Emailing Maxwell Setup and Materials to Clients

Pretty sure, you just send the .mxs file, it contains all the model geometry and materials etc.

Haven't tried it though.

John Layne

On Tue, 07 Mar 2006 19:40:42 +1300, John Layne

John thanks for the suggestion on the Stainless steel - rendering now

- I'll let you know if it worked.

Jonathan

Yes- The idea is to get a parametric file with n number of configurations that can be rendered in the client Maxwell station. Less expensive for everyone concerned I think.

So, if I sent the Solidworks file with the MXS file in a zip file, then the plugin would automatically read from the MXS right? I will have to test this out. I am not sure exactly how the plugin works. How does it "remember" material settings? Does it reference the last created mxs and mxd(?) files?

Perhaps - if they have the time and they don't blame you when they can't work it ;-) I hope you get on well with your clients ! I would advise caution unless you are happy to let them use a software that is still in beta and they won't blame you if things in the final release are not as as they are now.

If the client has Maxwell and SW2006 then all you have to send them is the SW assembly and files ( assuming you yourself have added the maxwell materials within the SW Plugin environment at your end) .

They then open up SW files and can:-

either render straight from SW using the Maxwell plugin

or they can create the mxs file using the Plugin and then open this up in Maxwell Studio and render from there.

or use the command prompt and correct commands render the mxs file direct without using the Studio. This way would allow less tampering with your set up but does require a knowledge of the command line commands that maxwell uses. Or you could write them out for them and then ask them to cut and paste into the Run C prompt.

OR You send them the mxs file for each configuration you create and they open in Max Studio and render it or use the command prompt to render the mxs file

If you have assigned the materials at your end this info is saved in the SW Assenbly file ( not in the part files) and the mxs file created. Textures and bump maps placed in SW use SW textures and relie on the same textures being available on your clients machine in the same file address. Or they will have to 're -address' them. However having said that - placing textures and bumps in SW2006 is very difficult and is just not worth it - we wait for sw2007 so people tend not to use textures when using SW and maxwell . All we use is roughness with is not based on a texture file.

If there are any unssigned textures in the mxs file then it will fail to render.

Concerning Configurations in SW - Maxwell plugin, I have just checked

- If a Mat A is assigned in Config A it is also assigned in Config B until you change it to Material B, so you can make Maxwell specific configurations.

TTFN

Jonathan