Issue
How to set the color of a part in conjunction with a desired material?
You can specify both the color (using the RenderStyle object) and material (using the Material object) of a part using the Inventor API. A newly created part is created with the default color and material both of which can be overridden. Assigning a color to the part would mean that it retains its default material but, a new color is assigned. This would be equivalent to keeping the default material of the part but, coloring the outside of the part.
Next, if you were to assign a material to the part, since the material has its own default color, the previously assigned color will now be overridden. But, the Inventor API also allows you to override the default color of a material. Hence, before assigning a material to a part, you can reset the color of the material, and then assign the material to the part. Another method would be, to assign the desired material to a part (without customizing its color) and then assign the desired color to the part itself. But the Material (also like other styles: RenderStyle, Drawing style etc.) can be edited when it is a local one(or both in library and local document).
VBA
Private Sub RenderStyle()
Dim oDoc As PartDocument
Set oDoc = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument
'get the render styles(colors) collection
Dim oRenderStyles As RenderStyles
Set oRenderStyles = oDoc.RenderStyles
'get the desired render style (color) from the collection
Dim oMyPartStyle As RenderStyle
Set oMyPartStyle = oRenderStyles("Yellow")
'color the part with the style
oDoc.ActiveRenderStyle = oMyPartStyle
'you can also specify the material of the part
'get the materials collection
Dim oMaterials As Materials
Set oMaterials = oDoc.Materials
'get the desired material from the collection
Dim oMyMaterial As Material
Set oMyMaterial = oMaterials("Copper")
'the material has its own default color (i.e. render style)
'you can override it as follows:
'get the material's default render style
Dim oDefaultStyle As RenderStyle
Set oDefaultStyle = oMyMaterial.RenderStyle
'apply a new style to the material
Dim oMyMaterialStyle As RenderStyle
Set oMyMaterialStyle = oRenderStyles("Blue")
Dim oLocalMaterial As Material
'library one cannot be edited. so convert it to local
If oMyMaterial.StyleLocation = StyleLocationEnum.kLibraryStyleLocation Then
Set oLocalMaterial = oMyMaterial.ConvertToLocal
Else
Set oLocalMaterial = oMyMaterialStyle
End If
oLocalMaterial.RenderStyle = oMyMaterialStyle
'finally,set the material for the part
oDoc.ComponentDefinition.Material = oLocalMaterial
' Save this to library
'oLocalMaterial.SaveToGlobal
oDoc.Update
End Sub
VB.NET
Private Sub RenderStyle()
Try
Dim oDoc As PartDocument = m_inventorApp.ActiveDocument
'get the render styles(colors) collection
Dim oRenderStyles As RenderStyles = oDoc.RenderStyles
'get the desired render style (color) from the collection
Dim oMyPartStyle As RenderStyle = oRenderStyles("Yellow")
'color the part with the style
oDoc.ActiveRenderStyle = oMyPartStyle
'you can also specify the material of the part
'get the materials collection
Dim oMaterials As Materials = oDoc.Materials
'get the desired material from the collection
Dim oMyMaterial As Material = oMaterials("Copper")
'the material has its own default color (i.e. render style)
'you can override it as follows:
'get the material's default render style
Dim oDefaultStyle As RenderStyle = oMyMaterial.RenderStyle
'apply a new style to the material
Dim oMyMaterialStyle As RenderStyle = oRenderStyles("Blue")
Dim oLocalMaterial As Material
'library one cannot be edited. so convert it to local
If oMyMaterial.StyleLocation = StyleLocationEnum.kLibraryStyleLocation Then
oLocalMaterial = oMyMaterial.ConvertToLocal()
Else
oLocalMaterial = oMyMaterialStyle
End If
oLocalMaterial.RenderStyle = oMyMaterialStyle
'finally,set the material for the part
oDoc.ComponentDefinition.Material = oLocalMaterial
' Save this to library
'oLocalMaterial.SaveToGlobal()
oDoc.Update()
Catch ex As Exception
MsgBox(ex.ToString())
End Try
End Sub
C#
private void RunRenderStyle()
{
try
{
PartDocument oDoc = (PartDocument)m_inventorApp.ActiveDocument;
//get the render styles(colors) collection
RenderStyles oRenderStyles = oDoc.RenderStyles;
//get the desired render style (color) from the collection
RenderStyle oMyPartStyle = oRenderStyles["Yellow"];
//color the part with the style
oDoc.ActiveRenderStyle = oMyPartStyle;
//you can also specify the material of the part
//get the materials collection
Materials oMaterials = oDoc.Materials;
//get the desired material from the collection
Material oMyMaterial = oMaterials["Copper"];
//the material has its own default color (i.e. render style)
//you can override it as follows:
//get the material's default render style
RenderStyle oDefaultStyle = oMyMaterial.RenderStyle;
//apply a new style to the material
RenderStyle oMyMaterialStyle = oRenderStyles["Blue"];
Material oLocalMaterial = null;
if (oMyMaterial.StyleLocation == eLocationEnum.kLibraryStyleLocation)
{
oLocalMaterial = oMyMaterial.ConvertToLocal();
}
else
{
oLocalMaterial = oMyMaterial;
}
oLocalMaterial.RenderStyle = oMyMaterialStyle;
//finally,set the material for the part
oDoc.ComponentDefinition.Material = oLocalMaterial;
oDoc.Update();
}
catch (System.Exception ex)
{
MessageBox.Show(ex.ToString());
}
}
C++
void MaterialStyle()
{
//get the active part document, assuming one is active
CComPtr pDoc;
Result = pInvApp->get_ActiveDocument(&pDoc);
CComQIPtr pPartDoc(pDoc);
//get the render styles(colors) collection
CComPtr pRenderStyles;
Result = pPartDoc->get_RenderStyles(&pRenderStyles);
//get the desired render style (color) from the collection
CComPtr pMyPartStyle;
Result = pRenderStyles->get_Item(CComVariant("Yellow"),&pMyPartStyle);
//color the part with the style
Result = pPartDoc->put_ActiveRenderStyle(pMyPartStyle);
//you can also specify the material of the part
//get the materials collection
CComPtr pMaterials;
Result = pPartDoc->get_Materials(&pMaterials);
//get the desired material from the collection
CComPtr pMyMaterial;
Result = pMaterials->get_Item(CComVariant("Copper"),&pMyMaterial);
//the material has its own default color (i.e. render style)
//you can override it as follows:
//get the material's default render style
CComPtr pDefaultStyle;
Result = pMyMaterial->get_RenderStyle(&pDefaultStyle);
//apply a new style to the material
CComPtr pMyMaterialStyle;
Result = pRenderStyles->get_Item(CComVariant("Blue"),&pMyMaterialStyle);
CComPtr oLocalMaterial = NULL;
StyleLocationEnum pStyleLocation;
pMyMaterial->get_StyleLocation(&pStyleLocation);
if(pStyleLocation == StyleLocationEnum::kLibraryStyleLocation )
{
Result = pMyMaterial->ConvertToLocal(&oLocalMaterial);
}
else
{
oLocalMaterial = pMyMaterial;
}
oLocalMaterial->put_RenderStyle( pMyMaterialStyle);
//finally,set the material for the part
CComPtr pPartDef;
Result = pPartDoc->get_ComponentDefinition(&pPartDef);
}
