SolidWorks Exporter

[xrok1]

jeffr,

can you check this out for me? i'm trying to create a macro so that i can select a face, traverse the feature tree, and the macro will select all the other faces with the same color. (like a select by color option) but i just can't seem to crack it. the msgbox is just for testing purposes and so is the code that will only change the face to blue if the selection is white.

i hope you can understand my explaination. the biggest problem right now is how to make it automatically select the next face. i will worry about comparing the color to the next face later but i need to know how to select it first.

ignore the wishy washy code it a series of desperate attempts. any advise or snippits would be appreciated.

[xrok1]

come on back jeffr i'd love to see what you have.

[jeffr]

I'll post an update tomorrow but you can mess around with this update until then.

[xrok1]

thanks i'll check it out

[xrok1]

great!
i don't get why you think you have normal problems. i can see everything in my scene when i render? looks good.

by the way have you considered using the textures instead of the physical materials? or are you, because i thought i saw in one of your posts that you use materials not textures?

p.s surfaces still don't show up have you noticed this? there is a floor in this model but its a surface.

[jeffr]

I'm implementing the textures actually. I removed the parts that read the selected material and now just look for settings in the components for colour, specularity, transparency etc. and you can select a texture.
I am limited a bit with the controls provided within SW. I want to be able to use a texture but also use bump maps. Any ideas how to use both?

[xrok1]

i believe the only way you can do that is through photoworks which is accessible through the api. but then you're back into, might as well render through photoworks, which is a real pain but does give half descent results (i'll post some when i get home)

option 2. make an interface like skindigo where you can use blend materials aka layers to add add channels to the texture.

option 3. probably best bet and easiest to implement would be different configurations or display states might even be better, with specific naming convention such as bump, clip...

[jeffr]

No if you right click on a part you can go to appearance and you can change colours, transparency, specular, shininess etc. You can also select textures. This can all be brought in and used.

[Big Fan]

I think SW08 realview uses bump maps so you should be able to find API stuff for it and also use env maps..
Really I think you should try to utilise 08 as a starting point for an exporter - perhaps you are a beta tester and can get access to the new API?
the normals might work better too...

[xrok1]

SW06 also uses all these features bump, env, masks...

[xrok1]

here is a photoworks render, not bad but a pain. SW06

[Big Fan]

LOL
I leave you to it..

[jeffr]

SW 06 itself doesn't have bumpmap, environment map etc. but maybe photoworks does. Without having the photoworks add on I don't see a way to do it.

[xrok1]

ok sorry, i have photoworks so i guess i assumed.

...but what about the display states idea?

P.S did i mention i love your interface simple and to the point.

[jeffr]

ok sorry, i have photoworks so i guess i assumed.

...but what about the display states idea?

P.S did i mention i love your interface simple and to the point.

Expand on what your thinking about display states. I think your saying make use of the ability to give a part a different configuration and try to pull up additional parameters from another config.

Thanks for your P.S. - has been my intent from the start