Changing object colour

Hi All,

I have just added an object using mi, I now want to change its colour to show it is a 'spare' desk I have tried clicking on options and changing the colour that way, as well as the home tab and changing it that way, no luck. Can I change the colour of a mirrored object?

Btw, the when I click on properties it is saying it is yellow but it is green.....

Really grateful for any advice you guys can give me.

Franny

Most probably your object is a block. Try to edit it (command BEDIT) and set color for component entities to ByBlock; this way these will take the color you set to the container entity.

Hi Msasu,

Thank you, I tried that, I clicked the object, then bedit command, I get the edit block def box come up and that does not have`the colour in it I am looking for. I have also gone into the block editor and up pops a single desk that I can change colour ...but, when I close the block editor the 2 desks in the pic are now yellow instead of just the one, I know I am probably doing something really obvious wrong but I don't know what that is...help.

Franny

I don't think we can get very far without the block. MSaus' advice should be what you need.

The easy way is to click on the object then explode it then select it all change the colour, then if you need it to be a block again open it in the block edit and make a new block save it and job done, there may well be other ways of doing it but that way is simple

Hi Msasu,

 

Thank you, I tried that, I clicked the object, then bedit command, I get the edit block def box come up and that does not have`the colour in it I am looking for. I have also gone into the block editor and up pops a single desk that I can change colour ...but, when I close the block editor the 2 desks in the pic are now yellow instead of just the one, I know I am probably doing something really obvious wrong but I don't know what that is...help.

 

Franny

Here is some stuff for a beginner to start learning about.

There is a save as button on the block editor menu bar. The simplest way to get a block to look different than another block, is to edit the block, then SAVE AS a different named block. In other words start with the Desk block, edit the color to "Yellow" then before closing, Save As "Yellow Desk". You now have a new block that will have to be inserted into your drawing at the location where the original block now exists.

You don't change object color through the Options dialog. You change object (lines, blocks, arc's) color with the properties dialog.

If an object color is set to By Layer, it will take on the color of whatever layer the object is on.

If an object color is set to By Block, and then included within a block, it will take on the color that was assigned while that block is drawn.

If an object color is set to a specific color, then that object will stay that color no matter what layer or block it is put on or into.

The common practice for a simple block is to draw or paste objects into a new block, in the block editor, on layer 0 (zero). This layer can be assigned any color, usually white (255). The object property colors in the block need to be set to by layer.

AutoCad has a special Automatic feature for blocks created on layer 0. That is, for any block created on layer 0, the block objects with By Layer color assignment will assume the color of the layer that it is inserted to, in modelspace. Creating a block on any other layer will not work this way. Those will hold the original layer color property no matter what layer the block is inserted on.

So, the way your two desk categories can be handled, is to create the original desk block on Layer 0, with object property color set to 'by layer', then create two or more layers to be used for the different categories of desk, say Occupied Desk, with layer color maybe blue, and Extra Desk, with layer color yellow. Now when inserting a block to layer Occupied Desk layer, the desk turns blue, and inserting the block to layer Extra Desk, the desk turns yellow. Easy peazy,lemon squeezy.

A new layer can be created in seconds, a new block can take from minutes to hours, to days depending on its intricacy level.

Also, you can have certain parts of your object NOT change color when inserting on a layer. In the block editor, set certain object property colors to anything other than By Layer, or By Block.

Hoorah! I now have a yellow desk...... thank you for the beginners info, will save that..

Can I ask another question on the same thread???

How do I copy an object from one drawing to another.??

Ta

Franny

There are many solutions to copy items from one drawing to other:

• By Clipboard, aka Copy /Paste.
  
• Write the items as block on disc (command WBLOCK) from source drawing and load them in target one (command INSERT).
  
• By Design Center features (only for blocks).