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.