Workflows
Start from what you have — a scan, a mesh, a sketch, a CAD file, or a solid — and follow the workflow to the result you need.
Power Surfacing VIZ workflows
What do you want to create?
Start with your CAD model. Choose a workflow for the image, animation, or mesh you need.
STEP to product render
Turn a STEP model into a product render with materials, HDRI lighting, LuxCore, and bundled KeyShot in Power Surfacing VIZ.
Explore workflow →Exploded-view assembly animation
Create exploded-view CAD assembly animations with keyframes, camera movement, and the AI MCP Bridge in Power Surfacing VIZ.
Explore workflow →Technical illustration from CAD
Create technical illustrations from CAD with section views, colored cut faces, edge display, and cut text in Power Surfacing VIZ.
Explore workflow →CAD to Blender, 3ds Max, and glTF
Tessellate CAD into meshes for Blender, 3ds Max, and glTF workflows with Power Surfacing VIZ, from the makers of Power Translators.
Explore workflow →Render farm for CAD animation
Render CAD animation batches across Windows machines with the free Power Surfacing Render Worker, shared queues, Cycles, and LuxCore.
Explore workflow →SOLIDWORKS product visualization
Turn SOLIDWORKS product designs into renders, cutaways, and assembly animations with standalone Power Surfacing VIZ.
Explore workflow →Questions about platforms, rendering, or the trial? Read the VIZ FAQ.
Reverse Engineering Mechanical Parts
You have: A physical part or a 3D scan mesh
You get: An editable, manufacturable CAD solid
Recommended: Power Surfacing RE Studio
Scan-to-CAD
You have: Raw 3D scanner data (STL, OBJ, point cloud)
You get: Clean NURBS surfaces and solids
Recommended: Power Surfacing RE Studio
Mesh-to-CAD
You have: A triangulated mesh (STL or OBJ)
You get: A smooth NURBS CAD model
Recommended: Power Surfacing RE Studio
STL to Editable CAD
You have: An STL or OBJ mesh file
You get: Editable CAD solids exportable to STEP
Recommended: Power Surfacing RE Studio
ZBrush / Sculpted Mesh to CAD
You have: A ZBrush or other sculpted mesh
You get: Production-ready NURBS CAD surfaces
Recommended: Power Surfacing RE for SOLIDWORKS
Freeform Sub-D Design
You have: A freeform or organic design idea
You get: Smooth Class A Sub-D surfaces as NURBS
Recommended: Power Surfacing Studio
Industrial Design in SOLIDWORKS
You have: A SOLIDWORKS part or assembly
You get: Organic Class A surfaces in your feature tree
Recommended: Power Surfacing for SOLIDWORKS
Shelling and Thickening
You have: A complex solid or surface body
You get: A shelled or thickened part with clean walls
Recommended: Power Shell for SOLIDWORKS (also included in Power Surfacing Studio and Power Surfacing RE Studio)
CAD Visualization
You have: An engineering CAD model (STEP, SOLIDWORKS, or mesh)
You get: Product visuals with bundled KeyShot, or meshes ready for Blender, Modo, 3ds Max, Maya, OBJ, STL, or glTF
Recommended: Power Surfacing VIZ (also included in Studio and RE Studio)
See These Workflows in Action
Watch video demos and tutorials showing real-world applications of Power Surfacing workflows.