How to Change Color of a Part in SOLIDWORKS
Contents
Changing the color of a part, face, or feature in SOLIDWORKS is done through appearances. Appearances control visual properties such as color, texture, and transparency, and are managed with the Appearances PropertyManager and DisplayManager. These settings affect how your model looks on screen and in renders, but do not change physical properties such as mass or material behaviour.
This guide explains practical ways to change color at the part level, including how to:
- Use the Appearance tool to change color for a part, body, face, or feature.
- Control default shaded colors with Model Display settings.
- Understand appearance hierarchy so your colors show the way you expect.
Color vs. Appearance in SOLIDWORKS
In SOLIDWORKS, what most users call “color” is implemented as an appearance. An appearance defines how a part looks (color, finish, texture, reflectivity, transparency) but does not affect engineering behavior such as density or strength, which are defined by the assigned material.
Appearances can be applied at several levels:
- Face (individual surfaces)
- Feature (for example, a hole, fillet, or cut)
- Body (solid or surface body)
- Part (entire model)
- Component / Assembly level when working in an assembly
These levels follow a hierarchy. In a part, a face appearance overrides a feature appearance, which overrides a body appearance, which overrides a part appearance. In an assembly, a component-level appearance can override all part-level colors for that instance.
Method 1: Change Part Color with the Appearance Tool
The quickest way to change color in a part file is with the Appearance tool (the colored sphere icon) in the Heads-up View toolbar at the top of the graphics area. You can also access it by right‑clicking on geometry or on items in the FeatureManager design tree and choosing Appearances.
Follow these steps to change the color of a part or body using the Appearances PropertyManager:
- In the graphics area or on the Heads-up View toolbar, look for the Appearance button
.
It appears as a small colored sphere. - Click this icon. SOLIDWORKS opens the Appearances context menu and, when you choose an item, the Appearances PropertyManager.
- In the PropertyManager, you will see a color palette and appearance settings where you can adjust color, texture, and basic visual properties.
- In the selection area, choose what you want to color: an individual face, an entire feature, a body, or the entire part. Then pick your desired color from the palette. The preview updates immediately so you can see the effect before accepting it.
- You can also choose a material-related appearance (for example, steel, plastic, wood) from the appearance library on the left side of the PropertyManager. This applies a realistic look associated with that material, including color and finish.
- When you are satisfied with the color and appearance, click OK in the PropertyManager to finalize the change.
Example: Coloring a Gear Part
The following images illustrate how the appearance is applied to a gear model and how you can control which faces or features receive the color.
You can see in the picture:
From the Appearances callout, you can select the target geometry manually—faces, edges, features, bodies, or the entire part—and apply different colors at each level if needed.
The final gear after the color change is shown below, with the chosen appearance applied.
Tip: For precise shading, you can use the RGB or advanced color settings in the color picker to match corporate colors, brand guidelines, or specific color values supplied by a customer.
Method 2: Use Model Display Settings for Feature-Based Colors
In addition to applying appearances directly on the model, SOLIDWORKS lets you control default colors for certain features (such as fillets or draft features) and shaded display behavior via Model Display settings in Document Properties. These settings apply to the current document and can be stored in part templates so new files start with your preferred color scheme.
To adjust shaded colors using Document Properties, follow these steps:
- In the top menu, click Tools > Options. In the Options dialog, switch to the Document Properties tab and select Model Display.
- Under Model/Feature Colors, you can see and edit the colors assigned to different feature types and shading modes.
- For parts and assemblies, choose Shading in the Model / Feature Colors area to control how specific items (for example, fillets) appear in shaded views.
- Click Edit to open the color palette, then pick a new color. If you need a custom shade or hue, click Define Custom Colors to specify exact RGB values or fine‑tune the color.
- Click OK to close the color palette, then click OK again to close the Document Properties – Model Display dialog and apply the changes to the active document.
These settings complement the Appearance tool: Model Display controls default document-level colors for certain features and display modes, while the Appearances PropertyManager controls specific, local appearances assigned to faces, features, bodies, or parts.
Understanding Appearance Hierarchy (Faces, Features, Bodies, Parts)
Because appearances can be applied at different levels, it is important to understand which color “wins” when multiple appearances overlap. In a part, SOLIDWORKS uses the following priority:
- Face appearance overrides feature, body, and part colors on that face.
- Feature appearance overrides body and part colors for that feature (except where faces have their own appearance).
- Body appearance overrides the overall part appearance for that body.
- Part appearance is the base color for the whole part and is overridden by the three levels above.
In assemblies, you gain one more level: a component (assembly) appearance can override all part-level appearances for that component instance. This is why the same part can look different in two assemblies, depending on assembly-level colors applied.
You can review and manage these appearances in the DisplayManager tab by switching the appearance list to Hierarchy view. This makes it easier to see where colors are applied and which level is controlling the final look of the model.
Troubleshooting: When the Color Does Not Change
If the model does not update to the color you expect, check the following common causes:
- Another appearance is overriding your selection. A face, feature, body, or component may already have an appearance at a higher priority level. Use the DisplayManager (hierarchy view) or the Appearance callout on the model to see which levels have colors applied and remove or edit them as needed.
- Assembly-level appearance hides the part color. In assemblies, an appearance applied at the component or top-level assembly can override part colors. Removing or changing that assembly-level appearance will allow part colors to show again.
- Legacy or imported geometry has existing appearances. Imported STEP or IGES parts sometimes come with faces that already have appearances. Use the Appearance callout and the Appearances PropertyManager to Remove Appearance or Remove All Appearances before applying a new color to the entire part.
FAQs
Does changing color affect mass or material properties?
No. Appearances only affect visual presentation. Physical properties such as mass, center of gravity, and structural behaviour are determined by the assigned material, not by color or appearance. Each material may have a default appearance, but you can override that appearance without changing the underlying material properties.
Which method should I use: Appearance tool or Model Display?
Use the Appearance tool when you want to change the visual look of a specific part, body, feature, or face—especially when preparing renders, visuals for customers, or color-coding regions of your model. Use Model Display in Document Properties when you want to adjust document-wide defaults or make all features of a certain type share the same shaded color in that file.
By combining these tools and understanding appearance hierarchy, you can reliably control how your SOLIDWORKS parts look in both the modeling environment and downstream drawings, renderings, and presentations.
