Best Visualisation Software

[Jayvee]

Looking to get some visualisation software...

Had a little look through the lion catalogue, and googled a couple of them... anyone with some experience with any of the visualisation software available at the moment?

Ease of use, camera mounting etc etc.

Any information or experiences from anyone would be grand!

Cheers all!!!

[Jonny2morsos]

I am using PreView at the moment and have done for some years. Tried demos on some others and not all that impressed.

I think there are some problems with camera compatibility as remote operation is not offered on newer models. I am using an old Canon Powershot bought on ebay but it is my third as the previous two have had premature sensor failure.

Preview allows you to download moulding images from some suppliers and you can photograph your own. For mounts you have to scan a colour chart which does not always reproduce the colour faithfully. Be nice if the RGB values were available.

[stcstc]

the issue with replication mount colours very accurately is waaay more complicated that it may seem

firstly, colour calibration of your monitor along with consistent viewing angle, and decent monitor to start with

a lot of mountboards have texture, replication of this along with the shadows and highlights are almost impossible

and this is just for starters

[JohnMcafee]

While it is true that correctly profiled monitor and camera will allow you to sample your mount colours from photographs of your swatches, Pre-View gives you the option to side-step the issue by providing the tools to tweak the on-screen colours to match those of your mounts.

[stcstc]

i agree john, the ability to tweak gives more control, although it still cannon fix 2 things

1. viewing angle, you and the customer will look at the lcd monitor from different angles, meaning the colours will look slightly diff
2. textured shadow and highlights,

BUT

i would say preview is one of the best as the tweaking gives you a good amount of control


RGB numbers will not give you accurate colour

[Steve N]

Of course that all very well, but you have to calibrate the camera as well, if not the replication of the colours in the artwork to be framed will not be captured right.

[stcstc]

its not quite that simple

it depends on the camera and how its beiong used

for example if it shooting jpgs in srgb, its know colourspace so dont need calibration

[Steve N]

That's what I mean, you will not get a good representation on all components, that's why I use real mounts and mouldings against the work to be framed, Visualisation software will only give an overall impression of what the finished framed work might look like, and don't forget the colour difference between batches of mountcard and mouldings

[stcstc]

yea just like the samples you use, there will be differences between batches etc too

[IFGL]

Since I started using visualization I find it really easy to get customers to have the right size mount instead of little 50 mm ones, my turn over has increased nicely too. The one I use prices as you go you can add mount details like v grooves at the press of a button. took some getting used to but well worth. it.

I called my mount board supplier and had them send high res images of their colours .

[Sam Cook]

Hi Jayvee
We have certainly found that customers using our Visualisation software find selling easier, and can sell better proportioned artwork (as IFGL found).
Getting accurate colours can be a little tricky as there are many variables, that have already been highlighted, that can affect them.
This is one of the reasons Wizard chose to manufacture their own camera (looks pretty much like a webcam) but it allows you to set different colour profiles so the picture you take will look the same on the screen as it does on the workbench.

I would be happy to send you a demo disc of the software if you wanted me to (just PM me your address), I can also send you a free 30 day trial code so you can test the software out live on customers jobs.

Sam

[Jonny2morsos]

I called my mount board supplier and had them send high res images of their colours .

As a matter of interest which mount board supplier was it?

[IFGL]

Arqadia , I can put them on my ftp if anyone wants them
I also got them to send molding pictures, you have to go to their marketing department.