Translucent parts

[tmccar]

In Inventor LT, it would be very helpful if some of my parts were tranlucent in appearance. I have  changed the "feature appearance" of the extrusion to Polycarbonate Clear" but it's still at the default grey.

[JDMather]

Can you attach an ipt file here that exhibits this behavior?

[pcrawley]

Changing a feature to some kind of clear appearance doesn't make that feature clear.  (Changing to a non-clear appearance should work though.)  To switch to a clear appearance, you need to do it at the part level - not the feature level - but that obviously affects everything.

There are ways to make some features have a different appearance by creating those features as a different body (as in "multi-body solids").  Each body can have a different appearance - and translucency is respected (until you derive it into another part...)

I did once see a hack/workaround to creating a snow-globe model where the globe was glass and the base was wood, but the technique was a bit of "smoke and mirrors" at best.  Suggest you stick with multi-body solids.

[tmccar]

On the attached .ipt file, the properties of the square block are set to "clear - light"

[JDMather]

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@tmccar wrote:

... if some of my parts were tranlucent in appearance.....

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It appears that you are attempting to make an assembly of multiple parts in a single part file.
To do that you need to select New Solid option when doing a Extrusion (or other feature).
You can then set the Properties of the individual solid bodies.

There are several other basic problems with your part, including -

unconstrained sketches, a sick sketch, axis that is duplication of origin axis, workplane that is not needed...

I will try to post an improved technique later today.

[tmccar]

OK, I have tried creating new solids, and it works - thanks.