render

At Least 15% Off Sale This Summer

15% OFF for Summer

We don’t need any excuse other than the sun being out to celebrate summer with some discounts!

From now until August 30th 2019, we’ve got at least 15% OFF RRP on a wide range of 3D software. Whether you’re in product design, mechanical engineering, visual effects or architecture, you’ll find a good deal.

Save on Altair

Enter SUMMER15 at checkout on Evolve and Inspire.

Leverage solidThinking’s robust solution set for Model-Based Development, Concept Design and Manufacturing Simulation.

Inspire
Powerful and easy-to-use Generative Design/Topology Optimisation and rapid simulation solution for design engineers.

Evolve
A high quality 3D Hybrid Modeling and Rendering environment that enables industrial designers to evaluate, research and visualise designs.

Save on Thea Render

Enter SUMMER15 at checkout on Thea for SketchUp, Thea for Rhino and Thea for Cinema 4D.

Unbiased, Biased and GPU Rendering
Thea Render is a physically-based global illumination renderer of high quality, using state-of-the-art techniques.

Presto Engine
Thea Presto is an advanced rendering engine that has been written from the ground up and is optimised for simultaneous GPU (NVIDIA & AMD) and CPU execution, maximising your computing power.

Save on Maxwell

Enter EXSUMMER15 at checkout on all new licenses of Maxwell V4 including Maxwell for SketchUp, Maxwell for 3ds Max and more.

Non-biased rendering – Maxwell Render Studio is a standalone render engine for making perfect images, films and animations from 3D models. It is the complete solution for anyone who demands immaculate results on a deadline. Maxwell Render is now also available as a plugin for a wide range of modellers. Please visit our Maxwell Render category for more information.

Save on RealFlow

Enter EXSUMMER15 at checkout on all new licenses of RealFlow including RealFlow Cinema 4D, RealFlow 3ds Max and more.

Non-biased rendering – Maxwell Render Studio is a standalone render engine for making perfect images, films and animations from 3D models. It is the complete solution for anyone who demands immaculate results on a deadline. Maxwell Render is now also available as a plugin for a wide range of modellers. Please visit our Maxwell Render category for more information.

Save on formZ

Enter EXSUMMER15 at checkout on formZ Jr and formZ Pro.

Architectural 3D – formZ pro is the full version ready to assist you with all of your 3D modeling needs. Animation, layout, and a customizable interface are all here. If you can imagine a form, you can build it with formZ pro. formZ Pro is a general purpose 3D solids and surface modeler. Not only can you build any form you imagine with formZ, it can also ignite discoveries of forms that you may not have thought of otherwise. formZ, the 3D form synthesizer, is above all a 3D modeling program, even though it also includes drafting, rendering and animation. Additional photorealistic rendering is offered by formZ RenderZone.

Save on BobCAD

Enter SUMMER15 at checkout on BobCAD products including BobCAD Mill and BobCAD Lathe.

CAD-CAM Solutions for Your CNC Business
Faster cuts with a modern interface, BobCAD-CAM is powerful, modular software designed to help shops of all sizes.

CAM Software and Modules
Machine parts faster and easier with BobCAD-CAM. Alternatively, leverage the Solidworks environment with BobCAM for time-saving toolpath capabilities right within Solidworks.

Support & Maintenance
BobCAD-CAM offer a variety of Email, Standard and Premium support packages for both BobCAD-CAM and BobCAM for Solidworks to fit any budget. Advantage Plans are also available to allow you to always work in an up-to-date CAD/CAM development environment. Stay competitive and improve operational efficiency with the most current tool to maximise your investment.

Student SketchUp for Summer Competition

SketchUp Competition

CAD Software Direct are excited to announce our latest 3D competition with a top prize available for the taking!  Things are a little different this time around because we don’t have the theme or brief…you do!

We want you to send us your course brief and the work you created for it. It doesn’t matter if you were tasked with recreating a local landmark, visualising an interior space, or designing a fresh new product – as long as your project was made in SketchUp it’s fair game.

Student SketchUp for Summer is now open, and to be in the running entrants need to:

Submit designs by
August 30th 2019

Have you built a car, designed a sound stage, recreated a village, or even precisely measured up machinery components for CADCAM? It’s up to you to convince us that your entry is the best of the lot.

We’ll be looking at the composition and geometry when judging, as well as how accurately we think you met your course aims. Any renders you produce are bonus points to impress us even more! Again, as long as it is made in SketchUp, there are no restrictions on plugins or renderers used either. It has to all be your own work though – no downloading from 3D warehouse or other 3D libraries!

Our Perfect Getaway competition last year had some cracking entries, so be sure to bring your A-Game.

Previous Winner Chad Slaney’s Perfect Getaway.

Maybe you’ve made something in the past that you’re proud of, or something you’re already working on just needs some finishing touches – you don’t have to start from scratch. We’re accepting entries for existing work too, as long as you can rightfully call it yours.

Send us the original .skp file, as well as any renders or supporting materials you want us to see. The brief doesn’t have to be much, just let us know the title of your course or module and any details about the aims or expected outcomes.

Submit your entries by emailing us
sketchup@cadsoftwaredirect.com

First place will be given a perpetual SketchUp Pro license worth £547 (including one year of maintenance and support to automatically be upgraded to SketchUp 2020 on release), perfect for taking on your first clients right out the gate. Already got a SketchUp Pro Commercial license and don’t want another? We’ll find something special to send your way instead! You’ll also have your work featured alongside other entries on the SketchUp UK website and instagram for extra bragging rights.

We’re accepting submissions now, so get going, and remember the deadline is August 30th 2019.

Competition closes at midnight August 30th 2019. CAD Software Direct’s decision is final. By entering, you agree for your entry to be featured across CAD Software Direct and SketchUp UK social media channels.

Vectorworks Render Quality – Architect

Vectorworks Render Quality

Unlike a lot of 3D applications, Vectorworks features a high quality renderer built in and included as standard. Whether you’re creating OpenGL, draft or final quality renderings, you’ve got all the tools you need straight out the box.

If you’re ever in any doubt as to just how good Vectorworks renders can look, see below for a selection of renderings created using Vectorworks Architect:

Astor

© Astor | Courtesy of Osar Architects

Astor

© Astor | Courtesy of Osar Architects

Impress clients with your renders by adding realism without big time investment. For example, working with Depth of Field and adjusting F-Stops will create a realistic focus distance and add the right amount of blur to contrast your focal points. Once you’ve worked on your lighting, a bit of lit fog (if relevant to your scene) can add an extra layer of depth as well.

Scott Sports

© Scott Sports SA Headquarters | Courtesy of Itten+Brechbühl AG

A high quality render requires high resolution. Be sure to change the web standard 72dpi to at least 300dpi for quality good enough to print.

Pontoon Dock

© Pontoon Dock | Courtesy of Assael Architecture

Lighting can make all the difference when looking for quality in a render. If you’re willing to exchange a little render time for better quality, enable indirect lighting and ambient occlusion. Glowing textures and lights will bounce around the scene and create a more cohesive environment.

ZAC Masséna

© Hamonic+Masson Associés

ZAC Masséna

© Hamonic+Masson Associés

ZAC Masséna

© Hamonic+Masson Associés

BIM models are often designed for the technical benefits they provide, but these same BIM models can be used to great effect in presentations and visualisations for clients when selling and articulating creative concepts. Vectorworks helps you turn your 3D data into stunning images to win more business.

Villanova Icône

© VILLANOVA ICÔNE |Hamonic+Masson Associés

Buy Vectorworks now at CAD Software Direct.

30% OFF New Maxwell Render Licenses – Very Limited Time Offer

Maxwell Render

The International Day of Light is held on May 16th every year to commemorate the anniversary of the first successful operation of the laser in 1960 by physicist and engineer, Theodore Maiman. This year, we’re celebrating the International Day of Light with a big discount on the most precise lighting software around.

New licenses of Maxwell Render purchased on May 16th or 17th will get a 30% discount when MAXWELL30 is entered at checkout.

Get the Discount >

 

Maxwell 4 | SketchUp 2019 is Here.

Maxwell SketchUp

Maxwell 4 | SketchUp 2019 is officially here to give you the best of Maxwell for SketchUp. You can even get 10% OFF Maxwell at CAD Software Direct throughout April.

Maxwell for SketchUp

Maxwell for SketchUp is really simple to set up – just install the plugin and you’re off. Maxwell | SketchUp offers seamless integration with SketchUp Pro, allowing you to work comfortably within the SketchUp interface.

Maxwell has been specifically designed for rendering in SketchUp with a simple yet comprehensive toolbar, giving you advanced Maxwell Render technology in a simple, self-contained package.

KeyShot 8.2 Now Available

KeyShot 8.2

Introducing KeyShot 8.2 which current KeyShot 8 users can upgrade to today for free. If you already have KeyShot 8 installed, you’ll be prompted to update to KeyShot 8.2 when you start up KeyShot. You can also go to the KeyShot Help menu and select Check for Updates… to start the update.

If you’re a KeyShot customer on maintenance subscription or purchased KeyShot 7 after August 15th 2018, you may upgrade to KeyShot 8.2 today using your current serial code.

This update has a focus on improving stability and integration with 3D modeling software, but there are a lot more improvements and important new features as well. Read on for the full list of updates and improvements:

Highlights

  • Offline Rendering Pause
  • Interior mode speed and performance increase
  • Vertical orientation for Presentation Mode
  • Shift-key drag-and-drop to add sub-materials
  • Network Rendering for Linux
  • Alembic Vertex Colour/Deformable Curve support
  • Autodesk Revit 2019 Import
  • Updated SOLIDWORKS integration
  • Updated PTC Creo integration
  • Updated Fusion 360 integration
  • Updated Cinema 4D integration

 

Workflow Performance Improvements

You can expect your workflow in scene setup, material application and rendering to flow much better. Users are now able to pause offline rendering at any time, and if you use interior mode, you’ll notice improved speed and performance. Along with this, there are many, many updates and fixes to the KeyShot UI, making elements and actions more consistent and work how you expect them to.

 

More Network Rendering Options

KeyShot Network Rendering for Linux is here. Both Master and Slave can now be installed on Linux. There’s also a silent installation option for KeyShot Network Rendering on MacOS as well as many more Network Rendering improvements.

 

Increased Integration Capabilities

Perhaps the most input provided by KeyShot users was regarding KeyShot integration with 3D modeling software. Too many updates to list have been made, but the top improvements include optimised and updated SOLIDWORKS integration, direct import of Autodesk Revit 2019 files, and support for Vertex Colour and Deformable Curves included in Alembic output.

 

If you haven’t tried it yet, we invite you to try KeyShot 8 and tell us what you think. If you would like to purchase KeyShot 8 or upgrade your current KeyShot license, simply visit our website, or contact us!

V-Ray for Cinema 4D 3.7 Released

V-Ray for Cinema 4D

As of November 1st 2018, V-Ray for Cinema 4D, created by LAUBlab, is an official member of the Chaos Group family.

Starting now through March 15, 2019, owners of V-Ray for Cinema 4D 3.6, or earlier, are entitled to a free license for the Chaos Group version (3.7). This license will include all updates, and it expires on January 15, 2020.

V-Ray 3.7 for Cinema 4D has the same V-Ray feature set as 3.6, is compatible with Cinema 4D R18–20 and uses Chaos Group Licensing.

All migration requests to V-Ray 3.7 for Cinema 4D will be processed through a form on Chaos Group’s website which can be found here:

Migration Request Form

A Note About Render Nodes

Any existing V-Ray for Cinema 4D “DR” licenses entitle customers to new V-Ray for Cinema 4D Render licenses valid through January 15, 2020.

KeyShot – October 2018 Roundup

KeyShot 8

KeyShot Webinar: Creating Smoke, Fog, Light Rays and More

Thu, Nov 1st, 2018 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM PDT

Register Here

The KeyShot 8 Scattering Medium brings you the ability to create a variety of appearances for your scenes and materials. Learn how to create fog, smoke, light rays, and incredible materials quickly with this unique material type. Sign up soon as space is limited!

 

What’s New in KeyShot 8?

There’s a lot to KeyShot 8 with new features like scattering media, displacement, and image styles. Our What’s New in KeyShot page breaks down the features and improvements with examples of what you can do.

 
kenny-carmody-keyshot-00-600.jpg

Artist Feature: Kenny Carmody

See More
Kenny Carmody is 3D character artist in the film industry using KeyShot for everything from presenting concepts to final imagery, and using it along the way to dial in lighting. See how he uses KeyShot to create visuals and why it’s such an important tool in the process.

 
1810-keyshot-news-03.jpg

Liquids in Glass

Learn More
Rendering liquids in glass can be challenging, but with KeyShot 8 it couldn’t be more simple. So what works best when setting up the model? And, what are the best settings for rendering realistic liquid? Take a look at what you need to consider to achieve the best results when rendering liquid in glass.

 
1810-keyshot-news-01.jpg

KeyShot Quick Tip: Scattering Medium

Learn More
Before you see how far you can take a scene using scattering in the webinar, check out this quick overview on the new feature and how to quickly create a volume of realistic fog.

 

KeyShot 8 is available now at CAD Software Direct .com

KeyShot 8 is Available Now

KeyShot 8

The fastest, most powerful software for real-time 3D rendering and animation brings you even more ways to create amazing shots. KeyShot 8 provides the advanced features and flexibility you need to take your visuals to the next level.

With new features like displacement, volumetrics, cutaway, images style and more, it’s a release focused on boosting your workflow, elevating your visuals, enhancing your experience and extending your reach. This is KeyShot 8 – tools that put the emphasis on the flow and less on the work to both save time to keep you creating.

KeyShot HD, KeyShot Pro and KeyShot Enterprise available from CAD Software Direct.

KeyShot 8 Feature Highlights

There are a lot of great new features in KeyShot 8 to help you throughout the process of creating visuals whether it’s creating quick concepts or generating those final product renders. We’ve picked five to highlight for you that will have the biggest impact on what you’re now able to create in KeyShot.

Image Styles

Image Styles is a new feature that allows you to make photographic adjustments to the KeyShot scene in real-time prior to or after rendering. Multiple Image Styles may be created and added to a list for a range of different styles that can then be used in KeyShot Studios. The Photographic option includes adjustments for Tone-Mapping, Curve control, Color adjustments, Background color override, and the ability to apply a Frontplate.

Cutaway

Cutaway is a new approach to creating advanced cutaway graphics which allows you to use parts and 3D primitives to cutaway geometry by assigning the Cutaway material to the object. The Cutaway material also allows you to add and define the Cutaway Caps as a shaded color, the same material as the object to be cut or as a custom material. Additionally, all cutaways may be animated.

Scattering Media

KeyShot now supports the creation of scattering media that allows you to simulate particle scattering and volumetrics such as smoke and fog. This can be used in conjunction with physical lights for visualizing rays/beams of light. With this, you have the option to apply a Density Texture, and apply it just as you would to any other material. Additionally, you can extend the control of the scattering with full support for OpenVDB files applied to the Density Texture as a Volume Map.

Geometry Nodes

KeyShot 8 introduces an entirely new approach to working with geometry in KeyShot. Through the Material Graph, the advance material editor in KeyShot Pro, you now have three new types of geometry nodes (shaders) to modify the geometry of an object with displacement, bubbles or flakes. The Geometry Nodes include:

  • Displace – Displace allows you to modify the geometry through the use of displacement maps (textures). Displacement maps define the topology of a material similar to a bump map but instead of simulating the height of a surface it actually modifies it.
  • Bubbles – Bubbles allows you to modify the geometry by automatically adding spherical cavities within an object. Control is provided over bubble size, variation, density, and limit. Additionally, a texture can be used to define the density of the bubbles.
  • Flakes – Flakes allows you to modify the geometry by turning any object into a three-dimensional volume of square or spherical flakes. Control is provided over flake shape, size, variation, density, and limit. Additionally, a texture can be used to define the density of the flakes.

KeyShot Viewer

KeyShot Viewer is a new, feature-rich application to compliment design reviews, make presentations more interactive, and increase the ability to collaborate. With it, you can open, view and interact with a KeyShot scene in real-time using mouse, touch, pen or stylus to explore the scene or change materials and lighting. You can create Studios and Configurators from within KeyShot for use in KeyShot Viewer as well.

 

Are You Ready For KeyShot 8?

If you’re a KeyShot 7 customer on maintenance, or purchased KeyShot 7 after August 15th, you can upgrade to KeyShot 8 today using your current serial code. If you would like to purchase KeyShot 8 or upgrade your current KeyShot license, please visit CAD Software Direct or contact us today.

 

Register for the “What’s New in KeyShot 8?” Webinar

See the new features like displacement mapping, materials with embedded flakes and bubbles, volumetric materials including volume caustics, liquid interfaces, interactive cutaways, interactive image color and intensity curve adjustments, material ways for advanced product configurations, and much more. We expect this to fill up fast and space is limited, so register quickly!

In this webinar:

  • New Image and Output Capabilities
  • New Material and Volume Capabilities
  • New Lighting and Optics Capabilities
  • New Advanced Geometry Capabilities
  • New Collaboration Capabilities
  • Q&A

Register Here