Plasticity CAD Learning Journey Update!

#1

Hey Luminaries!

I’m thrilled to share the culmination of my Plasticity CAD learning journey – the final renders of the Apple iWatch Ultra 2! :apple::watch:

Having dabbled in Fusion 360 and predominantly worked in Blender’s polygonal modeling, Plasticity opened up a world of simplicity and ease for me. Crafting a high-quality model with stunning chamfers, fillets, and surface continuity was a breeze, a task that would take hours of topology work elsewhere.

Here’s a sneak peek into my workflow:

Plasticity Modeling: Started by loading reference images from the Apple website into Plasticity, creating the basic shape, and layering details from inside to out. A several of hours later, I had a near-complete model.

Blender & KeyShot Magic: Exported the model to Blender as an OBJ, then bridged it to Keyshot for the CMF process. Surprisingly, minimal issues with normals or topology emerged, allowing for a smooth transition.

Detailing & Materials: Split surfaces for specific CMF details like the orange ring and watch screen. Applied emissive labels, glass materials, and even crafted a custom sensor image for the bottom using Photoshop.

Band Deformation Challenge: Noticed band positioning issues, exported to Blender, and attempted deformation. Realized topology adjustments were needed, played around with Plasticity’s export options, and found the sweet spot using ngons with higher polygon count.

Precision in Keyshot: Brought the bands back into Keyshot, linked up materials, ensuring the mesh and topology looked fantastic. Imported a custom environment from Visune, dropped in a tabletop, and started crafting camera angles.

The Final Renders: After some meticulous adjustments, voila! Beautiful, high-detail images of the Apple iWatch Ultra 2 in Orange Ocean Pantone.

Now, I’m curious: What’s your workflow to achieve that perfect final render? Share your tips and tricks!

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Apple iWatch Series 9 - Environmental_Hero 5.jpg3840×2880 1.29 MB
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Apple iWatch Series 9 - Environmental_Hero 4.jpg3840×2880 1.43 MB
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Apple iWatch Series 9 - Environmental_Hero 3.jpg3840×2880 2.37 MB
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Apple iWatch Series 9 - Environmental_Hero 2.jpg3840×2880 1.6 MB
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Apple iWatch Series 9 - Environmental_Hero 1.jpg3840×2880 1.81 MB

5 Likes
#2

These turned out nicely! Thanks for sharing your process! I’m curious as to why you sent the model to Blender as a mesh before KeyShot? I get that you used Blender to deform the band later, but was it used before going into KeyShot?

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#3

It appears based on what Oscar told me, because I didn’t take the time to assign different materials in Plasticity, it merges all the parts into one mesh when I import the OBJ from Plasticity to Keyshot. When I bridge Plasticity to Blender then bridge to Keyshot, it maintains the parts, orientation and scale. Also the Plasticity to Blender is a live link and the bridge allows options for different topology import options you can change on the fly. This made it so I could use higher poly count watch band with better topology, and I can use a lower poly for the more simplistic parts. I keep Plasticity, Blender and Keyshot open so I can continue to bridge and update from beginning to end without exporting a bunch of different files. If I didn’t have to deform the band though, it would be nice to be able to bridge directly from Plasticity to Keyshot.

#4

These look awesome! I was wondering if you could also use the ‘keep separate objects’ on import in KeyShot. Sounds like a function which doesn’t merge the objects with the same materials. I’m not sure if you can select it always in KS but you can with FBX/OBJ I think.

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#5

Atleast when I tried to import the OBJ, there wasn’t any import options that came up for me. Also the scale annd orientation always seems off when I import OBJs and I need to always need to convert it as it seems to always want to open them in meters and I like to model in mm. Not a huge deal but these things always seem to come in properly when bridging the files.

Thanks for the love Oscar!

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#6

Yeah I’ve the same with OBJ but I think it also depends on the source software of the OBJ if it’s about it’s orientation. Especially Z and Y are switched between software a lot.

But if you don’t see any options than you might want to try File > Import Dialog…

import
import.png519×600 22.9 KB

That forces the options panel to show and can save you maybe some work. Not sure what default settings are but with preferences you can tell for every extension if it should or shouldn’t show the dialog with options on import.

#7

Oh that is right, I have just been opening the OBJ directly from the folder, may have to try importing the model with the software open to get more import options.

#8

Okay, thanks for sharing a few more details about your workflow. Now that you’ve explained the reasoning of blender being an intermediate step, I see.

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