Transparent parts in assemblies

[crmayo]

Users of SolidWorks know how easy it is to make a part transparent.  This is real handy when you’re checking hole patterns, clearances, or showing customers concepts.  In Inventor you can change part transparencies by using “enable” or selecting an alternate material. If you uncheck enable, you lose the ability to select the part making it difficult to find in large assemblies.  Personally, I don't like switching back and forth between materials to make a part temporarily transparent.

I would like Inventor to have an easy transparency option like this:

[dvsmiller9]

I would also like the ability to honor the transparency down to the feature level.  I frequently make parts that in the real world the base material is somewhat transparent but some features on the surface are not.  In Inventor if I specifiy a transparent material (i.e. glass or quartz) for the base and an opaque one (i.e. chrome) for a surface feature the intended opaque material will show as transparent.  Is this a shortcut in the rendering engine or a deficiency?

[mthomas]

This is a feature many of our former ProE users "scream" for as its one of the things they miss

[karthur1]

That would be nice. What I do now is change the color to "clear".  Takes a few clicks, but it works.

[mikeh4]

If you flip back and forth a lot on a given assembly you could set up a View Representation too, so you could flip back and forth with a double click.

[dan_szymanski]

Hello Crmayo, When in large assemblies....You have the ability to window select (right-to-left) or cross select (left-to-right) components that are "Disabled" (Enabled = unchecked). If located in the browser, using the "Find in Window" command should also work nicely. Lastly the "Find Assembly components" tool can be used to locate parts in your browser. Set the Property: to "Enabled", set the Condition: to "is No" then select Find Now. Given this, please let me know if these would eliminate the need for a "Make Transparent" option. Thanks! -Dan

[crmayo]

Hi Dan,  

Thanks for sharing your tips.  In large assemblies I prefer to use the pointer to select parts, not crossing windows or regular windows.  Most of the time when I need something transparent it isn't a large group of parts and the time it takes to rotate the model so I can use a window select without selecting an unwanted geomerty seems like wasted time to me.

The problem with disabled part is that I can't use or edit it in the transparent state.  Most of the time when I have a part transparent I am using it as a checking tool and I need to added clearances, cut sections or use it to check a distance etc...

Perhaps you could allow the user to select a checkbox in applications options that would allow them to use parts / assemblies that are disabled.  Personally, I just want to turn the part transparent without overriding other model features like color, material or selection.

[kevinb]

I agree with the desire for this feature, I currently use a work around where I set the model body to have the appearance of Blue - Glazing (my most common one to use, it's useful for fluid filled objects such as hydraulic tanks).

[pabethell]

I know this has been brought up many times. I know there are work arounds. But this is a nice feature and one Inventor should implement. Almost every other major 3D modeling software has a very simple way to enable this without changing the part properties, or disabling the part.

PLEASE!

[timdown73]

RMB to uncheck "enable" or is that not what you are describing here?

[asiu]

No, this is to keep the parts enabled but transparent.

Myself, I often go and have to select the transparent materials in the "Appearance" selection box. It is time consuming.

It will be even nicer if this will come with different levels of transparency (from 0 to 100%).

Great suggestion, I am looking forward to be accepted and implemented!

[pabethell]

asiu is correct.

Keep the parts enabled but make instantly transparent. The way in which solidworks has implemented it is exactly what I would like to see. And as asiu suggest having different levels of transparency would be great.

This feature comes in handy during design reviews, and when your constraining parts in assemblies and for presentations. I'm sure there are many other instances where this is useful that I have not thought of.

Thanks

[timmueller]

A little known usefull tip - If you have a part "un-enabled" you can actually select it in the graphics window using a crossing window.

Tim

[timmueller]

Sorry - disregard, I just glazed over the thread - I didnt realize Dan beat me to that one.

[dan_szymanski]

Hello Pabethell, I believe your Idea is a duplicate of the one posted here: http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-ideastation/transparent-parts-in-assemblies/idi-p/4384272 Please message me if this is not the case. Otherwise, please be sure to cast your kudo to the other Idea so that you do not split the votes. Thanks! -Dan

[pabethell]

Hi Dan,

You are correct it is a dubplicate. How do I cast the kudos given to my post to the other post?

Thanks

Phil

[steve.west]

It would be useful to have a simple 'HIDE/REVEAL' option.

Turning visibility on and off is, I think, intended as a modification to a view representation. Sometimes you only want to briefly hide a part or assembly so you can measure, apply constraints etc a face/edge that is normally obscured by it 

A 'SHOW ALL HIDDEN' option would also be great to ensure all parts that have been temporarily hidden are revealed before finishing off.

[dan_szymanski]

Accepted idea [US-49400]. Thanks!

[Cadmanto]

I know you can change colors of parts to be a transparent color and that works fine, but there should be a method of RCing on the part in the browser and in the RC menu along with visibility, one for transparent.  This way no color has to be changed and thus having to search for a transparent color.

A simple RC click and select transparent.  How easy is that?

It is done this way in Solidworks.

[foxrid3r]

It would certainly make selecting parts that are hidden behind other parts much easier.

[mflayler2]

I really like this idea, because I normally use the Enabled status to do this, but as wel know if you uncheck that status you have to go back to the tree because the part is technically not selectable in your design.  Something that quickly changes the opacity would be a welcome addition.  Ideally I would also not like to see any integration to the appearance styles since they are complex enough.