topic Re: how to color solid 3d object white? in AutoCAD Forum

how to color solid 3d object white?

Anonymous — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 08:11:16 GMT

Hi! i'm now making a solid 3d object in realistic view but i can't color it as white. The color displays like gray when I actually choosing color white. How can I change the object's color in to white? Thank you in advance for the reply.

Re: how to color solid 3d object white?

Osnaping — Wed, 16 Dec 2015 21:11:07 GMT

Hi,The color shows in display is gray only for edit because is given by default light, however your model is white, if you want to print it, it will be white or black depends the background.

Re: how to color solid 3d object white?

Alfred.NESWADBA — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 22:04:00 GMT

Hi,

>> i'm now making a solid 3d object in realistic view but i can't color it as white. The color displays like gray

Interesting, yesterday there was a similar question, just for an older release of AutoCAD and the question was about clean black instead of white.

But the answer is the same: in the real world there is no clean white as well as no clean black. The color an object shows in a rendered image depends on it's basic color, it's reflectivity, it's roughness and if cause the color and intensity of the lights around the object.

As a sample, put a paper (white) on a table, then dim the rooms light down to 1% ... how "white" is the paper now? ... Answer is dark grey or so dark that you have troubles to see it anyway. Same with objects in AutoCAD, an object in your scene with a material "white paper" can't be white if no light, dark light or light from the wrong side.

At least: it's how reality works, and a grey result of a white object is the result of a renderer doing "photorealistic renderings".

So your chance to make the grey more light is to turn on the light, same as in your dark room 😉

- alfred -

Re: how to color solid 3d object white?

leeminardi — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 22:48:18 GMT

You can define your own material that will yield a very bright white no matter if it is illuminated or not.

Create a new material using the Default Generic template.
Set the color to 255 255 255
Check the box for Self Illumination and the Luminance to Frosted Bulb.

~Lee

Re: how to color solid 3d object white?

Alfred.NESWADBA — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 23:19:24 GMT

Hi,

good idea, but be careful, this will lighten up the whole enviroment 😉

As a sample, that is a box with wall-material "Beige" and one small sphere in the room with the self illuminating material.

- alfred -

Re: how to color solid 3d object white?

leeminardi — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 23:30:46 GMT

You are right, you need to be careful. I do not know why the OP needed a pure white object. That could influence the effectiveness of my solution.

To compensate for the illumination of other objects by the white object you could render twice, once with the white, once without, and composite the two images together.

~Lee

Re: how to color solid 3d object white?

dbroad — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 23:40:42 GMT

True. By using custom, instead of frosted bulb, the illumination level can be adjusted to a reasonable level. This image shows a self illuminated sphere set to 1000 lm and illuminated by a freespot of 1500cd.