How to Use Volumetric Lighting in SOLIDWORKS Visualize

Volumetric lighting allows you to simulate how light interacts with atmospheric elements such as dust, fog, smoke and haze, helping you create more realistic and visually engaging renders. Volumetric lighting is straightforward to set up and can dramatically change the atmosphere of a render.

Let’s take a look at how to create the effect in SOLIDWORKS Visualize.

Enable the 3DS Stellar Render Engine

First, ensure your Visualize rendering settings are set to the 3DS Stellar Render Engine. This is where the GPU Render option for volumetric effects is available.

3DS Stellar Render Mode

Create a Volume Object

To create a volumetric effect, navigate to the Model tab, click Add (+) and choose New Volume.

Creating a New Volume

Adjust Volume Density

The Volume object defines the area in which the volumetric effect will be visible. For this example, the Volume should be scaled large enough to encompass the entire scene.
You can scale the Volume using the Object Manipulator, by pressing S on your keyboard, or via the Transform tab.

Scaling the Volume

Once scaled, you can use the Density setting in the Volume tab to adjust the smoke or ‘haze’ effect you want in your scene. A density value of 1.00 produces a very dense effect, so in most cases you’ll achieve better results using much lower values. Higher density values can quickly obscure the model, creating a much heavier atmospheric effect.

The examples below demonstrate the visual impact of gradually increasing the density value.

Density is set to 0.005; Density set to 0.015; Density set to 0.025

Performance Tip

As with many advanced rendering effects, volumetric lighting can increase render times. Test different density values and Volume object sizes to balance visual quality with rendering performance.

Modify the Volume Colour

Adjusting the Volume colour allows you to change the appearance of light passing through the atmosphere. For example, warmer colours can help replicate sunlight, while coloured volumes can be used to create dramatic stage lighting or cinematic effects.

Yellow Tones Applied to the Volume

Final Render with Yellow Tones

Create Animated Effects

Volumetric effects can also be combined with animations to create moving light beams, atmospheric transitions or environmental effects. This can add another level of realism when producing marketing videos or product presentations.

In the video below, you can see how volumetric lighting can be used to create atmospheric motion effects within a rendered scene.

Final Thoughts

Volumetric lighting is a powerful yet easy-to-use feature that can significantly enhance realism within SOLIDWORKS Visualize. By combining Volume objects with scene lighting, you can create subtle atmospheric effects, dramatic light rays and cinematic animations that help product renders stand out.

By experimenting with volume density, colour and lighting direction, you can create everything from subtle atmospheric haze to dramatic cinematic lighting effects, helping your renders communicate products more effectively and stand out from the crowd.