Generate Thumbnails Window

Use

You can use this window to generate, modify and delete thumbnails.

Thumbnails are helpful for viewing and selecting files. When a thumbnail image is generated for a file, it is saved in the thumbnail cache. The next time the thumbnail is required, it is retrieved from the cache.

You can choose from the following thumbnail generation methods using the Preferences window:

  • Whenever you open a file

  • Manual generation

  • Automatic generation, whenever a file is modified

If you choose the manual generation method, the Generate Thumbnails command can be used to update the images for all files that are displayed in the File list when, and as you require. After choosing the manual generation method and displaying the File list in Thumbnail view, a clock icon is displayed on the thumbnail images whenever you modify the files. Once you generate the thumbnails manually, this icon disappears and the updated image is displayed. Various thumbnail properties can be modified including the size, the cache memory size, and the generation method.

Features

Fields and Checkboxes

Functional Description

Camera View

Establishes the settings with which thumbnail images are generated.

  • Camera View: Used to select a camera from which to view the scenes

  • Standard view: Sets the default camera position (uses the camera view from the original file)

  • Active Camera in Current Scene: Sets the active camera position in the current scene.

Available Scene Camera

If selected, uses the camera properties from the current scene

Process

Selects whether to overwrite existing thumbnails and to view the point at which the process is currently running.

Update Existing: Overwrites any existing thumbnails.

List

Lists all files in the selected folder, each file has a checkbox so that thumbnail generation can be limited to a selected few.

Activities

Generating Thumbnails Manually

  1. Navigate to the folder containing the files for which you want to generate thumbnails and do one of the following:

    • Choose Start of the navigation pathActions Next navigation step Generate ThumbnailsEnd of the navigation path from the menu bar

    • Choose Generate Thumbnails in the File List toolbar.

  2. Select the camera from which to view each file’s scene.

  3. Select the Available Scene Camera checkbox if you want to use the scene camera.

  4. Select the Update Existing checkbox if you want to overwrite any existing thumbnails. If required, choose particular thumbnails to generate from the list and choose OK.

Deleting Thumbnails

Navigate to C:\Users\[user name]\Application Data\SAP\SAP 3D Visual Enterprise Author xx and delete the pictures.dat file.