Hands-on Test Drive. This Autodesk

Exercise: Advanced Visualization

Now that you have finished the assembly, you can create a near photo-realistic rendering. Autodesk Inventor provides state-of-the-art tools that design engineers need to quickly create renderings.

2. On the View tab, Appearance panel, Visual Style list, select Monochrome.

The completed exercise

Create a Photo-Realistic Rendering

1. Continue working with Lift_Assy.iam that you saved in the Assembly Modeling exercise. If you did not complete that exercise or save that file, open .\Completed Files\

Lift_Assy _.iam.

3. In the Visual Style list, select Watercolor.

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4. Orbit the model to view it from a direction approximately as shown. Notice how the visual style is dynamic as you orbit the model.

8. On the Appearance panel, click Ground Plane. The display of the ground plane is now toggled off.

5. In the Visual Style list, select Shaded.

9. Begin to add one shadow setting at a time and review their impact. On the Appearance panel, Shadows list, select the Ground Shadows check box.

6. On the Appearance panel, click Ground Plane. Notice how the opposite edges of the ground plane display parallel to each other.

10. In the Shadows list, select the Object Shadows check box.

The model now displays as shown. The ground shadow continues to display and object shadows are cast as indicated.

7. On the Appearance pane, Orthographic list, select

Perspective. Notice how the opposite edges of the ground plane appear to converge.

42 Autodesk Inventor 2012: Test Drive

11. In the Shadows list, select the Ambient Shadows check box. Notice the darkening of the display of the models in areas where ambient light would not be as bright.

Tip: Toggle this setting on and off to make it easier to see where the ambient shadows are being applied.

13. To have the digital prototype display even more realistic, in the Visual Style list, select Realistic. By default this style uses Ray Tracing to calculate the display for material, shadows, and lighting. Notice the shadow casting from one part to another is even more pronounced.

Note: The speed of calculation depends on your design and your computer. The quality of the material is impacted by the material settings and lighting style.

12. On the Appearance panel, click Reflections. A reflection of the design appears reflected off the ground plane.

14. To continue to use the Realistic visual style but without

Ray Tracing, on the Appearance panel, click Ray Tracing.

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15. To export the current rendering display of the design to a neutral image file: n

On the Application menu, Export fly out, click Image.

n

In the Save Copy As dialog box, Save As Type list, select PNG Files (*.png).

n

Review the file name and location where the file will be saved.

n

Click Save.

Tip: In Application Options toggle off the display of the

Origin 3D Indicator so it does not display in the exported

image.

16. To view the design with a different lighting style, on the

Appearance panel, lighting style list, select Empty Lab.

18. Save and close the assembly file.

17. Zoom out and orbit the display to review the 3D environment around the digital prototype and the light source for lighting the design.

44 Autodesk Inventor 2012: Test Drive