How to break a link for a specific component from it's original appearance?

[Anonymous]

i'm working on a vex iq project where i'm supposed to add new appreance to the robot tyres.... but when i try to drag the appearance it doesn't work and says it has a linked appearance already...then i watched it's guide video... and he changed the colours by breaking the link if the component but didn't show how.

[chrisplyler]

Find the component within the Browser. Right click on it. Select Remove Appearance from the context menu.

If that isn't listed in the context menu, then probably an appearance has been applied higher up the Browser hierarchy to an assembly that contains the component (which gives that appearance to everything contained in the assembly) and THAT appearance would need to be removed before you can apply one individually to any of the components in that assembly.

[Anonymous]

it's listed on the context menu and i did remove the appearance but nothing changed except for remove appearance option disappeared

[chrisplyler]

It may have a Physical Material applied to it, or to the assembly it is contained within, as well.

After you removed the Appearance, did you once again try to drag a new Appearance onto it? You have to drag/drop it onto the Browser entry you know. You can't drag/drop it onto the model itself (except for when you are doing faces only).

[prainsberry]

Hello @Anonymous,

I got this problem from @Anonymous .  I had some time on a flight yesterday and started putting this add-in together. Here is a first shot.  I have some ideas for a few more workflows and enhancements to add to it.  Specifically a tree view of the full design with its appearances applied.  

Download it here:

https://github.com/tapnair/AppearanceUtility

I will be updating it more in the next few days.  It is still pretty rough but I would love some feedback.  

[prainsberry]

Note if anyone downloaded it already, I found a couple problems and have pushed a new version. 

[Anonymous]

This component has appearances assigned to bodies or faces, they cannot be removed because they are in a referenced component. The appearance you are applying will not have any affect to them.

that is what it says...

[prainsberry]

You would have to open the component in its own window to edit it's applied appearance.  

[Anonymous]

i did open it but i don't know how to edit it's applied materials

[prainsberry]

If you right click on the part you want to edit, select open. When the component is in it’s own window you can edit the applied appearances. You can try the addin I posted to better see what appearances are applied to what bodies and faces.

[timothy.nwanwene]

Fact components can not be unlinked. you need to made a copy of body, not component, out of it.

1. Copy the component. you may use the move/copy tool

2. choose 'Bodies' the -Move Object-drop down box.

3.  Tick Create Copy 

4. move the object with the any of the xyz arrow gizmo to another position to activate copy

5. click okay.

congratulations you have a new unlinked body. Edit and convert to component.

a new Body object will