Adjusting the material settings

Use the Edit Object Shading tool to shade the root Assembly and any of the assemblies  in the Project Tree.

When shading the root Assembly, you can render it in the material in which you intend for it to be cast, apply a background image to the 3D view and adjust the light settings.

When shading an assembly , you can adopt the shading settings applied to the root Assembly or choose to render it in a different material. However, you cannot adjust the background image or light settings.

To shade the root   Assembly or an assembly :

1. In the Project panel, select the item in the Project Tree that you want to shade. Its name is shown in bold text in the Project Tree, its name is displayed on the splitter bar and its associated settings are displayed in the panel below the splitter bar.
2. In the Properties area of the panel, click the Edit Object Shading button to display the Material panel below the splitter bar.
   • The name of the item in the Project Tree that you are shading is shown in the splitter bar. For example, Material - Assembly.
3. Click the Shading Setup list, then select the material in which you intend to machine your design.
   • If you are shading an assembly and want to use the same settings currently applied to the assembly in the level above in the Project Tree, select From Parent in the list.
4. Click the Background list, then select the background image that you want to apply to the 3D view.
   • If you are shading an assembly , this setting is not available.
5. To adjust the level of ambient light applied to the item, you can:
   • Click and drag on the slider. Drag to the left to reduce the light, and drag to the right to increase the light; or
   • Specify the brightness in the box to the right of the slider.
   •   If you are shading an assembly , this setting is not available.
6. Click  on the splitter bar to close the shading settings.