SOLIDWORKS Tutorial - Creating Custom 3D Textures for SOLIDWORKS Using Blender

This covers how to design and generate greyscale heightmap images from SOLIDWORKS models using Blender to process an STL of the SOLIDWORKS model into an image that can then be used as a custom texture in other parts. This process takes advantage of the 3D Texture ability which can turn images used as textures on the surface of a part into actual modelled features. The final model can then itself be exported as a 3D-printable solid model useful for prototyping and other custom applications or modified further using Boolean operations as a Mesh Body. This process gets around the difficulties surrounding having to parametrically design a texture on the analytic and nonanalytic surfaces of a part using traditional SOLIDWORKS features and patterns that would often have difficulty rebuilding at different sizes and adhering to organic surfaces.

[rjc]

absolute best tutorial. Covers every detail. I have been going around in citcles for days trying to figure out how to use a custom bump map in SW, and never realised you had to add a folder to SW for it to work. Couldn't ask for more! thank you!

[danpeterson]

Fantastic tutorial. I've been attempting to create a textured shingled roof for sometime now. Your step by step directions made it possible for me to create exactly what I was looking for. Thank you so much.

[YoeyYutch]

Excellent tutorial. Not so impressed with the 3D Texture feature but I still learned some things along the way, particularly on the Blender side of things. Thank you.

[bymitten]

I noticed the file created with Blender is a .png. Can the same .png be created in Photoshop and then exported into SolidWorks?

[humbertosilva]

Hey, thanks for the video. Can I creat my own pattern using only solidworks without the need of downloading additional software? I need to creat a pattern that is not available in solidworks library. Any advice will be much appreciated. Thanks in advance. BTW, I use solidworks 2018