Applying color to "standard" materials

I've been using the new (to me at least) SolidWorks material
capability and like it a lot but have one question.

Is there a straightforward was of changing the color on a part level
of a part. You might want to do this when you have a piece of
aluminum anodized, Titanium tiodyzed, or steel coated with molybdenum
disulfide....

What's the consensus out there? What would be really cool would be to
be able to define coating spec's and then apply as suitable to the
appropriate surfaces (perhaps even adding the dimensional buildup).

Don't know if that's possible.

Thanks,

===========================================================================
Chris

 

Nobody? Wow!
===========================================================================
Chris

 

Yes.
When you are applying the material type, you need to uncheck the "use
material colour" option (can be edited later also).
Then just pick the "edit colour" icon, select the part at the top of the
fly-out feature manager (assuming you want to change the colour of the
entire part) and choose a colour.
If you want to just change a face or body, then choose the apprpriate filter
next to the "selected entities" box.

Sounds a bit ambitious, though I can see that sort of functionality being
added at some future release.

If the dimensional build-up is important to you, I'd use part configs to
show machined and coated versions.
You could also create a "coating" sketch where you draw 2 parallel lines and
dimension the spacing equal to the coating thickness. Name the dimension
"coating" and then use equations to add/subtract this figure from the
dimensions controlling the surfaces that are coated.
The equations can be suppressed in the uncoated ("machined") config.

Regards,
John H

 

H'mmm. I can uncheck this before I pick a material, but once I select
a material from the list, the checkbox is grayed out and is no longer
selectable. Am I missing something?

I am thinking about adding this functionality to XMLPropWorks, my
configurable custom property manager. At this point, I wouldn't think
it was too hard, but you never know as I really haven't investigated
it much

In some instances build up is a real issue. Some not. Having the
ability to define a coating with thicknesses would be pretty cool.
===========================================================================
Chris

 

Actually, there is an even easier way. Pick the solid body(ies) from
the Solid Bodies listing in the FMT and then you can apply a color
over the whole body. You can remove the color just as easily as well.

Cheers
===========================================================================
Chris

 

Actually, there is an even easier way. Pick the solid body(ies) from

That's not easier if there are multiple bodies and you want them all the
same colour.

John H