Saving color & transparency "sets"?

[CNSZU]

Hello,

In Solidworks there is something called "Display States" where you can save several different color and transparency levels for each component.

For example, you can save "State 1" where solid A has color blue and solid B has color red. Then you can save another "State 2" where solid A has color green and solid B has 50% transparency. This way you can easily switch between the different states and thereby check the effect the different color combinations have on the model. This is extremely useful for creating different color versions of the same model for appearance purposes.

Is there something similar in NX?

NX8 E8800@3.7Ghz 6GB Quadro2000

 

[JohnRBaker]

Not really. However, you can assign a color/transparency to a component in an assembly which will be unique to that assembly and not effect the color/transparency of the original part model. That being said, you could include the same component several times in the same assembly, assign each one a different color/transparency and then use Arrangements to control which components are displayed. Granted, this is bit of overkill and not all that convenient, but that's about the best that I can offer that wouldn't involve writing a special application using NX Open or KF which could do something like this.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[CNSZU]

OK, thank you.

I forgot to mention that in addition to controlling the color and transparency, it would be nice to also control the visibility of solids and sheets, eg. hide different individual solids for different "sets". Maybe something for the future.

NX8 E8800@3.7Ghz 6GB Quadro2000

 

[nlscarter]

I'm looking to do something similar, but can't find the transparency function in KF. I can't see anything in ug_body which is what i use to set colour to objects that have been created by KF.
Thanks
Neal

 

[cubalibre000]

Hi CNSZU,
I suggest you to add an ER, because the workaround suggested by John, the use of arrangements, is absolutely 'spawn'.
Remember that the Display State present in SolidWorks are light, no increment of RAM and other advantage.
Attached a document.

Thank you...

Using NX 8 and TC9.1

 

[cowski]

'spawn'???

www.nxjournaling.com

 

[cubalibre000]

spawn=awesome

http://www.google.it/search?q='spaw...UCoSLswaYmYHYCg&ved=0CDgQsAQ&biw=1023&bih=645

Thank you...

Using NX 8 and TC9.1

 

[cowski]

now I'm even more confused...

www.nxjournaling.com

 

[cubalibre000]

Menage several different color and transparency levels for each component with Arrangement is a painful.
No exist perfect CAD, so when other CAD have a good solution, it's better add an ER then walk on workaround of dubious value.

Thank you...

Using NX 8 and TC9.1

 

[nlscarter]

I think I've hijacked this question, we are on different directions I think, will post a new question!

 

[cowski]

Here's a journal I put together quickly as a proof of concept to save/restore visualization sets. It is pretty rough, but seems to work. If you decide to try it out, I suggest saving all your work before running it (I have not done much testing yet). Perhaps this will fill a need until the functionality is 'baked in' to NX proper.

www.nxjournaling.com

 

[cowski]

One caveat:
The component color information is saved based on the body color of the component. In my testing I got some unexpected results when a previously brown component turned purple when using the 'restore' option. Turns out the component faces were brown, making the component appear brown in the assembly, but using Information -> Object confirmed the original body color was purple.

Make sure the component body color is what you think it is before use.

www.nxjournaling.com