Description: Color coding is applied to the current viewport using color mappings that specify the colors assigned to each item for a particular type of object, such as parts, section assignments, boundary conditions, or display groups. You can apply a color mapping to the viewport either by selecting the color mapping in the Color Code dialog box or by selecting a name from the list of color mappings in the ABAQUS/CAE toolbar. Figure 2–2 shows the color code icon and the color code list in the toolbar.

ABAQUS/CAE automatically creates the color assignments in each color mapping by referring to an editable list of auto-colors, which it uses to assign a color to each definition within each color mapping. You can then use the Color Code dialog box to edit an individual color mapping; for example, you can color code all instances of a particular part in your model with a shade of red that you select.

You can also use the Color Code dialog box to display the default color mappings for a particular module. In the Part module, for example, the Part Defaults color mapping displays the color mappings for the Geometry, Native mesh, and Orphan mesh settings. Color mappings for these default settings cannot be edited, but displaying a module default in the dialog box provides a useful legend for these values when you examine or debug an assembly.

All modules:
   From the ABAQUS/CAE toolbar, click  to open the Color Code dialog box.
   Choose one of the selections immediately to the right of this tool to display color mappings for a particular   element set.