I'm new to SolidWorks, so please explain things in a way that I could use google/help to find out the term you are using.
We usually render things modeled from Rhino. Well, Rhino doesn't have Parts. Every object has a world axis. That's it. So if you import something like a knob into Keyshot and it's been rotated 45 degrees, when you rotate, it will appear as if it's twirling like a plate on the floor rather than rotating on it's local axis. At this point, local and global are the same.
So the workaround has been importing a sphere at the point you want to rotate the knob. Then Write down the angle of rotation, and rotate the cylinder to that number inside keyshot. Then when you want to rotate your knob, use the sphere as the pivot.
Yes, that's a huge pain in the butt. I Really wish you could edit the axis of a part right in keyshot, but it always seems I'm the only person who has the need to edit Just a pivot point in Keyshot.
So I've taken to learning Solidworks a little bit. I'm trying to learn what it is that keyshot is using. I did a test with a couple knobs that I mated to a couple surfaces, and Yay. No more having to do any pivot workarounds. Keyshot still only shows world rotation, even though no keyshot user cares about world rotation, but it is what it is.
So imporing a step file into SolidWorks, you get the same issue. That knob of yours is already at an angle. How do you give the body an axis so Keyshot will read it?
I'm already aware than keyshot will use the world coordinates of the part. But that means I have to make a part from the file, move and rotate the object to zero, then put those parts back together in an assembly. Well, I'm not so sure all that work is really worth doing when compared to the sphere trick.
Is there a way to define an axis for a part that is already rotated with less work? I'm just trying to be sure I'm using the most efficient workflow. People have a habit of telling me they need 4 renders of 2 models with 3 different options each by 2pm, and I don't get the data till 11. Well that's 24 renders that take about 15 minutes each for a total of 6 hours, divided by the 3 machines we have. Well....shoot! That doesn't leave much time to fiddle with the data once they give it to me. I just wanted to illustrate that I'm not being lazy. I'm trying to be fast so I can hit deadlines.