KeyShot for SOLIDWORKS Plugin

These installation notes are specific to the latest version of the KeyShot for SOLIDWORKS plugin unless otherwise mentioned.

 

Specifications

The KeyShot for SOLIDWORKS plugin requirements are as follows:

• SOLIDWORKS 2011-2018
• KeyShot 7
• Windows 64-bit

Supported Features

The KeyShot for SOLIDWORKS plugin supports these features:

• Maintain assembly structure
• Maintain part level appearance assignments to face, feature, body and part
• Option to Separate Materials by part (all part materials will be unlinked when checked)
• LiveLinking (update model inside KeyShot)
• Export KeyShot .bip without KeyShot installed
• NURBS import*
• Motion Study import*

*requires KeyShot Pro

Special Notes 

• Animation, Scripting, and NURBS ray tracing features are only available in KeyShot Pro.
• If the KeyShot toolbar does not appear in the SOLIDWORKS interface, go to Tools, Customize…, Toolbars and check KeyShot 7.
• Commands have been simplified. The Send to KeyShot button is now used to send models to KeyShot and to update geometry.
• Previously imported Motion Study animations will remain in the scene if a scene is updated. For best results, delete the old Motion Study animation in KeyShot prior to sending updates to KeyShot.

Installation 

1. After downloading, double-click the installer (.exe) file. Follow the prompts and click Finish.
2. Open SOLIDWORKS.
3. Go to Tools, Add-ins, Other Add-ins.
4. Enable Active Add-ins for KeyShot 7. 
5. Enable Start-up for KeyShot 7.
6. Click OK.

KeyShot Plugin Menu

Once installed, a KeyShot plugin menu will appear on top of the SOLIDWORKS Ribbon. (If the KeyShot toolbar does not appear in the SOLIDWORKS interface, go to Tools, Customize…, Toolbars and check KeyShot 7.)

Send to KeyShot
Click the Send to KeyShot button to launch KeyShot. The 3D data will be transferred from SOLIDWORKS to KeyShot. Additionally, click the Send to KeyShot button again while an existing KeyShot scene is open to update any changes on your model.

Export to KeyShot file
Click the Export to KeyShot file button to export your geometry as a .BIP file that you can share with other KeyShot users. KeyShot will not launch.

KeyShot Export Settings
Click the KeyShot Export Settings button to change the export settings for sending and exporting models.

There are three options available:

• Separate materials: This option will isolate linked materials to each part by prefixing the part name to each material name.
• Interpolate exported animations: By default, animation frames are interpolated in KeyShot. On some models (fast rotations at low frame rates, for instance) this can lead to choppy results.
• Automatically resolve components: For best results and consistency, all components should be fully resolved before sending or exporting. This option makes sure that any Lightweight Components will automatically become fully resolved.

How To Use The Plugin

1. Open your assembly/part in SolidWorks.
2. Click Send to KeyShot to launch KeyShot. The 3D data will be transferred from SOLIDWORKS to KeyShot. 
3. To Update any changes made in SOLIDWORKS, click Send to KeyShot again while your KeyShot scene is still open. All materials, textures, labels, animations, transformations, cameras, and lighting in the scene will be maintained. Instead of updating an entire assembly, selecting one or more components in the feature tree will mark only it and it's child components for update.
4. To include animations from SOLIDWORKS, activate a Motion Study tab in an assembly and then click Send to KeyShot. The plugin will automatically ask whether you want to export the model with animations. Activate the Model tab to export normally.

Note: Always use the same SOLIDWORKS mode with which you started. If your initial data transfer was done while in assembly mode, then all of your updates should be performed while in assembly mode. Similarly, if your initial data transfer was done while in part mode, then all of your updates should be performed while in part mode.

Tip: To increase surface smoothness inside SOLIDWORKS, go to Tools, Options, Document Properties and increase Image Quality. You can then use the Send to KeyShot button to update your assembly/part.

Troubleshooting

If you cannot find the KeyShot plugin under Add-ins, you can install the plugin manually, as follows:

1. Browse to the location C: > Program Files > KeyShot6 > Plugins > SOLIDWORKS in Windows Explorer and verify that KeyShot7.dll exists.
2. Holding shift, with nothing selected, right click an empty space inside Windows Explorer.
3. Select Open command window here.
4. In the command window, enter regsvr32.exe KeyShot7.dll.

Uninstall

In Control Panel, Programs and Features look for the KeyShot 7 SolidWorks Plugin. Right-click and select Uninstall.