What is a Part-Outline and why different colors?

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What is a Part-Outline and why different colors?

What is a Part-Outline?

The Part-Outline is the symbol for a Part.  

The default shapes are “Oval” for a Part you add to the model, and “Rectangular” for the Base-Part.

You can not edit the shape of Part-Outlines.

You select Part-Outlines:

•to edit a Part with the Part-Editor

•to add more complex elements, e.g. a Pulley.

An added Part:

Added Part - Part-Outline

Added Part: Part-Outline, and elements

Red-14-1b An “Oval” Part-Outline: the symbol of a Part you have added to the model.

The other elements and symbols in a Part you add to the model are:

Red-14-2 start-Point and Red-14-3 end-Point of the Part

Red-14-4 CAD-Line from the start-Point to the end-Point

Red-14-5 X-axis and Y-axes: at the start-Point (origin)

The Base-Part:

Base-Part - Part Outline

Base-Part - Part Outline

Red-14-1b “Rectangular” Part-Outline : the symbol and shape of the Base-Part.

Red-14-2 X-axis and Y-axes at the origin of the Base-Part.

Colors of Part-Outlines

You cannot edit the color of individual Part-Outlines, unless you show Forces - see Multi-colored Part-Outlines, below.

You can edit the colors of Part-Outlines for the two states of a Part: kinematically-defined and not kinematically-defined.

Yo edit the colors for the two States, see Application Settings > Graphics tab. > Display Colors

In Application-Settings, we use these terms for the two states:

•“Part Solved” for a Part that is kinematically-defined

•“Part Not Solved” for a Part that is not kinematically-defined
Free (1) / Completely-Free(3)

Free (1) / Completely-Free(3)

Blue Part-Outlines - or approximately Blue.

We also use the terms for Blue Parts:

•NOT kinematically-defined.

•Completely-FreeRed-14-3 - without a Joint

•FreeRed-14-1 - with a Joint,

•also termed: Part Not Solved
2 Parts kinematically-defined

2 Parts kinematically-defined

Green Part-Outlines - or approximately Green.

We also use the terms for Green Parts:

•kinematically-defined Part Red-14-1bRed-14-2

•Part SolvedRed-14-1bRed-14-2

Note: The Base-Part is always kinematically-defined and, therefore, always Green.
Part-Outlines : Forces Vectors

Part-Outlines : Forces Vectors

Multi-colored Part-Outlines

Each Part has a random color when, in the Forces Toolbar, you enable:

•Force-Vectors: Calculate

and

•Force-Vectors: Display

The color of the Part-Outline is the same as the color of the Force-Vector that acts-on the Part.

You can edit the color or each Force-Vector, and therefore each Part , in Configure Power Source.