Selecting the primary and secondary colours

Selecting the primary and secondary colours

Selecting the primary and secondary colours

There are two colours to consider when working with bitmap artwork: the primary colour and the secondary colour.

The primary colour influences how vectors and reliefs are created from bitmap artwork.

Carveco can create vectors around the outline of all areas of bitmap artwork in the primary colour; as well as any other areas in colours currently linked to the primary colour.

You can also use the primary and secondary colours to specify particular areas of the relief that you do or do not want to edit.

The primary colour controls the colour of:

  • The Paint tool.
  • The Paint Selective tool.
  • The Draw tool.
  • The Draw Bitmap Line tool.
  • The Flood Fill tool.
  • The Flood Fill Selective tool.
  • The Depth Colour, when used in a toolpath simulation.

The secondary colour is used:

  • As another colour choice for the Paint tool.
  • As another colour choice for the Draw tool.
  • To restrict the Paint Selective tool.
  • To restrict the Flood Fill Selective tool.


 Primary colour.

 Secondary colour.

 Available colours.

To specify the:

  • Primary colour, left-click a colour in the Palette.
  • Secondary colour, right-click a colour in the Palette.
    Alternatively, use the Pick Colour tool to specify colours from the active bitmap layer.
    If you are working in the 3D view, ensure the Display Bitmap button on the 3D View toolbar is toggled on.

See Also


    • Related Articles

    • Bitmap > Colour > Link All Colours

      Bitmap > Colour > Link All Colours Use this menu option to link all colours in the Palette to the primary colour, except the secondary colour.             The keyboard shortcut is Ctrl+K. See also Selecting the primary and secondary colours Bitmap > ...

    • Bitmap > Colour > Merge

      Bitmap > Colour > Merge Use this menu option to merge all pixels within a bitmap layer in the secondary colour with those in the primary colour. The secondary colour is then removed from the Palette.       Alternatively, right-click the Palette and ...

    • Bitmap > Colour > Link / Unlink

      Bitmap > Colour > Link / Unlink Use this menu option to link and unlink the primary and secondary colours within the Palette.             The keyboard shortcut is Ctrl+L. When colours are linked to the primary colour, they are treated as the primary ...

    • Clearing a bitmap layer

      Clearing a bitmap layer Use the Clear Bitmap button to clear the bitmap artwork from a selected layer. When you clear the artwork, the model area is reset to the secondary colour. To clear a bitmap layer: In the Project Tree, select the bitmap layer ...

    • Bitmap > Colour > Mark Edge

      Bitmap > Colour > Mark Edge Use this menu option to paint a line around the edge of any colour on a bitmap layer. Marking the outline of a colour on a bitmap layer in this way means that its shape is preserved when converted into vector artwork or ...