SOLIDWORKS Visualize is a standalone rendering tool introduced to the SOLIDWORKS suite of products in 2016. With this tool you can easily create renderings of your SOLIDWORKS models so lifelike it’s tough to tell the difference between a rendering and an actual photograph. Like all tools in the SOLIDWORKS portfolio, they are very intuitive and easy to use. Ease of use is the bedrock upon which SOLIDWORKS was built in 1995. 

In this video tech tip, you’ll see the process of creating and editing a multi-layer appearance in SOLIDWORKS Visualize. This technique is very useful for adding extra appearances to capture the details of your model, creating the most life like rendering possible. 

>> Click here to learn how to create multilayered appearances in SOLIDWORKS Visualize

There are many uses for multi-layer appearances when rendering and mostly they are used when a single appearance doesn’t quite do the job. A multi-layer appearance is simply a composite of multiple appearances that were created individually. Depending on how you utilize alpha channels and the various other appearance settings, you can achieve very complex appearances and textures. Multi-layer appearances give us the ability to layer appearances on one another. Creative uses for these appearances include producing the illusion of dust, scratches, smudges or, in this case, a whiskey bottle and label.

For this use case, a multi-layer appearance will allow for the whiskey bottle to remain a transparent glass, while having a paper label wrap around it nearly 360 degrees without distorting the text. 

Want to learn more about how to utilize SOLIDWORKS Visualize to its full potential? Sign up for a training course!