Renderings with Solidworks Visualization

Simple Visualiaztion rending

This year I started using a new product called SolidWorks Visualization. It's a standalone product formally known as Bunkspeed. It's what professionals use to make products look as realistic as possible. I'm a long time user of Photoview 360 and I was interested to see the differences. 

This first thing I notice is the mouse operation is different than Solidworks. This is hugely frustrating adapting to yet another UI but also having all the familiar mouse functions like zoom, rotation, pan are different. I've been told this will be updated. It seems a no brainier to integrate some of the great UI from the Solidworks mouse gestures and S key. ( Maybe in the future. After that initial adjustment it turns out using the software is really easy. The UI really gets out of the way and lets the user focus on making better renderings. The backgrounds and materials are very useful and allow me to make more realistic looking renders.  

I can’t wait to start comparing the renderings from PhotoView 360 and Visualization. I can already tell that I can get better results with Visualization. Which then leads me to animations, again I’m familiar with SolidWorks Motion, using it for years now it’s an old friend. Hopefully in Visualization making animations will be just as easy.

Currently I think both 360 and Visualization have their purpose. For me doing a quick renders it is really easy to use 360. Visualization is great for the end of a project when you need a really professional tool to give you the best results possible with a rendering tool. Warning with Visualization will show your weakness in renderings. If you forget to apply a material to a body, that body will look out of place, easily noticeable, and if you are like me, you will be compelled to fix that mistake. You will be driven to spend hours working on lighting, materials, backgrounds, and camera angles to get the render just right. The more time you send in Visualization the better your results will be. At least sending hours on Visualization is better than playing Xbox right? 

Why I'm building a Locost 7

It's Mazda's Fault! 

This is me frowning because I can't fit in the 2016 Miata (Even with the seats in the lowest and farthest back possession.) 

I have always been a fan of the Mazda Miatas, since high school I have secretly wanted one. For all the right reasons (subjective of course) they are light, quick, cheap, reliable, and huge amounts of fun. Or at least that's what I have been told, I have a problem, I'm to tall to own a miata. It's not just Miata's I can't fit in a long list of sports cars. The miata is the one that I could maybe afford and track that's reasonably price, reliable, and hugely fun. 

This brings me to 2015 and the release of the 2016 Miata ND, this is the 5th version of the miata! Most cars over time get larger and more comfortable over time to appeal to a larger audience. I almost fit in the 2006-20015 NC Miata. My hope was that with the 2016 Miata I would be golden, the designers would make the car a little larger so that they could gain a wider market. Secretly I applied for a loan, got approved and was going to buy one of the first 2016 Miata's in my area. I stayed up late to watch the release, read every magazine that reviewed the pre-production cars. I looked on the forms and Mazda website specking out my very own dream miata! 

In October the local Mazda dealerships started receiving the first 2016 Miata's. I left work one Tuesday afternoon after a call from the local dealership. They informed me they got the first shipment. Anxiously I drove to the dealership to see the new car I had lusted over. 

When I arrived the sales guy face said it all, and what it said was "nope not happening," meaning there was no way I was going to cram my lengthily body is this tiny sports car. He was super nice (well done Mazda for not having pushy sales people) and let me sit in the car and try to cram myself into the car for 20 minutes. For 20 minute I tried unsuccessfully to adjust the seat and steering wheel so that I could fit with at least some amount of comfort and safety. My head raise the roof with the soft-top closed! This was in no way safe, no reasonable person would consider this a car I could drive. For 20 minutes I tried to talk my self into it. I thought to my self I'd buy a new seat, hard mount it to the floor, or I'd make a new hardtop or I can slouch to the right about 25 degrees. That's safe right? Finally I had to give up on my dream, the car I lusted after because reality had set in. Again another car I couldn't fit in. Dammit. Some people wish to be taller, I've been trying to stunt my growth since six grade because being tall has it's disadvantages. Being a car enthusiast is definitely one. 

The trip to the Mazda dealership was the last proverbial straw, if I wanted a Miata. I'd have to wait until Mazda does a complete new model. That could be five or more years. I just don't want to wait that long. I'll make my own light weight sports car for less money than the miata and be finish building it and enjoy it before Mazda comes out with the next generation of the Miata.