Changing Transparency

[cp3]

I have an assembly with about 30 parts and sub-assemblies, and when I try to make one of the parts transparent, it works, but if I click on anything else it automatically makes it a solid again. How do I make it continously transparent?

 

[cp3]

Then why can I do it in another assembly?

Is it because the assembly that I can do it in is alot smaller than the one that I cant do it in?

 

[Theophilus]

Yeah, that would be my guess. I've worked on a few client computers in the past with cards like this and they work OK until you open more than, say, three parts at a time (or an assembly with several parts). Then it's choke time and all sorts of glitches start to occur, such as super-slow transition from one part/window to another.

For serious production work, check into some of the other cards, as listed at the SolidWorks site. I've seen lots of folks posting lots of problems with the nVidia Quadro cards lately, so I'm not sure I'd recommend that direction.

I run an ATI FireGL V5600 on this system and it works great with v2007, v2008, and v2009 of SolidWorks. (ATI used to produce cards that really weren't very reliable with SolidWorks, but they seem to be on top lately.) Cards like this will run several hundred dollars, but you'll avoid hassles of the type you're seeing now--plus you can essentially have as many parts open as your RAM will allow.



Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

A people governed by fear cannot value freedom.

 

[cp3]

Hmmm, Ill have to consider that. Thanks for all your help.

Oh, on a side note, what if I created more sub-assemblies so as to avoid using so many parts? Would that help at all?

 

[Theophilus]

It may help if you only have one of those smaller sub-assemblies open at a time (consisting of no more than 3-4 parts), but do you really want to live like that?



Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

A people governed by fear cannot value freedom.

 

[Eltron]

Try to use the software OpenGL. Go to Tools->options->system options->performance and select 'Use software OpenGL'.

Dan

http://www.eltronresearch.com

Dan's Blog

 

[SincoTC]

Is it because the assembly that I can do it in is alot smaller than the one that I cant do it in?

I think that's very likely!

I've had occasions where it seemed it HAD to be a corrupt assembly file or something and NOT the card (which was an approved ATI GL) as similar assemblies, some even bigger would be fine, but the then SW 2007 would often (but not always) suddenly exit to the desktop without warning when working on this assembly only. I downloaded a new driver, later but not yet tested and the problem was gone.


Trevor Clarke. (R & D) Scientific Instruments.Somerset. UK

SW2009x64 SP4.0 Intel Core i7 2.94Ghz, 12Gb Ram, NVIDIA Quadro FX3700 Driver: 6.14.11.8246
SW2009x64 SP4.0 Intel Core 2 Duo 3.17Ghz, 8Gb Ram NVIDIA Quadro FX3700 Driver: 6.14.11.8246

 

[cp3]

Hey Eltron.. For some reason that option (Use software OpenGL) is greyed out.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

The option is greyed out because it is a GeForce card. Software OpenGL is automatically selected when using non OpenGL compliant cards.

 

[AnnaWood]

Check the Use software OpenGL switch with SolidWorks launched, but with no files open.

Then see if you can turn the switch on.

What this switch does is totally bypass your video card. The cpu will handle the graphics. You will likely get a performance hit, but if your transparancy issue goes away you will know your graphics card is the culprit.

Cheers,

Anna Wood
Anna Built Workstation, Core i7 EE965, FirePro V8700, 12 gigs of RAM, OCZ Vertex 120 Gig SSD
SW2009 SP3.0, Windows 7 RC1

http://www.solidmuse.com

http://www.phxswug.com