You can apply custom color swatches that contain illumination to models if you have access to color swatches that were created prior to SOLIDWORKS 2009.
Prior to SOLIDWORKS 2009, custom color swatches could contain illumination as well as RGB values. Although illumination was removed in later releases, it remained in the dull (dull.sldclr), shiny (shiny.sldclr), and transparent (transparent.sldclr) color swatches that were shipped with SOLIDWORKS. You could apply illumination as well as color to models using these color swatches.
As of SOLIDWORKS 2015, color swatches with illumination are no longer shipped with SOLIDWORKS and it is recommended that you use custom appearances instead of color swatches to define a set of appearances with customized color, illumination, and surface finish.
However, if you have access to older custom color swatches with illumination, you can still use them.
To use custom color swatches that contain illumination:
- Define the file location of the custom color swatches:
- Click Options
(Standard toolbar).
- On the System Options tab, select File Locations.
- For Show folders for, select Color Swatches.
- Click Add, browse to the folder containing the color swatches, and click OK.
- Click OK.
- Open the Appearances PropertyManager by clicking Edit Appearance
(Heads-up View toolbar) or .
- On the Color/Image tab, under Color, select the color swatch to use from the drop-down list.
- Select Apply Illumination.
- Make other appearance choices.
- Click
.A message appears, warning you that the illumination properties of the model's current appearance have been overwritten by the illumination in the custom color swatch.
- Click OK.