Change Model Color Settings

Change how geometry and mesh entities are visualized in the modeling window by selecting a color mode.

  1. Click on the View Controls toolbar to control the face color. Face colors affect both the geometry and mesh. When not appropriate for one or the other, the color is gray (for instance element quality colors geometry as gray).
    Automatic
    Switches to the appropriate color mode depending on the active tool.
    1D/2D/3D
    Color elements based on their topology: green (1D), blue (2D), and red (3D).
    3D Topology
    Color 2D faces blue, color solid faces transparent green (bounding faces), and color internal faces yellow (full partition faces).
    Assembly
    Color elements and surfaces based on the assembly to which they belong. Color surfaces that do not belong to an assembly are colored gray.
    Body
    Color the model based on the body entities generated via the Mechanism Browser.
    Component
    Color elements, surfaces, and solid faces based on the component to which they belong.
    Configuration
    Color elements based on their configuration (mass, reb2, spring, bar, rod, gap tria3, quad4, tetra4, and so on).
    Domain
    Color elements based on the domains they belong to. A domain is a morphing entity which enables design changes to an existing FE topology. Each domain receives a different color. Any elements that do not belong to a domain are colored gray.
    Element Quality
    Color elements based on their quality, which is defined by the 2D element criteria settings. The element quality legend displays in the modeling window to assist you in evaluating the element quality.
    Feature
    Color faces based on geometric features (as detected by the Assembly > Features tool), such as holes, fillets, and flanges.
    Mappable
    Display surfaces in wireframe, and color surface edges blue (ignoring topology). Color solid faces by mappability: red (not mappable), yellow (1D mappable), or green (3D mappable). Color solid face edges by topology.
    Material
    Color elements based on the material assigned to that element.
    Part
    Color all surfaces based on the part to which they belong.
    Property
    Color elements based on the property assigned to that element.
    Subsystem
    Color surfaces based on the subsystem to which they belong.
    Thickness
    Color elements according to their thickness values.
    Topology
    Color 2D faces gray, color solid faces transparent green (bounding faces), and color internal faces yellow (full partition faces).
    Zone
    Color plies based on zone composite data.
    Custom
    Color modes that are non-standard and only available while using certain tools fall under the custom color category.
  2. Click on the View Controls toolbar to control the edge color.
    Automatic
    Switches to the appropriate color mode depending on the active tool.
    3D Topology
    Color surface edges blue unless they are part of a solid. Solid geometry edges are shown in their topology colors: red (free edges), green (shared edges), yellow (t-junctions), and blue (suppressed edges).
    Feature
    Color edges based on geometric features (as detected by the Assembly > Features tool), such as holes, fillets, and flanges.
    Topology
    Color all surface edges by topology: red (free edges), green (shared edges), yellow (t-junctions), and blue (suppressed edges).