10 replies to this topic

[cash68]

I've been contacted by a client with a really strange request, and I'm not even sure where to start. They are a small scale bike manufacturer, and they would like videos created that show their frames deforming under pressure. The idea is to show how their joints/tubes are stronger than the competition. The loads/animations DO NOT NEED TO BE accurate or scientific, but they want them to look very technical and advanced to a layperson. I have their CAD files in solidworks, and I tried using Cosmos Flow as well as Simulation, but both result in very poor quality animations, the solids get turned into a mesh, not a rendered, glossy, frame.

Where the hell should I start? What software would I need for this?

[Pawel Keska]

You should use Simulation add-in (from SolidWorks Premium) not flow...

Example here>>>

[cash68]

I am. But I am not seeing an option to do a HIGH QUALITY RENDER of the deformation, it only does it with a crappy mesh view, not even using real time 3d effects like realview.

[Pawel Keska]

I am. But I am not seeing an option to do a HIGH QUALITY RENDER of the deformation, it only does it with a crappy mesh view, not even using real time 3d effects like realview.

You cannot view the results of analysis in real-time, all time must be re-calculated. So, there is no option to set HQ renderings like in PhotoWorks/PhotoView. Of coure you can display model with mesh or not, you can set deformation scale and choose colours etc.
 fram2.jpg   167.83K   5 downloads
And animations settings.
 fram1.jpg   143.33K   0 downloads
I'm not sure what you exactly try to do, show k-factor or displacement?

[Cyberdemon]

Pawel,

He is trying to create a marketing-type animation, not an actual simulation.

Cash,

The only thing I can think of (Besides what I mentioned on 77) would be to build the part you want to show flex on (top tube?) with a parametric curve that you can modify so that the top tube bends. If you build that so you can increment it slowly you could effectively key-frame the flexing with the parametrics and take a render from the same view for ~30 frames and then assemble them in after effects or some other software.

That may be a lot of work, but wouldn't involve learning new software.

Either that, or just find a 3D animator and subcontract that baby out.

[Playdo]

Hi Cash,

I've sent you a PM.

[Pawel Keska]

Pawel,
He is trying to create a marketing-type animation, not an actual simulation.

Ok, but this animation using flex feature cannot show realistic deformation - it needs mesh and FEA calculation. YOu cannot show colours as well, which presents strong enough areas... It is my opinion.

[Cyberdemon]

If it's for the purposes of marketing it does not need to be realistic. You could easily render a bike that flexes and overlay a colored gradient to "Simulate" the effect of real FEA analysis.

If you are making a video for a web page of a bicycle company, you can't expect a person to understand FEA results. But you could expect them to understand Bike A flexing half as much as Competitor B to explain "Stiffness".

(Yes, I understand that there is zero validity to this, but if it's what the client wants they're the ones paying the bills)

[Pawel Keska]

If it's for the purposes of marketing it does not need to be realistic. You could easily render a bike that flexes and overlay a colored gradient to "Simulate" the effect of real FEA analysis.
If you are making a video for a web page of a bicycle company, you can't expect a person to understand FEA results. But you could expect them to understand Bike A flexing half as much as Competitor B to explain "Stiffness".
(Yes, I understand that there is zero validity to this, but if it's what the client wants they're the ones paying the bills)

ok, you're right ... I am an engineer and looking from a different perspective at some things. Therefore, if I see an animation on webpages looks like a photomontage I don't like that. Sometimes when you show a completely abstract deformation can spoil the effect...

@cash68 - if you need any problem with SW animation I will try to help you

[cash68]

I just don't think what the client is asking for is possible. Oh well. >shrug<

[Playdo]

I just don't think what the client is asking for is possible. Oh well. >shrug<

Hi Cash. I'm not sure if you got my PM, but if not, and you'd like to outsource it, then get in touch and we can go through it. I animate in programs specifically designed for this.

Thanks.