{"id":4213,"date":"2021-04-15T12:05:07","date_gmt":"2021-04-15T16:05:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/?p=4213"},"modified":"2026-03-26T04:32:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T08:32:38","slug":"nx-render-the-visualization-process-for-consumer-products-part2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/nx-render-the-visualization-process-for-consumer-products-part2\/","title":{"rendered":"NX Render Blog Series: The Visualization Process for Consumer Products – Part Two"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"nxrender<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n
Enjoying the NX Render series? Check out this webinar on visualizing the Digital Twin for Consumer Products!<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Introduction\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here we are with Part Two of our second series following the visualization process for consumer products. The same as our first series<\/a> we will be moving onto all thing\u2019s materials in this instalment. You have probably guessed from our first series and Part One<\/a>, that we will be joined once again by our visualization expert Gavin McCambridge<\/a>. Gavin\u2019s knowledge and 20 years of experience are key in providing you with the best visualization tricks. Whether it be working with huge scales like the JCB, to now looking at the tiny details and specifics in a model like the Bosch coffee machine, we’re bringing you it all. So, shall we get started? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

How to Gather Reference Images <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

How do you start by imagining your model and planning how it\u2019s going to look? I\u2019m going to take a guess and say probably by looking up and researching reference imagery; and that\u2019s absolutely the best way. A simple Google search of your model, or similar, will give you the most accurate representation of the material finishes you want to aim for and provide you with a good guide.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlthough in some instances you may have access to prototypes or physical material samples, this simple technique is so easy to achieve a photo realistic look.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top Tip
“There are three things to consider when you’re searching for your reference images. Try your best to find the actual model online, or at least a very similar one; and secondly, try to find close up images. This will help with material references for all the components, like plastics, metals and so on.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"visualization<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Something else to consider at this point in your research is the environment in which the product is likely to be set. Think about the lighting; is the setting interior or exterior? Day or night? Is the lighting natural or manmade? Keeping in mind all these types of questions will help you when referring to these images when polishing your model. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

How to Apply Materials to your Model  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

 <\/strong>If this is your first time applying materials to a model, don\u2019t worry, we\u2019re going to go step by step. Start by having your reference imagery to hand and the key here is to work from the outside in. This process of applying materials to the largest parts of the model first, and getting these correct, will make it more obvious to then work on the smaller and intricate details.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnce the biggest parts have materials on, you\u2019ll start to get a feel for your model and how it\u2019s going to look as a finished <\/em>design.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

NX offers three methods for applying materials; to a component, to a face or to a solid body, this means you can select individual parts of the model to put materials on at a time. Although this may sound like it\u2019s going to prolong your design and visualization process, it\u2019s actually going to save you time as the solid body technique specifically allows you to drag-and-drop the same material if it is repeated on multiple parts. For example, if one side of the model is the same grey shade as another part, you can simply drop and duplicate this color onto a different solid body of the model.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"visualization<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

How to Edit a Material <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve got your materials mostly on your model and you\u2019ve started to get an overall feel for how your model is going to look, you may start to see some discrepancies in your materials compared to the reference ones. Don’t panic, that\u2019s ok, as this is easily amended.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn your ribbon bar, you can navigate to the \u2018render\u2019 and enter \u2018studio task mode\u2019. Click on \u2018materials in part\u2019 to see all the materials that are applied to your model. You can then select<\/em> the material you\u2019re unhappy with and click \u2018edit\u2019.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like Gavin says here, you have the option to diffuse the color of your material. If the grey of one side needs to be slightly less dark, or darker, this enables you to drag a slide in whichever direction you need \u2013 simple! Just remember to confirm your changes once you\u2019re happy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

How to Create an Emissive Material  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This specific coffee machine has two light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on the front panel above the buttons. In order to create this in the model Gavin has used an emissive material.  These particular materials can be found in \u2018System Studio Materials \/ Lights\u2019. Once you have applied the material, you can then edit it by clicking on the materials in \u2018part tab\u2019 and navigate to the material you just applied.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c<\/em>When I am editing this type of material, I like to have open the Ray Traced Studio window so I can get good feedback on the material that I am editing. <\/em>To edit the \u2018lit\u2019 material, right-click on the material and navigate to \u2018Edit\u2019.<\/em>\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Applying Decals <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You may remember that we looked at decals in series one, but just in case \u2013 a decal is an additional piece of data you can apply to existing geometry, think of them as stickers! With this model in particular, the Bosch branding is the decal that we\u2019re looking at specifically.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"visualization<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne tip here is to change your file filters to include PNG Files. This change is important as they support transparent backgrounds. For this model i<\/em>n particular, you want to make sure you\u2019ve chosen \u2018center\u2019 as your anchor point to ensure that the decal is aligned to the center point of the image when a<\/em>pplied.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Decals are an important step in the visualization process that really propel your design into looking like the real-life model. NX offers a mix of small, detailed changes to emphasize and highlight the subtle changes that make the biggest difference. For example, you can also look at determining the orientation of your decal and the scale of it. These combined with the correct location alignment and reflectivity, really tie your model and its overall look together.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

TOP TIP
“When applying a decal there are a number of steps that you will need to follow to get it setup correctly. First off, select the faces that you want the decal to cover, then choose the image file you want to use. Next, specify up vector, and specify normal vector. Lastly, set the scale of the decal.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Summary <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Just like that, part two of this series is complete. Hopefully this installment, along with the materials blog in Series One, has helped you to build your confidence and you can feel yourself becoming more of an expert in the visualization process! By bringing you such diverse examples like the large scale JCB and this smaller, delicate model we are providing you with the perfect mix for showcasing how this process can be applied to all models and still produce the same quality of beautiful renders. Don\u2019t forget to stay up to date with our posts so you don\u2019t miss Part Three, lighting your scene! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continue your journey with NX Render…<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Siemens NX 30-Day Trial – Try Now!<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
Siemens NX Render Training – Learn More!<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
Siemens NX Consumer Products On Demand Webinar – Watch Here!<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Introduction\u00a0 Here we are with Part Two of our second series following the visualization process for consumer products. The same…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":69908,"featured_media":4214,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spanish_translation":"","french_translation":"","german_translation":"","italian_translation":"","polish_translation":"","japanese_translation":"","chinese_translation":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[162,1,163,166],"tags":[534,530,501,516,538,533,546,531,515],"industry":[123,127],"product":[304],"coauthors":[545],"class_list":["post-4213","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-learning-resources","category-news","category-product-updates","category-tips-tricks","tag-consumer-products","tag-news","tag-nx","tag-nx-render","tag-nx-render-consumer-products","tag-nxmakesitreal","tag-tips-and-tricks","tag-updates","tag-visualization","industry-consumer-products-retail","industry-home-appliances-tools","product-nx"],"featured_image_url":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/04\/MicrosoftTeams-image.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4213","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/69908"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4213"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4213\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4436,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4213\/revisions\/4436"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4214"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4213"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4213"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4213"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=4213"},{"taxonomy":"product","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product?post=4213"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/nx-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=4213"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}