You can change the appearance of parts by changing the default, base, and individual part properties. The default properties are changed in the 3D Object Settings dialog box (click File > Settings > 3D Object), and the individual part properties are changed in the Part Properties dialog box.
To open Part Properties dialog box,
1. Click Structure and then, in the Part & Assembly group, click More.
2. Click Part in the Properties section and select the part in the viewport. The Part Properties dialog box opens.
Base properties affect all instances of a shared part, but part properties are applied only to the part you change. The following analogy will help you visualize the difference:
• The base color is the material your part is made from, like aluminum.
• Changing the part color is like painting one part a different color. The base color remains the same under the paint.
• Changing the color of a face is like putting a decal over the paint on that section of the part. The paint and the base colors are the same, but the face is seen in a different color.
Appearance properties
The following properties can be changed:
Reflectance: Range is from 0 to 1. At 1, there is no visible reflection, and as you move toward 0, the reflectance increases. Zero will turn reflectance off. The most effective range is from 0 to 0.1.
To see the reflectance, make sure that Part Refl is switched on in the Show menu.
When removing a reflectance property, be sure to clear both reflectance color and reflectance power.
Transparency: You may find it helpful to adjust the transparency of a part so you can see other parts inside a larger part. To see the transparency, make sure Part Trans is switched on in the Show menu.
Density: The units for density are derived from the length and mass units. For example, the default units are millimeter (mm) and gram (g) and the density is gram per cubic millimeter (g/mm3).
Graphic resolution: The graphic resolution determines the number of facets in a part. High numbers of facets result in improved color shading, while low numbers result in improved graphics performance. There are limits on the number of facets Creo Elements/Direct Modeling can use.
Geometric resolution: The resolution value is always displayed in millimeters (mm) regardless of the current units. Because a lower resolution creates less data in freeform geometry and freeform blends, system performance is improved.
Changing a part's resolution is irreversible. You can go from a high resolution (1.0E-6) to a low resolution (1.0E-2) but you cannot go from a low resolution to a high resolution. You can type in any value between 1.0E-1 to 1.0E-6, but the coarsest recommended value is 1.0E-2 mm.
A data reduction option is available which reduces the amount of data required for B-Spline surfaces. When you click the Data Reduction option, data for B-Spline surfaces is reduced to the required accuracy and the part integrity is checked. If there are no errors, the command is completed. The Data Reduction option can also be used without actually changing the part resolution. Just select the part, click the Data Reduction check box and click Ok. Data reduction will be applied to all B-Spline surfaces within the accuracy of the part.
Mixed display: The Hidd Dimm switch is grayed out if your system does not support OpenGL graphics hardware. To see the display mode settings in your viewport, make sure that Mixed is switched on in the Show menu. When Mixed is on, it overrides the show settings Shaded, Wire, Edged, Hidd Dimm, and Hidd Supp.
Part in the Properties section and select the part in the viewport. The Part Properties dialog box opens.