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K
kbeach-26-Contributor
6-Contributor
February 1, 2011
Question

Model Color Based on Finish instead of Material

  • February 1, 2011
  • 2 replies
  • 4794 views

Currently using Wildfire 4.0. Managing part colors for most components is relatively straightforward since colors can be applied to material files. For plastic parts, each color is a different physical material and therefore repsresented by a unique material file, and in our case, managed by family table instances.

However, is there a way to base the part color on finish rather than the material file?

Example: A machined part made of aluminum, then anodized with several different color options. Using the material file for aluminum will set the correct material properties (density, etc.), and list the correct material (name and part number) but will also set the part to a grey/silver color on all instances instead of showing the correct color representing each anodized finish for each instance.


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2 replies

D
DavidButz1-Visitor
1-Visitor
February 1, 2011

Kevin,

Don't think there's an easy way to do this automatically. However, if you don't have too many color variations, you could copy you aluminum material to several variations like aluminum-blue, aluminum-amber, etc., then change the colors in each variation. Don't know if that would be efficient for you or not.

David

K
kbeach-26-ContributorAuthor
6-Contributor
February 10, 2011

Thanks for the reply David - I didn't think there was an easy way, but had to ask. Your solution would work under other circumstances, but our material files are controlled with internal part numbers and descriptions and that info is passed through to the drawing automatically.

R
rgonzalez1-Visitor
1-Visitor
July 23, 2012

Kevin,

If your generic has only a few features...

I had to model multi-colored light bulbs, an instance for each color. By copying the surface of the bulb and setting the color of the copied surface and putting each surface in the family table I was able to produce an instance with different colored bulbs. Be careful to only select the original surface when creating the colored surfaces so you don't create children. When you're finished set the color of the original surface to 100 percent transparent.

B
BrianMartin13-Aquamarine
13-Aquamarine
July 23, 2012

Richard's method is the way we used to have to achieve the multi-color effect before material files had the option to control colors.

By making a surface copy of the colored region, recoloring the surfaces, and then toggling them off/on in the family table as Richard said, you might be able to skirt the material color issue.Perhaps set the copied surface to be 50 or 75% transparent using the color of anodizing you wish. This should allow you to see the grey/silver shown through a colored lens to achieve the anodized effect.

Let us know if this works... I'd be interested to know!

Thanks!

-Brian

K
kbeach-26-ContributorAuthor
6-Contributor
July 27, 2012

Richard and Brian,

Thanks for the input. We've been using the copied surface in the family table technique on some other part types for a while as well, but we have seen some issues with those surfaces maintaining color if/when features are added to the model. Since the introduction of color being controlled by material, it sparked interest in also having the ability to control color with a parameter or finish feature.

Thanks,
Kevin

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