Problem with Material Color

[JohnZ]

I'm wondering if someone might help me understand the relationship between materials and colors. Specifically, I was creating a landscape and wanted to replicate the green metal edging frequently seen around flower beds. So I chose PVC Black edging thinking I could simply change the color to green, but tried just about everything I could think of but the edging stayed black. I wound up just using interior walls, removed all moulding, made the thickness 0.125" and the height 6". Worked like a charm, could make them any color I want and I finished the project. (Seems you can do almost anything with walls!) But I've had this trouble before with materials, seems like colors can be changed on some but not others. I'm sure I'm missing something...

[Doug.S]

Nearly every (maybe all) material on an object can be changed, all done the same way.  (except for terrain, can't think of any other exceptions)

Select item to change, rt-click, from drop down menu select properties.  In properties dialog box select appearance tab...

on left there is a list of each part of the object....to right is a sample color...click on the color picture...opens a dialog box from which you can select any material/texture/color   ....OK your way back to view the change.  You have only changed the instance in your .bld file....next insert will be the same as default....but you can change that too if needed.

(if nothing is there you like...they are all simply pictures, most are .jpg a few are .bmp (especially if there is a magenta color for transparency) and you can add any picture or copy and modify and add back to PC HDD location so you can select it....if you need help it has been explained before so search this forum....but if lost ask again.


Hope that helps you out, if not, ask more.

[JohnZ]

I'll be darned... tonight it's working just as you describe. Only thing I can think of is I had done a LOT of drawing when this problem showed up, probably should have restarted the PC. I've had strange things like that happen before. I appreciate the speedy reply, thanks!