The Model Previews section is used to generate preview images for products in the current project. Previews may be generated for single products or for all products at once.

The Save To field specifies where the resulting preview images will be placed. By default, this will be the same as the Previews Directory specified in the Resource Directories section of the Project tab. Pressing the … button on the right side of the field will allow the user to browse to a new location. Note that previews outside of the Previews Directory will be unreachable by the project unless you have the Search External Directory in Automatically Assign Resources section checked.

The quality of the resulting preview image is set from the Quality drop down menu. The Thumbnail quality generates previews the quickest. The ‘Sketchy’ Thumbnail quality is the same as Thumbnail, but applies a sketched effect to the preview. Photo Quality results in the highest quality preview images, but takes the longest to generate. The Photo Quality with Outline Overlay is the same as Photo Quality, but accentuate more on the outline.

Rendering model previews with different Quality/model orientation is possible using filter. Decide if you want to filter by the Product code/Part Number, or by Product Description or both.

There are two choices in the Filter :

1. Must Contain: Filter product or description by matching the inputted keyword.
2. Must Not Contain: Filter product or description by not matching the inputted keyword.

The checkbox Products with invalid/No/Unmatched Preview filters for assigned preview is an unknown navigation image, products that are not assigned to any preview and products with unreadable previews. It is especially useful to filter previews that need reworking done.

The Product drop down lists out all the available products in the project file and will be updated instantaneously based on Filter. Use the Check all button to select all model previews in the preview space and check model previews selectively by using the Ctrl+Click command, or, Shift+Click command to multi select then click on Check Selection button to check selected model previews. Use the Clear Checked button to remove check(s) and use Clear Locks button to unlock all locked model previews. Right click on the model preview to prompt a Geometry button to return to Geometry card and if you have feature(s) link to the product you will see a Properties button as well to show the properties dialog of the product. Changing the option through this properties dialog does not change the default option of the feature.

Right clicking on model preview showing only Geometry button.

Right clicking on model preview showing both Properties and Geometry buttons.

Tips :

• Perform a quick render by double clicking on the model preview.
• Hovering to the model preview shows you the tool tip of the product plus the selected option, provided a feature is linked to it.
  
• Multiple select model previews using either Ctrl+Click, Shift+Click commands or navigate preview space with arrow keys and space bar to check/uncheck.

Ways to render in Catalogue Creator

Rendering all models with the same orientation

Leave filtering empty and click on one of the product preview. Start by changing the orientation of the model by using the navigator arrows with fixed degree, or, using mouse’s right click until you get the desired outlook. Click on the Render All Models button to render all models with the same orientation. Every preview will be checked to indicate the job queue and the rendered preview will uncheck itself to indicate job done. Abort rendering if you want to stop the rendering progress. Same result can be obtained by using the Check all button to select all products, then change the orientation of one of the selected preview and Render All Models.

Render all models with different orientations

This is achievable by using the Locking function. Select the few models you wish to have different orientation and lock the desired outlook by clicking on the Locking logo. Unlock and relock if you wish to have a different orientation. Then, select one of the preview that represents the majority orientation and click Render All Models to render all previews. The locked orientation will be remembered as long as Catalogue Creator stays open. Manually unlock using the Clear Locks button.

Filter and render only certain previews

Type in the keyword in filter field, use the Check all button to select all previews and click the Render button to render filtered previews. Locking with different orientation is possible using the Lock function. Rendering with different Quality is allowed if you wish to do so.

Rendering previews with different properties

Right click on preview to show the Properties dialog, and change the option to something else. The selected option is used only during rendering and will not be registered in the project.