Colors Tab Page
Use
You can use this tab page to apply colors for the display of scene elements. For example, you can display the bounding box in green and vertices in red. Once modified, you can restore the default colors. The default material setting can also be modified. The color settings for various elements including the scene bounding box, scene axes, and vertices, are displayed using the Display menu on the Navigation toolbar.
Changing the color of an element affects all file formats. The color can only be changed for elements that have been enabled in the original images or model.
If you modify the bounding box, vertices, wire frame, object axes, and surface normals settings, you must select the related checkboxes on the 3D View tab page to apply your color settings.
The properties for the default material that is used by SAP 3D Visual Enterprise Author can be modified. Changing these properties affects all file formats. Some formats may contain materials. Plug-ins that handle 3D formats with materials may fill only several material properties. Therefore, if you change the default material settings, your scene may display differently, and for this reason, we recommend noting the original material settings should you want to restore them at a later stage.
Features
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The following table lists the maximum number of functions shown in the Colors tab page:
Fields and Checkboxes
Functional Description
Background Top
Sets the color of the upper half of the viewports’ background gradient
Background Bottom
Sets the color of the lower half of the viewports’ background gradient
Illustration Background Top
Sets the color of the upper half of the viewports’ illustration background gradient
Illustration Background Bottom
Sets the color of the lower half of the viewports’ illustration background gradient
2D Files Background
Sets the color of the background gradient for 2D files
Bones
Sets the color of the model’s bone structure
Bone Influence Area
Sets the color of the areas influenced by bones
Bone Affect Area (Minimum)
Sets the color of the minimum area affected by bones
Bone Affect Area (Maximum)
Sets the color of the maximum area affected by bones
Bounding Box of All Objects
Sets the color of the bounding box lines that surround all objects
Bounding Box of Scene
Sets the color of the bounding box lines that surround the scene
Bounding Box of Selected Objects
Sets the color of the bounding box lines that surround selected objects
Transparent Bounding Box
Sets the color of the transparent bounding boxes that surround all objects.
Shadow
Sets the color of the scene shadow
Default Material Ambient Color
Sets the color of the general light that illuminates the entire scene. Ambient light has a uniform intensity and is uniformly diffuse. It has no discernible source and no discernible direction.
Default Material Diffuse Color
Sets the color of the diffuse light that is reflected in a scene. The amount of light reflected is the cosine of the angle between the incoming light and the vertex normal.
Default Material Specular Color
Sets the color that creates highlights on objects making them appear shiny
Default Material Emissive Color
Sets the color that makes a rendered object appear self-luminous. Emission affects an object’s color and can, for example, make a dark material brighter and take on part of the emitted color.
Faces in Line Illustration Mode
Sets the color of the faces in Line Illustration mode
Selected Faces
Sets the color of selected faces
Border of Selected Face
Sets the border color of selected faces
Lines in Line Illustration Mode
Sets the color of the line when displaying a scene in Line Illustration and Hidden Wireframe modes
Lines in Shaded Illustration Mode
Sets the color of the lines in Shaded Illustration and Solid Outline modes
Lines in Wireframe Mode
Sets the color of the lines in the various Wireframe modes
Selection Highlight
Sets the color of the selected object’s highlights
Solid Grid Light Cell
Sets the color of the lighter cells of the solid grid, or “floor” of the scene
Solid Grid Dark Cell
Sets the color of the darker cells of the solid grid
Transparent Grid Light Cell
Sets the color of the lighter cells of the transparent grid
Transparent Grid Dark Cell
Sets the color of the darker cells of the transparent grid
Subdivision Control Mesh
Sets the color of the subdivision surface control mesh
Surface Normals
Sets the color of surface normals
Vertex-Cross Color
Sets the color of the crosses representing an object’s vertices.
Vertices in Vertices Mode
Sets the color of the vertices when displayed in Vertices mode
Viewport Labels
Sets the color of the viewport labels
Wire Grid
Sets the color of the lines of the wired grid, or floor
X/Y/Z Axis
Sets the color of the x/y/z-axis of the selected object and the world coordinate system, or axes
Cross Section Outline
Sets the color of the cross section plane’s outline
Cutting Plane
Sets the color of the cutting plane
Non Output Size Area
Sets the color for the area outside the output size area
Output Size Border and Margin
Used to select the color of the border for the output size area
Illustration Detailed View Border
Used to select the color of the detailed view border when you are in Illustration mode
Reset
Restores the default settings
Settings
Opens the Default Material window and is used to modify the properties of the default material
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The following table lists the maximum number of functions shown in the Default Material window:
Fields and Buttons
Functional Description
Glossiness
Determines the level of the material’s highlighting. As you increase the glossiness, the highlight gets smaller and the material appears shinier.
Specular level
Determines the intensity of the specular light. You can set the specular level to a very high value to achieve very strong, tight highlights. This value is also known as shininess strength.
Opacity
Determines the opacity of the material. Opacity is the opposite of transparency. As you reduce the opacity value, the material becomes more transparent.
Raytrace Reflection
Determines the level of the material’s ability to reflect light
Reset
Restores the most recently applied material settings
Activities
Applying a color to a Scene Element
Do one of the following:
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Select an element in the Colors window, choose Edit, select a color in the color selector, and then choose OK.
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Double-click an element in the Colors window, select a color in the color selector, and then choose OK.
Modifying the Default Material
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Choose the Settings button to display the Default Material window.
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Take a note of the original settings should you want to restore them at a later stage, make the changes you require, then choose OK.
Restoring the most Recently Applied Material Settings
Choose Reset in the Default Material window.