Design engineers get image conscious

Richard Blatcher of Autodesk says visualisation needn't be a luxury.

How quickly we begin to take new technology for granted.

There was a time when any 3D digital model seemed fascinating.

Now, for many engineers, they are just a part of the day-to-day work environment.

Highly useful and valuable, maybe - but no longer turning heads or attracting wolf whistles of admiration.

However, the situation is different when it comes to high-end photorealistic visuals.

These computer-generated images are almost impossible to distinguish from real photographs - except the subject doesn't actually yet exist.

And the remarkable fact is, they make any product - from the latest and sexiest new sports car to an industrial cleaning machine - look like a real stunner.

But to do this properly you need the skills, the tools and the time.

To render, light and position a product in this way can take hours or days even.

If you outsource it may take even longer - and it can be expensive.

Also, if a specialist agency is creating the visuals from a 2D drawing you may end up with what, in reality, is an impression rather than an accurate representation of the concept.

This can cause no end of problems further down the line with a mismatch between the end result and customer expectations, jeopardising any chance of repeat business.

It's not surprising that, until recently, only those designing high-end consumer products tended to go through this process.

However, gradually, the tools are becoming available to enable more mainstream manufacturers take advantage of better visualisation.

So, in this recession-threatened climate, is this level of visualisation an indulgence - or can it actually show a return on investment and give manufacturers the competitive sharpness needed during tougher times?.

Naturally, the correct answer differs according to the product.

Nobody would suggest that the manufacturers of the smallest of components invest in 3ds Max and spend precious hours perfecting the rendering and lighting styles on a model of a nut or bolt.

However, today more than ever, even the most industrial of products need to have style to sell - and there's a definite argument for offsetting the cost against that of making successive physical prototypes.

Visualisation is particularly valuable for design teams needing to present ideas before a product has been fully engineered - or while this is happening.

Concepts need to be shown accurately, but also in their best light and in real-world situations.

When a prospective customer can see - not an artist's impression, but an accurate digital prototype showing what the machine will look like and how it will work - selling a product "off the page" becomes much easier.

It also encourages early decision making both from the customer and also from the extended design team.

It can lead to better communication about modifications and customer feedback can be easily incorporated into the end design.

3D images can be used for brochures and other marketing collateral.

They can also be used for instruction manuals and can provide a particularly visual way to give maintenance advice which can be understood by anyone across the globe, whatever language they speak.

However, this only becomes affordable when digitalisation extends throughout the design process and data can be seamless transferred between design, visualisation and engineering.

For many engineering companies, the answer lies not in high-end stand-alone solutions such as 3ds Max software, but in the improved visualisation functionality of Inventor Studio included with the latest release of Autodesk Inventor.

This rendering and animation tool enhances the images you can create using Inventor itself with additional surface and lighting styles.

For example, it offers the ability to configure multiple lights with different types and colours as well as shadows and reflections.

It also enables users to quickly create sophisticated camera movements such as fly-bys and walk-throughs to maximise the effectiveness of animated renderings.

According to Peter James, Design Manager at Universal Engineering, Inventor models of concept designs are playing a part in winning new business.

For example, feedback from the MoD on a recent successful tender demonstrated that customers appreciate seeing 3D images of concept designs before they make the decision to buy.

"It shows we've thought carefully about what we are offering and can deliver what we promise", says James.

Mark Milne, Head of the Design Office at Scottish firm John M Henderson agrees: "They give everyone involved a good idea of what the product should look like".

"This is as important during the commercial negotiations as it is during manufacture".

"Being able to put 3D renders and animations into the salesman's Powerpoint presentation is a big bonus".

However, since the acquisition of 3D graphics technology developer Alias by Autodesk a few years ago, another alternative has emerged.

Autodesk Alias Studio has, for years, been the concept design solution of choice for much of the automotive industry, including premier league names such as Renault, Aston Martin and Jaguar.

Yet a newer sister product, Autodesk Showcase, could prove to be well worth the investment for those serious about using visualisation to the full.

Developed to help facilitate informed decision-making as early as possible in the design workflow, it creates photorealistic images from 3D CAD data in a real-world context and is highly accurate in its representation of both form and function.

These can be shared with and reviewed by both colleagues and clients, both locally and via remote sessions.

One of the major advantages here is that multiple design variations and combinations can be reviewed side by side and discussed, without a physical prototype and without creating a bottleneck in the digital pipeline.

And these can be visualised in a matter of seconds - as compared with the hours it may take to render and prepare an image to this standard in 3ds Max or similar.

Design consultancy Hyphen, has recently added Inventor and Showcase to software portfolio.

"We've done a lot of rendering of 3D models in the past, but it can be a cumbersome process", says Cameron Treeby of Hyphen.

"However, Showcase is a great tool, as you don't have that time overhead and clients quickly give you feedback as well, which means we work more closely with them".

It's understandable that many see visualisation as a luxury.

However, if it is viewed as part of a leaner, accelerated manufacturing workflow, this attitude could easily change.

Engineers could soon be adding some visual glamour to their work after all.

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