SolidWorks 2010 Bible

Part I: SolidWorks Basics

In some situations, you can use RealView instead of rendering. In these cases, RealView acts as a

real-time renderer. The main advantages that rendering software such as PhotoWorks or

PhotoView 360 holds over RealView are improved antialiasing control, improved shadow control,

indirect illumination, global illumination, caustics, and effects such as depth of field from a camera.

You can even use RealView as a diagnostic tool for smooth transitions between surfaces because

RealView appearances apply a reflective surface to a part and then apply a reflective background.

This is essentially what the Zebra Stripes functionality is doing, but Zebra stripes applies a specific

reflective background to make examining curvature continuity across edges more straightforward.

You can turn RealView on or off by using the golden sphere icon shown by default on the

Heads-up View toolbar. If this icon is grayed out, then your system is not equipped with an

appropriate RealView-capable graphics card. Generally, you need an nVidia 500 series or higher

to get RealView capabilities, and an appropriate graphics driver must be installed with the

hardware. NVS series cards are not 3D cards and will not enable RealView. Some ATI FireGL

cards may also work.

Using RealView basic components

RealView consists of appearances and scenes. The Appearances section controls colors, textures,

reflectivity, optical properties, and materials. The Scenes controls the background image and

reflectivity image. Figure 5.16 shows the contents of the RealView tab in the Task Pane, as well as

the callout that appears when you drop an appearance onto a part. The callout enables you to

select whether you want the appearance applied to the face, body, part, or assembly level.

FIGURE 5.16

Using the Appearances tab on the Task Pane to apply appearances