System Colors Options

You can specify the colors in the user interface: backgrounds, icons, drawing paper, sketch status, dimensions, annotations, etc.

Depending on the capabilities of your graphics card, you can apply lighting, shadows, and reflections to models in the graphics area. The system colors that you select interact with these tools.

To set system colors:

Click Options (Standard toolbar) or Tools > Options, and select Colors.

Click Reset to restore factory defaults for all system options or only for options on this page.
Icon Colors Select an icon color scheme: Default or Classic.
Background Select a level of background brightness: Light (default), Medium Light, Medium, or Dark.

The background setting affects the user interface surrounding the graphics area but does not change the graphics area.

The screen text color adjusts automatically for visibility on the new background.

You can select a color for the text in the FeatureManager design tree or the Flyout FeatureManager design tree by selecting and editing FeatureManager Design Tree Text or Flyout FeatureManager Design Tree Text under Color scheme settings.
Current color scheme Select a highlight scheme (Blue, Green, and Orange) or a custom color scheme that you created and saved.
To identify a seed feature in a pattern, pattern instances are highlighted in the Selected Item 1 color and seeds in the Selected Item 2 color.

Color scheme settings

Select an item in the list to display its color. Click Edit to change the color.

Default appearance Name of the default appearance. Click the option name to open help.
Default scene Name of the default scene. Click the option name to open help.
Background appearance Specifies the background appearance.

Use document scene background

The scene background that is saved with the document is used when it is opened in the SOLIDWORKS software.

You can set a scene for your model and then select this option. The SOLIDWORKS software provides scenes with backgrounds ranging from plain white to factory interiors. With RealView enabled, the SOLIDWORKS scenes provide lighting and background reflections. You can set a default scene that appears with every new model by right-clicking a scene in the Task Pane and clicking Set as default scene.

Plain

Uses the color scheme selected for the Viewport Background as the background color.

Gradient

Uses the color scheme selected for the Top Gradient Color and Bottom Gradient Color as the background color.

Image file

Various background files are provided with the application. Those files that are saved as schemes correspond to the color schemes listed in Current color scheme. Browse to select a system file or any other image file.

Specifying an Image file takes precedence over schemes in the Current color scheme list.

To display a TIFF image as a background, set the Background appearance to one of the following options: Plain, Gradient, or Image file.
Reset Colors to Default Resets the options to default values.
Save As Scheme Saves the set of colors that you defined. After you save a color scheme, you can select it from Current color scheme.

Additional Options

Use specified color for drawings paper color Applies the colors selected for Drawings, Paper Color, Drawings, Visible Model Edges, and Drawings, Hidden Model Edges, to drawing sheets.
Use specified color for Shaded With Edges mode Applies the specified color to model edges when the model is in Shaded With Edges mode. Specify a color for Edges in Shaded With Edges Mode under Color scheme settings. When cleared, the edges are the same color as the model, but slightly darker.
Use specified colors when editing parts in assemblies Applies the specified colors to the faces, features, and bodies of parts in assemblies. When cleared, the specified colors apply to the part names in the FeatureManager design tree. Specify colors for Assembly, Edit Part, Assembly, Non-Edit Parts, and Assembly, Hidden Lines of Edit Part under Color scheme settings.
Use specified color for changed drawing dimensions on open Applies the specified color to dimensions that have changed since the last time the drawing was saved. After the drawing with the changed dimensions is saved and closed, the changed dimensions highlighting is reset.
Envelopes Sets the transparency of envelope components. Select one of the following options:

Semi Transparent

Sets all envelopes as transparent.

Opaque

Sets all envelopes as opaque.

Do Not Change

Retains the individual component transparency settings of each envelope.
Go To Document Colors If a part or assembly is open when you set system color options, you can go to the Model Display options on the Document Properties tab to set the feature colors for models.