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Achieving Realism in Material Science: In Situ Visualization and Virtual Prototyping

photo rendering comparison painted glass
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Introduction - The role of virtual prototyping in material science

Breakthroughs in material science and engineering allow on a daily basis the creation of new innovative products with well targeted functionalities. While their features are always initially considered at the lab scale, the most promising candidates are the ones which will be able to demonstrate their capacities in real-life conditions.

Considering new materials aesthetics aspect, a significant need to go beyond the samples appearance quickly appears while trying to convince relevant stakeholders. In this context, being able to put forward an in situ visualization of the said product will strongly support any kind of argument. However, physical full-scale transposition of lab scale samples might be highly costly with an associated tremendous lead time. Alternatively, a fast, cost-effective and reliable method enabling such an in situ visualization is the measured based approach proposed by Eclat Digital.

In order to highlight the benefit of the virtual prototyping technique, a typical case study involving painted glass is presented here below.
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Case study : painted glass render in different lighting conditions

Painted glass consists in glass with a lacquer layer deposited on one of its face and mainly used for decorative purposes. In the present case study, various painted glass were considered with two different lighting conditions (Fig. 1).
photo rendering comparison painted glass

Figure 1 : Physical painted glass samples photography under two lighting conditions.

Key advantages of in situ visualization:

As a first step in the rendering process, received samples need to be optically characterized. This procedure is not as straightforward as it might look like due to the intrinsic optical complexity of the product. Indeed, painted glass exhibits two main optical contributions as described here below (Fig. 2):

  1. External optical contribution : The glass reflection
  2. Internal optical contribution : The refracted diffusion of the paint
refractive indice and ray tracing view

Figure 2 : Main optical contribution of the painted glass

The combined effects are displayed on Fig. 2.3 as well as a ray-tracing view. It should be stressed that due to the glass intrinsic absorption properties, the perceived color of the paint through the glass might be slightly altered in comparison with the naked paint.

In order to properly catch those optical features, spectrophotometer, goniospectrophotometer measurement and integrating sphere are required. Relevant data such as reflectance and BRDF are used as input data in Ocean™, our ray tracing software.

Optical Characterization of Painted Glass

In a second step, in order to assess the predictiveness of the renders generated by Ocean™, preliminary renders are generated using a 3D geometry similar to the one used for the photography on Fig. 1 as well as same lighting conditions. The results are presented on Fig. 3 , exhibiting a high degree of matching between the renders and the physical samples.

material model validation painted glass

Figure 3 : Photography and renders comparison using two lighting conditions.

Acknowledging such rendering reliability, in situ renders can be faithfully generated in a given situation. The results is presented on Fig. 4 .
in-situ visualisation of painted glass

Figure 4 : In situ renders of painted glass.

Comparing physical samples and virtual renders

The renderings in Figure 3 illustrate the predictive power of virtual prototyping by providing a reliable representation of real-world scenarios. It is proving to be a cost-effective, rapid solution that reduces the challenges of physical prototyping. With Ocean™ this methodology goes beyond appearances, allowing stakeholders to authentically visualize products without prohibitive costs or delays.

Benefits of virtual prototyping for product development

Virtual prototyping is a key tool in materials science and engineering, linking lab-scale exploration with real-world applications. This approach not only streamlines development, but also enhances compelling communication with stakeholders.

Advancing material science with Ocean™ virtual prototyping software

Ocean™, an integral part of the process, ensures accurate optical characterization of the painted glass, capturing both external reflection and internal color diffusion. This synergy between materials science research and virtual prototyping is leading to new product development processes.

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Conclusion: Advancing materials science through virtual prototyping

In summary, the synergy between breakthroughs in materials science and virtual prototyping is leading to new processes in product development. The case study of painted glass rendering illustrates the effectiveness of virtual prototyping in achieving in-situ visualisation, overcoming the limitations of physical implementation.

Ocean™, an integral part of the process, ensures accurate optical characterisation of the painted glass, capturing both external reflection and internal colour diffusion. The renderings in Figure 3 highlight the predictive power of virtual prototyping, providing a reliable representation of real-world scenarios.

Virtual prototyping is proving to be a cost-effective and rapid solution for industries, eliminating the laborious challenges associated with physical deployment. This methodology goes beyond superficial appearances, allowing stakeholders to authentically visualise products without prohibitive costs or delays.
In the dynamic landscape of materials science and engineering, virtual prototyping acts as a critical bridge, seamlessly connecting lab-scale exploration with practical applications. Adopting this approach not only streamlines development, but also enhances compelling communication with stakeholders.

In the ever-evolving field of materials, virtual prototyping represents a transformative shift towards limitless possibilities. It allows us to visualise breakthroughs without the constraints of physicality, through the lens of technology and innovation.

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