topic Material Browser.... Don't understand "Use Render Appearance" on the "Graphics" Tab in Revit Architecture Forum

Material Browser.... Don't understand "Use Render Appearance" on the "Graphics" Tab

payingtoomuch — Wed, 07 May 2025 23:55:10 GMT

In materials browser I'm having trouble coming to terms with the "graphics" vs "appearance" tabs.

I'm not currently technically doing any rendering in revit and probably will not have that need going forward.

So, the appearance tab settings are generally out of the box although I do change some for my purposes.

I understand the rendering settings in some way determine the way the model shows up in 3D views.

For my visual styles I don't currently use the "realistic" option and primarily default to the "consistent colors" option.

What I'm having trouble understanding is how the "use render appearance" tick box, under SHADING on the graphics tab affects my model when it's turned on and off... since I'm not technically using shading.

It looks like that when I select the tick box the 3D model assumes all the settings for the colors that it "can" for the "consistent colors" selection but other than that I really don't understand what it's doing.

Re: Material Browser.... Don't understand "Use Render Appearance" on the "Graphics" Tab

SteveKStafford — Wed, 07 May 2025 23:58:37 GMT

Graphics tab is for Non-rendered views and Appearance is for Rendered views. Use Render Appearance is to derived the "color" of the material from its material asset vs the color defined in the Graphics tab. Often a materials appearance color is to dark or subdued and a different color is more appropriate for most documentation views.

Re: Material Browser.... Don't understand "Use Render Appearance" on the "Graphics" Tab

eizinmyat — Thu, 08 May 2025 00:07:08 GMT

Hello,

I think this video fits to yours!!
https://youtu.be/R4TimgHbsIE?si=Aqlj2D8fJm4YdbGq

Re: Material Browser.... Don't understand "Use Render Appearance" on the "Graphics" Tab

payingtoomuch — Thu, 08 May 2025 13:02:08 GMT

Thanks Steve. That makes sense to me. So, when I select the use render appearance on the graphics tab ALL it is aquiring is the basic color, no patterns from the bitmap files or anything else? Just the color? And that would be for only if I am in the "shaded" or "consistent colors" visual styles.

And IF I'm in the "textures" or "realistic" visual style then that 3d view is "automatically" going to default to the material settings on the "appearance" tab?

And, similarly if I choose to render the model via "cloud rendering" or some other 3rd party software, then the model is also going to default to the settings on the appearance tab?

So, would it generally make sense (If I'm not planning on using any of the rendering capabilities IN revit or IN the revit cloud rendering) to deselect the "use render appearance" tick box on the graphics tab and just come up with my own "colors" that will make my MODEL look "good"? Can always come back later and assign real materials to these color only "materials" later seems like if it ever becomes necessary.

.... Update. So whether it makes sense or not to lose all of the rendering settings, I deselected all of the "use render appearance" and most of my problems with the way the model looks went away. Most of the colors I have look pretty good but can change some of the others to get me to where I need to be.

Ei Zin Myat- Took a quick look at the video and some of the information there helped me get my head wrapped around this as well. Thanks for the interest and sharing the video.