What's new in version 2.4?

Building 3D Scenes

New Decal System: The new decal system included in SimLab Composer 2.4 enables the user to add decals to a single face, multiple faces, or a complete scene. Generated decals are used in rendering and are included in the generated 3D PDF files.

Improved Materials Management: SimLab Composer has focused from its first release, on providing advanced material management capabilities. SimLab Composer 2.4 takes material management to the next level, by enabling users to automatically merge identical materials, and changing properties of multiple materials at once.

Improved Precise Transformation: The user is now capable of setting the numerical values for local and global locations and orientations of objects and pivots.

3D PDF

Preview Image : The user can add a preview image to the generated 3D PDF file. A preview image can be a high quality rendered image of the model. Preview images make it easy to browse and find a specific 3D PDF.

Adding Logo : The user is now capable of adding a logo image to the generated 3D PDF file. The user can also set the location and size of the added logo.

Rendering

Depth of Field: Depth of field improves the realism of the rendered images, by adding the effect of camera focus on a specific part of the scene.

Animation

Exporting Animation To IPad : Animations created in SimLab Composer 2.4 can be exported to the free SimLab CAD Viewer on iPad .

Import\Export enhancements

Updated Importes : SimLab Composer 2.4 adds support to import SolidEdge (ST4), Inventor (2012), FBX (2012.2). It also adds support to importing FBX animations.

Updated exporters: SimLab Composer 2.4 adds new 3DS exporter.

Platform enhancements

Supporting Lion OSX: The new version of SimLab Composer adds support to the latest version of Mac OSX (Lion).

What's new in version 2.3?

Building 3D Scenes

Creating Section Plane: created section planes are exported to generated 3D PDF, used in rendering, and in exported 3D models.

Visual feedback for none rendering materials: default materials are marked with stars in the scene material list to make it easy for the user to identify materials to be replaced.

Adding bump and reflection maps to default materials: adding bump and reflection maps improves the realism of the scene exported to 3D PDF significantly.

Combine identical vertices: This tool improves the illustration mode in 3D PDF for some of the models.

Box selection tool: this tool makes it easy to select geometries, parts and assemblies, it also allows adding and removing to selection.

Object Library: object library provides the user with easy access to frequently used objects to complete 3D scenes in SimLab Composer.

Capturing scene states: a scene state captures the following information from the scene:
Material assignment
Object positions
Light properties
Camera
Section Plane
A small image (automatically captured to view the scene state)

Using scene states, the user can save different states of the model, scene states can be exported to 3D PDF files, and can be used to automate rendering multiple views of the model.

Unicode Support: SimLab composer 2.3 enables the user to use Unicode characters in all aspects, including creating 3D Text, names of objects, materials and cameras, 3D PDF header and footer, and file names.

3D PDF

3D PDF enhancements in SimLab Composer 2.3 includes:

Exporting models with scene states

Option to export lights from SimLab Composer to generated 3D PDF files

Exporting Section planes

Adding reflection and bump mapping support

Unicode support in header/footer

Option to hide/show world axes

Option to enable/disable selection in generated 3D PDF

Instances support, which reduces the size of the generated 3D PDF files

More lighting and rendering modes

Selecting repeat or swing model for animated 3D PDF files

Option to enable full screen

Option to enable measurement of generated 3D PDF file

Rendering

Rendering enhancements in SimLab Composer 2.3 includes:

• Rendering scene states
• Rendering Cross sectioned models

Retain Materials: retain material capability enables automatic assignment of rendering materials to imported files, the user need to assign materials once per model and after that retain materials can be used to automate material assignment process, which improves the speed of generating high quality rendered images.

Animation

Spherical animation: spherical animation is a new animation type  that can be used to create a sequence of images that facilitates 360 view of high quality rendered images of 3D models.

Import\Export enhancements

Exporting to IPad: SimLab Composer 2.3 enables the user to export the scene as a SimLab archive file (*.zim). SimLab archive file includes the model, materials, textures, camera and scene states. Exporter archives can be opened using SimLab CAD Viewer. More information about SimLab CAD Viewer can be found here

 

New exporters: the new version of SimLab Composer is capable of exporting SketchUp 8 files on windows and mac

Updated importers: the following importers were updated in SimLab Composer 2.3:

SolidWoprks, SolidEdge, 3D PDF, IGES, STEP, SketchUp and Rhino

CAD integration

SimLab Composer 2.3 can run in new CAD integration mode, which enables the user to utilize SimLab Composer simultaneously with another 3D/CAD design application.

Using CAD integration components, the user will have access to SimLab Composer functionalities from inside the 3D/CAD application. Supported functionalities will include import, export, export to IPad, render, transmit to SimLab Composer (those functionalities will depend on the edition of SimLab Composer and 3D/CAD Design application used).

 

What's new in version 2.2?

Introducing new Editions

SimLab Composer 3D PDF Edition: allows the user to create interactive 3D PDF files
SimLab Composer Rendering Edition: adds photorealistic rendering on top of the 3D PDF Edition capabilities
SimLab Composer Animation Edition: adds animation, animated 3D PDF, and movie creation on top of the Rendering Edition capabilities

The user will be able to pick the edition suitable for her/his needs.
The user will be able to upgrade from 3D PDF and Rendering Editions to the Animation Edition

New Animation Capabilities

The new Animation Edition includes all the tools needed by the user to create walkthroughs and machine Animation.
Animation tools include:
    Key frame creation, and editing
    Path creation, and Path following
    Round table animation
    Camera animation
    Material animation

Animations created in the Animation Edition can be exported as rendered movies or animated 3D PDF files.

Rendering Enhancements

Rendering enhansments in SimLab Composer 2.2 includes:

• Scaling the environment image (HDR).
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  Controlling Anti aliasing: A new render setting was added to enable the user to select the anti aliasing filter size.

Creating 3D PDF files

SimLab Composer 2.2 gives the user the ability to control Automatic camera switching. The user will be able to determine the stop and effect durations for switching between different cameras.
The user will be able to select the switching effect to be zoom, roll, or a combination of the two.

Building 3D Scenes

Many enhancements were added to the 3D sense building capabilities, those enhancements include:

• Controlling the field of view (field of view angle for the camera): User selected field of view is used in rendering and in the created 3D PDF files
  
• Creating exploded view: The new tool makes it easy for the user to create exploded views of assemblies.

• Break faces: In addition to breaking geometries, the user of SimLab Composer 2.2 has the ability to break geometry to its faces. After breaking geometry to its faces the user can assign a unique material for each face.

• Delete unused materials: This new tool allows the user to clean the scene materials from any material not used in the scene.

• Get geometrical info: This new tool allows the user to check the number of vertexes and polygons of selected geometries.

Import\Export enhancements

SimLab Composer 2.2 adds the following new importers on Windows:
SolidEdge (ST3 and prior)
Inventor (2011 and prior)
ACIS

The following importers were enhanced
SketchUp 8
Collada
FBX 2011.3
STEP
IGES
Memory optimization was applied to all importers to enable SimLab Composer to handle larger scenes.

OBJ exporter now enables the user to select keeping the structure, or combining objects based on materials.

A new DirectX exporter was added.

What's new in version 2.1?

Rendering Enhancements

The rendering workflow was enhanced significantly with the introduction of new tools to make it easier for SimLab Composer users to create stunning photorealistic images.

New tools in version 2.1 include:

• Viewing the environment image (HDR), and the background image (back plate) from inside Composer, which takes out the guess work of placing the 3D scene to appear in a good position in the environment, and to make it match the background image.
  

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• Rotating the environment image: this capability enables the user to get optimal lighting from the environment image.
  
  
• Render Preview: using render preview the user will be able to make quick adjustments on selected materials, brightness and other rendering parameters, without the need to wait for creating the full scale image.
  

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• Adding alphas support to the created images: in addition to jpeg output format, the user can select TIFF which includes alpha channel information. This will enable the user to use images rendered in SimLab Composer with other image processing application to create stunning effects.
  
  
• Adding ground reflection
  
  
• Adding support for importing and exporting material libraries: starting from version 2.1 users will be able to easily exchange materials they created in SimLab Composer. A material library can be exported as a single mlb file which includes material definitions, texture images used by the library, and preview images of the materials.
  The recipient of the mlb file can import the contents of the material library by using the import material library button.
  
  

Creating 3D PDF files

SimLab Composer automatically exports the object tree to the 3D PDF files it creates. Version 2.1 provides the user with tools to organize the object tree; changes made to the objet tree in SimLab Composer are automatically reflected in the generated 3D PDF file. The recipient of the file can use the organized tree to hide/show different parts of the model to have a better understanding of the 3D scene.

Building 3D Scenes

Version 2.1 provides the user with a new tool to break geometry, which automatically breaks unconnected parts in a 3D model; this functionality will make many 3D models imported in flat file formats usable for building 3D Scenes.

Import\Export enhancements

DWG/DXF import is now supported on Mac and Windows.
Version 2.1 offers significantly faster import time for step files.

What's new in version 2.0?

Integrated renderer

The new version of SimLab Composer includes a fast and accurate state-of-the-art renderer, which enables the user to create amazing images from 3D models.
SimLab Composer is equipped with high quality material library, which can be used to assign materials to your model by simply dragging and dropping materials from the library on the model.

Advanced 3D PDF control capabilities

SimLab Composer 2.0 gives the user full control over the generated 3D PDF file, new supported features in the generated 3D PDF files include:

Control over the PDF page

• Size of the page
• Margins
• Back color (or image of the PDF page)

Control over the 3D Section

• Default light to be used
• Render mode
• Navigation mode
• Back plate for the 3D section

Show or hide the 3D tool bar in the created 3D PDF

Use the optional password parameter to protect your documents

Merge with other PDF files, this allows you to append the generated 3D PDF file to the end of your project description file (generated using any PDF generation tool)

Add background music to make your interactive 3D PDF more interesting

More control over the header and footer text. Now you can select the appropriate fonts for the header and footer text, also you can select the appropriate font color and size

Advanced users now have the ability to insert their own Java Scripts, for the document and the 3D sections

Updated importers

The new version adds importers for DWG, DXF and STL. It also includes updated importers for Solidworks (2010), SketchUp, and FBX (2010.2). Please click here for a list of supported file formats.

Updated exporters

Version 2.0 adds new exporters including FBX, STL, and KeyShot (bip) Please click here for a list of supported file formats.