3D Preview Box (DriveWorks Documentation)

3D Preview Box

The 3D Preview Box is a form control that can be placed on a form in DriveWorks, so that an interactive 3D Model can be displayed during specification.

The 3D Preview Box can run in three different modes:

File Mode
Use File Mode to display a .drive3d file in the 3D Preview control.
To run the control in File Mode the File Name (see below) property of the control must be set.
When a value is applied to the File Name property the file will be displayed in the 3D Preview Box.
If a value is not applied DriveWorks will look for a value applied to the Preview Document Name property.
Document Mode
Use Document mode to display a configured DriveWorks 3D File - document in the 3D Preview control.
To run the control in Document Mode the Preview Document Name (see below) property must be set.
When a value is applied to this property the document will be displayed in the 3D Preview Box.
If a value is not applied DriveWorks will look for a value applied to the Preview Engine property.
Autopilot Mode
Use Autopilot Mode to display a .drive3d file that has been created by going through SOLIDWORKS, to create the exact model specified in the user form, from the rules applied in the Model Rules list.
Autopilot Mode will take the first active model found from the Model Rules list.
When looking for the first active model, the search will begin from the bottom of the Model Rules list.
The first active model found is a viable root component set.
A viable component set is a top-level model with a valid file name.
Component sets can be bypassed in the Model Rules tree by setting their file name to "DELETE".
Autopilot Mode will not use these models and will continue searching up the list.
During a specification, file names can result in delete but when released, switch back so they will generate.
The 3D Preview control will run in Autopilot Mode when the properties: File Name, Preview Document Name and Preview Engine have no values applied to them.
When using Autopilot Mode, while specifying through DriveWorks Live, the Preview Service Location setting must be applied in the web.config file. See the Configuring the 3D Preview Service Location heading in the 3D Preview Service Location topic.
When using the 3D preview Box control in Autopilot mode a location must be set for the Group Content Folder (see General Settings.)
To troubleshoot Autopilot Mode please see How To: Troubleshoot Autopilot 3D Preview.

The computer running DriveWorks Autopilot will need its Firewall settings to be modified. This will allow a secure connection to the 3D Preview service. Please refer to Autopilot: 3D Preview Settings for more information.

Multiple DriveWorks Autopilots can be used to generate 3D Previews. Please see Info: 3D Preview Load Balancing for more information.

3D Preview performance in DriveWorks Live has been significantly improved. When a model is altered in a 3D document or an OnDemand based preview, only the altered parts on the model will be downloaded. The model will continue to be visible (but locked) while the altered, removed or added parts are reloaded.

Properties

Appearance Properties	Events Properties
Background Color	On Autopilot Preview Requested Macro
Border Style	On Background Clicked Macro
Display Performance Window	On Model Clicked Macro
Enter Immersive XR Button File Name	On Preview Complete Macro
Enter Inline XR Button File Name
Loading Progress Bar Color
Loading Progress Display
Loading Progress Image File Name
Autopilot Mode	General Properties
Generation Method	(Metadata)
Tags	(Name)
Timeout	(Tag)
Use Relative Path Rules	Tooltip Duration
Use SOLIDWORKS Extension Suffix	Tooltip Text
Behavior Properties	Layout Properties
Camera Auto-Center	Height
Camera Default Orientation	Left
Camera Enable Orthographic	Top
Camera Enable Pan	Width
Camera Pan Max Radius
Camera Rotation Limits
Camera Zoom Limits
Enable Hover
Enable Animations
Enable Image Mode
Enable VR
Enabled
Error Result
File Name
Final Frame Render
Lighting
Preview Document Name
Preview Engine
Tab Index
Visible

DriveWorks Tech Tips Portal

3D Preview Modes

This Tech Tip demonstrates the different ways a 3D Preview can be implemented.

View all Tech Tips

DriveWorks Tech Tips Portal is available to DriveWorks Pro customers with an active subscription and support contract.

Tech Tips provide cut down projects that highlight specific functionality for faster and more effective learning.

To access the portal:

Go to https://my.driveworks.co.uk/learn/tech-tips/
Login with your DriveWorks Pro account credentials, if asked
Click the Visit Tech Tips Portal button for access

The portal provides a search facility, start typing the name of the Tech Tip (as indicated above) to display the Tip you require.

A user form control that displays a box in which an interactive 3D Model can be displayed during specification in DriveWorks Live.

The 3D Preview Box can run in 3 different modes:

File Mode - Requires the location of existing 3D content to be applied to the File Name property of the control.
Document Mode - Requires the name of an Output Document that uses a DriveWorks 3D file to be applied in the Preview Document Name property of the control.
Autopilot Mode - Requires the name of an engine that DriveWorks Autopilot will use to render 3D content back to the control, this is set in the Preview Engine property of the control.

File Mode describes the 3D Preview Box when it is pointed at a static file on your computer or the network.

Document Mode describes the 3D Preview Box when it is pointed at a DriveWorks 3D document in your DriveWorks Project. Using the 3D Preview Box in this way, enables changes on your form to alter the displayed 3D file; based on rules.

A mode of operation for the 3D Preview Box control to display 3D content.

This mode will create and render SolidWorks files using the specified engine.

DriveWorks Pro 21 3D Preview Box

3D Preview Box

Properties

DriveWorks Pro 21
3D Preview Box