Changing Colour Cycling Colours

[docara]

Hello everyone,

Just wondering can you change the colours of the 'Component Color Cycling Toggle' ?

The reason for asking is I've ended up having three components together with the same (or visually the same) colours. I've applied appearances to overcome but it's just a bit annoying when the component cycling is a nice environment to use (it should be the default)

Thanks

Matt

[cstevens_mettest]

@lukas-runge I am also using the same version of Fusion on Windows 10. Are you a subscriber or a free user? And do you have preview features activated?

[jeff_strater]

OK, then, that shows what I know...  You are all correct - this is, indeed part of Fusion itself.  That menu item only appears when Component Color Cycling is enabled (which is why I didn't see it).  That's probably why you don't see it, @lukas-runge  This command will re-assign the color of the selected component used in this mode, for the current session.  Its purpose is exactly to solve this problem - the random color assignment puts the same color on two adjacent components.  This command allows you to select one or more components, and change that random assignment, to help you distinguish those components from others.  It's been in Fusion since about March 2019 - I think it was added when the number of colors was bumped up from 10 to 32 (I think that is the number now).  

[edit] - one more thing I didn't know.  This statement above: "will re-assign the color of the selected component used in this mode, for the current session" is false.  It looks like Fusion does save the component color cycling color, so you will get the same color the next time.  How about that?  If my goal for every day is to learn something, I guess I can go home for the day now.

[HughesTooling]

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@jeff_strater wrote:

It's been in Fusion since about March 2019 - I think it was added when the number of colors was bumped up from 10 to 32 (I think that is the number now).  

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@jeff_strater  Never seen more than 9 colours, at least in the dark sky environment. I got fed up waiting for more colours and added another 12 to my darksky.xml file. The last update made some other changes for line colours so I needed to update my file.

Just checked and it looks like only Photo Booth has the extra colours for colour cycling.

Here's dark sky left and photo booth right.

Thanks Mark

[jeff_strater]

as always, @HughesTooling , you are correct on both accounts.

FUS-58167 - for the fact that this command only appears in the Solid environment

FUS-58168 - for the fact that the increased number of colors only is available in Photo Booth

A bit embarrassed about those obvious misses...

[GRSnyder]

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@HughesTooling wrote: Should point out the obvious, you need to have Component Cycle enabled (Shift+N).

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Which is weird since components still have colors in the browser and timeline whether or not you color the actual components. You may very well need to cycle the colors anyway.

There are really a couple of issues here:

1) Cycle Component Color should be available all the time, for any component. 

2) Component Color Cycling Toggle is misnamed. It doesn't control "cycling" at all. It controls the display of components in (pseudo) color. In addition, "... Toggle" is kind of peculiar nomenclature. Wouldn't something like "Show/Hide Component Colors" be clearer?

[jeff_strater]

@HughesTooling - both of these bugs have been marked as fixed in our internal build.  Hopefully they will bubble out to the wider world soon.

[chrisplyler]

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@jeff_strater wrote:

We struggle with this in other areas as well.  Should Move default to Bodies or Components?

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Components. There should be a distinct, affirmative action required change it to Bodies. Even then, there should be a popup asking the user if he's triple dang sure he knows what he's doing. If for no other reason, then just to reduce the number of forum threads created because somebody moved a body and can't figure out why things are wonky.

[TrippyLighting]

I do get that option as well on macOS and don't have any add-ins installed. @Anonymous's plugin does not run on macOS so that cannot be the reason 😉

[jeff_strater]

@chrisplyler - I agree.  Components should be the default for Move, maybe unless you don't have any components defined in your model yet.  Having Bodies as the default muddies up the "Body vs Component" problem even more.  Now, once I get the UX folks to agree...

[laughingcreek]

post 22

[chrisplyler]

Tell them that if they don't agree, they're all fired. UX people are not necessarily in touch with the logic of the users. You, @jeff_strater , are the one here in the trenches with the users. You, @jeff_strater , are the one who knows that occasionally a user is a moron, but that if @TrippyLighting , or @TheCADWhisperer or I give some input, we are usually all on the same page and we are correct.

You tell those UX people to get their asses on board the ship and RESPECT YOUR AUTHORITAAAAHHHHHH!

[laughingcreek]

I agree having the move command default to component might lessen the deluge of new users wondering why their designs with dozens of move commands keep blowing up.

might.

but really, how often are you "moving" components with the move command?   the couple of times I have used it, I parametric set a body or face with in a component.   don't think I've ever set a component with it.  changing the behavior would guaranty it doesn't default to to the type of element I need.

I do like the current behavior where it automatically sets to the type of element pres-selected. 

[jeff_strater]

@laughingcreek - good point.  Absolutely, there is no intention to change the behavior for pre-select.  If you pre-select any valid Move object, the Move command will always honor that.  The discussion was more around when nothing is pre-selected.  Thanks for bringing that distinction up.  It is important.

[chrisplyler]

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@laughingcreek wrote:

I do like the current behavior where it automatically sets to the type of element pres-selected. 

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Well, to be honest, so do I. Because I know what I'm doing.

But let's suppose you had clicked on and selected a modeled item in the workspace window and then activated the Move too. How is F360 supposed to know whether you intended to pick just the body or the entire component? Maybe selection should be forced only from the Browser? Or less restrictively, the selection bit of the tool palette should be emphasized with something making it clear that you should carefully consider whether you've selected a body or component?

[TrippyLighting]

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@chrisplyler wrote:

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How is F360 supposed to know whether you intended to pick just the body or the entire component? 

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Because to select a component in the viewport you'll have to double click on it.

A single click only selects a vertex/face of a body and that indicates to Fusion 360 that you want to move the entire body.

NOW you know what you are doing. LOL

[Anonymous]

How do i change the colour cycling back to its original. is there a way to reset it? even after changing the appearance and physical material of the component, the component is still in the colour cycling colour that's chosen. idk if this makes sense but help?

[laughingcreek]

It's a toggle. Select component color cycling under the inspect menu again to turn it off.

[mark.alan.good]

This is an old thread, but 10 colors is plenty.  Too many more than that and it will be difficult to tell the difference. 

Even if it's not possible to select a color, if colors could be re-assigned based on order in the timeline, that would helpful.  I tend to reorder things as the model gets more complex and similar colors next to each other make the timeline confusing.  

[mark.alan.good]

I agree.  Assigning colors would be great, but even if they could be reassigned using whatever algorithm is currently used might be good enough.

[mark.alan.good]

@HughesTooling it wasn't "obvious" to me that component cycle enabled (shift-N) needed to be activated, so THANK YOU for pointing that out.  👍