Hi,
I see the post below where someone was having troubles with modifying colors, but I wasn't sure this was the same thing.. My company has never really messed with color libraires, most of our customer drawings are black and white, however we are looking to use the configurator and would like to be able to use our custom colors, and would like to make the quality of those images as high as possible.
Anytime I bring in a model with a custom material it turns generic in the configurator. Is there a way to use custom colors and I'm just doing it wrong, or is this not possible at all? It's pretty much a deal breaker for us.
I guess I should add, I'm making my models in Inventor 2014, I have my custom colors set up, to where they work in Inventor, but there is a good chance they aren't set up properly since this isn't something we have put emphasis on in the past.
Thanks,
Daniel
Solved! Go to Solution.
Solved by DPolsky-VAH. Go to Solution.
If you're only setting a custom color in an appearance, it should work in Configurator 360 without any extra steps. But if you have a bitmap file (bmp, jpg, png etc.) to define a texture, then it has to be defined in an appearance library. Here's an outline describing how to move an appearance to a library:
- copy the texture bitmap file to the same directory as your part (if it is not already there)
- open the part that contains the custom appearance
- change the appearance of the part to Generic (or another pre-defined appearance)
- start the Tools > Material and Appearance > Appearance command
- click on the folder icon in the bottom left corner and choose Create New Library (see screenshot below)
- once your new library is open, drag the appearance from the part into the library
- if you copied the bitmap file in the first step, edit the appearance and point it to the new location of the bitmap file
- delete the appearance in the part
- on the Appearance drop down list at the top of the Inventor window, change the part appearance to the custom one. It should show up in that list, and now it will be coming from the library.
Make sure your model is working in Inventor with the new appearance.
Include the bitmap file(s) in your upload zip to Configurator 360.
Change appearance:
Note that the method above will work only for assembly (and assembly with skeleton part) models. For a part model (single ipt file) you can't include the bitmap file.
Thanks for the quick reply.
I think I've set it up as you said, however I'm still not seeing my images in the Configurator.
My folder hierarchy is as follows:
Main folder
Assembly.iam
Parts Folder
image.jpg
image2.jpg
part1.ipt
part2.ipt
I then Zip the Parts folder and Assembly.iam together to bring into the configurator.
Do I appear to be doing this all right? If so, what about how I'm showing my colors..?
I have material set to Generic on all the part files. Then the appearance of each part file starts as default.
Then in my ilogic I have:
Component.Color("Part1")=Finish
Finish is a parameter that has a drop down of a list of all my finish options. When I change the parameter via my form within Inventor, the colors all change correctly.
Hopefully I'm just missing something simple!
Thanks,
Daniel
The statement
Component.Color("Part1")=Finish
will only work for the final image in Configurator 360. Before the final image is rendered, you won't see the component color. The final image will usually be rendered a few seconds after you have changed a parameter and stopped moving the mouse.
Do you ever see the correct appearance after you let the model sit for a few seconds?
No, I see what you mean about "Final rendering" though, it starts off as a plain color and then "renders" to a generic color. So I see it finishing, just not to the color/image I want.
I'm not set on using Component.Color("Part1")=Finish I just started using that as part of trying to get it to work. Previously I was using iproperties.material and I was changing the material, with my custom images as material appearances. I don't have a lot of time/work invested in that code right now, so if there is a better/more proper way to do it that will work, I'm all ears!
Thanks,
Daniel
I'm thinking that your material might not be defined in an Appearance Library. It won't work if it's defined only in the part.
I double checked the procedure you gave me, everything looks fine. I do notice, when I close all the way out of Inventor and get back in, I have to reload the appearance libray. Could this be the problem? Would it have anything to do with project files? I don't use project files/folders correctly.
Thanks,
Daniel
I think it could have something to do with projects. How do you work with projects in Inventor? Do you use the Default project?
I was using Default, I just tried creating a new project file and added my new material library to the appearance section, it now opens with the file when I cloe and reopen Inventor, but it still doesn't load into Configurator.
Thanks,
Daniel
If you post a link to your latest model on the configurator360 website, then with your permission I can download it and look at it in Inventor. If you want to do that, please make a new upload and include the Appearance Library file in the zip.
Daniel,
I suspect that the issue is with your use of a form in you iLogic.
I have attached a PDF describing the know limitations of the use of iLogic with Configurator 360.
Please check and see if this is not the case.
Thank you.
Here is a link to my model:
Something weird happened this time.. I was double checking all the color options, and one of them is working! Copper Vein is displaying correctly, but RAL 1004 is also displaying Copper Vein..
I think the final solution to this will be I've set up my materials incorrectly somehow and I just need to get it all straightened out, but I'm having a really hard time 😃
I'm going to do a copy design, remove my form and upload a 2nd rev of it.
Thanks,
Daniel
Well we are getting better... I have removed the form and the trigger that launches the form. Now all but 2 of my colors are working.. I didn't change anythign else though.. weird.
Thanks,
Daniel
Mike Deck solved my problem via email, I'm posting it here for others:
The procedure is really a workaround. I’m hoping that it won’t be required in a future version of Configurator 360.
I recreated the Antiqued Hammered Copper appearance from scratch, using your bitmap and other settings. I’m not sure if this was required, but it’s not too much extra work.
In the assembly document, change the Finish parameter to Stainless Steel. This is a simple appearance, with no bitmap. Selecting it allows us to delete all the other appearances in the document.
Start the Tools > Material and Appearance > Appearance command and delete all appearances in the document.
Exit from the Appearance Browser.
Cycle through all available values of the Finish parameter. This will copy the appearances from the library to the assembly. Save the assembly.
It is important that the appearance:
When you edit an appearance, you are editing it in the document. After editing, copy it to the library. Then delete the version in the document.
But before you upload to C360, you have to get the appearance back into the document. Do this by changing a parameter that drives an iLogic rule (in this case the Finish parameter). Don’t do it directly in the Appearance Browser.
If you upload using the addin (which works in Inventor 2014 and 2015), make sure to select the …include: All files… option
Thanks,
Mike