Creates, modifies, and applies styles to views or selected objects to make them appear the way you want if you have the permission to do so. You can also define or modify the style override for currently selected objects.
The software incorporates two types of styles: view styles and surface styles. View styles affect the way that all objects appear in the active view, such as whether they appear in solid or outline mode. When you apply a view style, all objects in the active view change. For example, when you set the rendering mode to outline for a view, all objects in that view are shown in outline form.
Surface styles impact the appearance of specific objects in your workspace. If you want a filtered group of objects to appear consistently in certain colors, textures, and other formats in your workspace, you can define their appearance by applying surface style rules. These rules apply to all existing objects in your workspace that meet the filter requirements and to any new objects you place in the workspace that meet the rules filter.
The appearance properties of three-dimensional elements include curves, surfaces, and groups of surfaces. The properties of a curve include color and line style. The properties of a surface include specular and diffuse color and rendering mode. The software treats the edges of a surface as curves, and these curves can have appearance properties that are different from their parent surface. You can define the appearance properties of curves and surfaces using surface style rules.
Creating and Managing Styles
Using the Style command on the Format menu, you can create several styles so objects in a view appear the way you want. You can copy or modify the styles delivered with the software, or you can set up new ones that conform to your unique requirements. The software stores both the view style and surface style definitions in the workspace. The software stores the surface style rules in the Model database.
The software supports two types of styles: Surface and 3D View. A style type contains one or more styles. You can create styles for each style type.
The software manages the surface style rules on the basis of each Model database in a Site. You can immediately apply a style rule to your workspace when you create it, or you can save the rule and apply it later through a surface style rule. Each workspace contains a list of the surface style rules you can apply to objects in the workspace. A default style rule in the workspace defines the style for all objects that do not have a style defined by another rule.
The software provides a set of surface styles for your application in the workspace. You can use these surface styles to tailor the rules as needed to accomplish your functional task.
Guidelines for Creating Surface Style Colors and Lighting
You can create new surface style colors and lighting when you create a new or modify an existing surface style. Use the guidelines below to assist you in creating surface styles. For more information on creating new surface styles or modifying existing surface styles, see Format Style.
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Set Ambient to the base color of the style.
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Set Diffuse to approximately eighty percent of the Ambient color setting. You can achieve different shades by adjusting both Ambient and Diffuse color settings.
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Set Emission to approximately fifty percent of the Ambient color setting. This color can be used for highlighting.
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Set Specular to a non-zero number. Lower values avoid the "white-hot" appearance.
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Each of the color settings in the style responds to the corresponding component in light. It is very important to balance the style colors with the light settings.
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We recommend that you use lighter colors for the Ambient color setting. Black or dark Ambient color settings can distort the lighting model with dark areas.
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We recommend that you use Specular settings sparingly. Specular causes "white-hot" areas on surfaces. The larger the specular areas are, the brighter and stronger the specular response to light is.
Applying Styles to Views
After you create a view style on the Style dialog box, you can apply it to any view by selecting the style in the list and clicking Apply. You can also apply a view style to any view by clicking View > Apply View Style. The view style only applies to the selected view. You can make the style apply to all views by selecting the Apply All option on the Apply View Style dialog box.
Like view style definitions, the software stores the applied view styles in the workspace.
Applying Styles to Selected Objects
After you create a surface style on the Style dialog box, you can apply it to selected objects in the workspace by selecting the style in the list and clicking Apply. If you have not selected any objects, then this command is unavailable.
You can select multiple objects and apply the same style to the entire selection. This action removes any previous formats and applies the formats of the new style. You can apply styles to selected objects interactively or with a filter.
Applying Styles to Parts
For routing tasks, you should apply style rules to parts - not to runs or features. During processing by the software, parts of a run correspond most closely to stock parts. Therefore, for the filter for the run, you need to select Pipes, instead of Piping Parts for the basis object.
Rules for piping components and instruments require several object types. The basis objects use two possible classes, Piping Components and Piping Instruments. For the related object type, the three possible classes are Piping Along Leg, Piping End, and Piping Turn. You must create a rule for each combination, which results in six separate rules for features.
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