A Step-by-Step Guide to Adding Dynamic Previews to Forms in DriveWorks

3D documents are a great way to enhance your DriveWorks forms.

As a ‘lightweight’ version of your model configured in SOLIDWORKS, these 3D documents display a live, updating preview of your design as you change your form in real time.

This blog will take you through the process of creating a 3D document, and then some methods you can use to build them up.

What is a 3D Document?

3D Documents are a type of DriveWorks file and there are many ways to build them up.

They let you view your products live in 3D and dynamically update as you change the inputted data in the form.

How to Create a 3D Document in DriveWorks

1. Navigate to Stage 4: Output Rules > Documents – 3D within DriveWorks Administrator.
2. Select Add from the command bar.
3. Give your 3D Document a sensible name. In the 3D Document Wizard you can insert templates that add certain scenes to the 3D model.Feel free to add these if they sound useful as they can be easily deleted if not required later.Selecting each option gives a description of what will be added to the initial 3D Document. You can then hit Finish.
4. This will bring you into the DriveWorks 3D Document editor where you can build up your 3D document using any of the methods below!

How to Add Geometry to a 3D Document

There are many ways you can add geometry to a 3D document, but one thing that each method has in common is the need to add geometry to a Node.

3D Documents are built up using a nodal structure, where each node can be positioned relative to the node above it and can inherit properties such as scale and appearance of the parent nodes.

To add a node, you need to right click on an existing node, and select Add Node. You can then add Entities to each node.

An Entity is an additional feature you can add to a node in a 3D document.

This can be anything from geometry, to appearances, to lights and animations.

You can add multiple Entities to any individual node, and some entities are passed down to nodes beneath the one it was applied to (such as all the effect entities, which includes mapping an appearance to a node).

Types of Geometry in DriveWorks

To add geometry to a node, you need to add a geometry entity. We have multiple options here, and each option has its own pros and cons.

1. Model

   This entity adds a geometry asset saved in the 3D Document to a node.

   This is useful when the geometry is always going to be loaded in the 3D Document, as the geometry in this node will always be loaded even if it is suppressed at node level, when the 3D Document is displayed.

2. Replace Model

   This entity looks for a Drive3D file to place into the current node. Using this method means that you do not have to add the geometry as an asset in the 3D Document.

   Instead, you can build a dynamic rule to change the file path of the Drive3D file.

   You can also choose to not load the model at all if it is not required, improving the performance of the 3D Document.

3. Document Replacer

   This entity is the same as the Replace Model entity, but rather than referencing a Drive3D file, you are referencing another 3D Document.

4. 3D Text

   This entity allows you to add dynamic 3D text to a node.

5. Primitive Model

   This entity allows you to add 3D geometry to the 3D Document without the need of any external Drive3D files.

   You can add cubes, spheres, planes, domes, cones and cylinders to the 3D Document with this entity.

   Each primitive model you add is dynamic and can be scaled along X, Y and Z-axes as required.

   This is a lightweight method of adding geometry to a model, and we highly recommend using primitive entities over Drive3D files to help optimise performance.

6. Extrusion

   New in DriveWorks 22, extrusions allow you to create custom geometry within a 3D Document.

   The new Fill Paths and Hole Paths functions let you create extrusions and cuts as required.

   Similarly to Primitives Models, this is a lightweight method of adding geometry to a model.

Once you have added geometry to your nodes, you can add further entities using the same logic.

We recommend using the DriveWorks help files to check what each entity can do so you can understand the full potential and capabilities of each.

How to Add a 3D Document to a DriveWorks Form

Once you have created your 3D Document, you can add your 3D document to your form.

Navigate to Stage 2: User Interface: Form Design > Form Design and then add a 3D Preview Box form control from the command bar.

This form control contains a property called Preview Document Name which you can set to the name of the 3D Document you have just created.

This will now display the 3D Document on the form and even works in the form test mode!