SolidWorks 2011 Assemblies Bible - Matt Lombard [26]
The interface for the walk-through consists of two elements — the PropertyManager and the horizontal toolbar; the initial setup is controlled by the Walk-through PropertyManager, shown in Figure 3.18.
In the PropertyManager, you select a base plane that acts as a floor, and then establish a camera height to simulate the height of your eyes off the floor. If you intend to drive the walk-through using a sketch, you can select the sketch elements in the Motion Constraints selection box. For the most fluid motion, you can use splines. You can also use 2D or 3D sketches.
FIGURE 3.18
Using the Walk-through PropertyManager for the initial setup
Capturing the walk-through requires an interface that is significantly different from other SolidWorks tools, as shown in Figure 3.19. While the interface and documentation refer to an “avatar,” you will not see any sort of virtual manikin walking through the model, except in SolidWorks sales demonstrations.
FIGURE 3.19
Using the special walk-through interface
Once you are in this mode, the scroll wheel on your mouse works backwards from standard SolidWorks functionality for zooming.
On the DVD
The dump truck files used for this example are on the DVD. This is a good model for practicing.
Here are the steps to create a walk-through:
1. Select a suitable model, preferably one with an interior that you want to virtually wander around inside. This feature works best with models on the scale of buildings.
2. Click the DisplayManager tab in the FeatureManager area.
3. Click the Scene, Lights, and Cameras button.
4. Right-click the Walk-through entry in the list, and select Add Walk-through.
5. Establish a floor or vertical direction using a plane, planar face, edge, or axis, and indicate which end is up. Also, establish the height of your eyes above the floor with a sketch plane for the path.
6. If you are using a sketch path, select the sketch segments in the Motion Constraints selection box.
7. Click the Capture Walk-through button. If you are using sketches to drive the motion, just click the Forward button on the interface, and the camera “walks” along the path. If you are not using sketches, use the arrows on the interface to make the camera (called an avatar in this interface) move.
8. Generate and save the video using the controls on the toolbar.
Using Display States
One of the most commonly used and powerful visualization aids available in SolidWorks is the display states functionality (see Figure 3.20). Display states is simply the ability to save different arrangements showing parts shaded, shaded with edges, in wireframe, with hidden lines removed (HLR), with hidden lines in gray (HLG), or to change colors or hide parts entirely.
FIGURE 3.20
Display states in an assembly
Display states are a great alternative to configurations when it comes to efficiency and speed. Configurations and display states are covered in more detail in Chapter 8, but to summarize the difference, configurations require more processing power (rebuild time) and data storage (file size) than display states. If you are in the habit of making configurations for assemblies just to change the visual characteristics (including Hide/Show), you should consider using display states for that instead.
In addition to being able to use display states to differentiate parts in an assembly, you can use display states for bodies within parts. These capabilities are discussed in this chapter because display states are an extremely valuable tool for visualization in both parts and assemblies.
You can find display states in the lower half of the ConfigurationManager. Notice in Figure 3.20 that the settings you change in display states are also recorded in the Display Pane. To add a display state, right-click in the Display States section of the ConfigurationManager. To activate a different display state, just double-click a grayed-out state.
Using Edge and Wireframe Settings
Using edge and wireframe settings for displaying assemblies can be a very effective way to make