else to the scene as long as the model provided is the main focus of the rendering.

• Any combination of  materials / decals and Visualize settings can be used to achieve your rendering.

• The use of 3rd party photo editing software is permitted to post process your rendering.

• Photo editing software can be used to create decals and materials.

• The use of 3rd party Visualize Plug-ins (ex. HDR light Studio) is permitted

• Each contestant will be permitted to submit two entries per contest.  The entries must use the same Visualize material settings and must be different views (ex front view & back view)

• Each entry should be 2400 x 1800 pixels (8" x 6" @ 300dpi print quality)

• Please list all software used to create the entry images when submitting your entries
• Please note your hardware and render time when submitting your entries.

To give everyone time lets make the entry submission date by Friday May, 18th at 12am Eastern Standard Time.  Entries can be submitted in posts to this thread.

Good luck and happy rendering!

Good idea.Love to see the different solutions and renders.

Just making sure; are we posting our renders in this thread or will there be a dedicated thread for entries?

Are there any tutorial on how to move things? I want to rotate the blade cover about its axis and all other moving parts but don't know how. I model and position in solidworks and never really do much transformation in visualize, so i don't know what I am doing. I looked through the tutorials available through help/visualize tutorials, but I didn't see one dealing with manipulation of objects in the transformation/rotation sense.

Seems to be a lot of discussion about the ability to use this model in portfolios. If we come up with other models for future contests, what is the expectation of a "good" model for the contest? I like modeling, but I don't know what is a good model to render? I thought anything that can be rendered to try to create a realistic rendering was what was desired. Any ideas on what kind of model, or characteristics that would provide a fun contest. I have lots of ideas for the miter saw, just have to see if my abilities allow me to create my vision, or if it will just stay locked in my head forever.,

I have a model that I would be willing to share, but I don't know if it is complicated enough to make a good contest. It is a combat robot I designed and modeled for a battlebot competition when I first got solidworks.