This section describes how to customize the display of individual objects; these examples apply throughout ABAQUS/CAE, including in the Visualization module. Once ABAQUS/CAE creates the automatic color mappings for your viewport, you can customize the color display by changing any of the colors assigned to individual objects in the color mapping. The Color Code dialog box displays each object and its assigned color on the same row in the Color Mappings table. For each object, you can select a different color, activate or deactivate its display, and set (or revert to) the default colors for the selected objects. The Color Code dialog box also provides options that support the management of colors for each object: you can filter by object name, sort table columns, and highlight the selected object.
In the Visualization module, you can apply color coding to the entire viewport or to the nodes or the elements only. You cannot color code nodes or elements in a model database in the other ABAQUS/CAE modules.
The following options are available for customizing the display color of individual objects:
Changing the fill color for an individual item
The Color column displays the fill color assigned to each object. To choose a different color, either double-click the color sample 
in that row or highlight the color sample and click the Edit color color sample. ABAQUS/CAE opens the Select Color dialog box, from which you can select a new fill color. (For more information about selecting custom colors, see “Customizing colors,” Section 3.2.9.) When you click Apply, ABAQUS/CAE refreshes the current viewport with your new fill color.
Changing the edge color for an individual item (Visualization module only)
When you open the Color Code dialog box from the Visualization module, the dialog box includes the Edge column, which displays the edge color assigned to each object. You cannot customize the edge color in any other module.
To change the edge color for an individual item, either double-click the color sample in that row or highlight the color sample and click and hold the Edit color symbol (=, *, or ). ABAQUS/CAE opens the Select Color dialog box, from which you can select a new edge color. (For more information about selecting custom colors, see “Customizing colors,” Section 3.2.9.) When you click Apply, ABAQUS/CAE refreshes the current viewport with your new edge color.
Activating and deactivating table rows
ABAQUS/CAE displays color coding for active objects only; inactive objects are rendered with the initial color. Deactivating color coding for several objects in a color mapping can simplify your display and help you examine or debug a model.
Note: You cannot deactivate color coding for objects in the module default color mappings.
To toggle the activation status of color coding for an object, click Status and choose an activation or deactivation option from the list that appears. If you select Activate all or Deactivate all, ABAQUS/CAE toggles the status of the Active column for all rows in the Color Mappings table. If you select Activate selected or Deactivate selected, ABAQUS/CAE toggles the status of the Active column for the highlighted rows only. You can also select and deselect the checkboxes in the Active column to toggle the status of color coding for the objects in those rows. When you click Apply in the Color Code dialog box, ABAQUS/CAE applies color coding to the current viewport for active rows only.
Highlighting selected objects
Select the Highlight items checkbox to display a highlighted border around any items whose rows are selected in the Color Mappings table. ABAQUS/CAE enables highlighting only for the following color mappings: Part instances, Sets, Surfaces, Internal sets, and Internal surfaces. You cannot highlight objects when you apply color coding to nodes or elements.
Reverting to default colors and setting new defaults
After you make changes to the display color of individual objects, you can revert to the default color settings for the current color mapping by clicking Color Mapping, and then selecting Restore Defaults from the list that appears. Alternatively, if you want your changes to become the new default color mappings for your session, select Set As Defaults from the same list.
Auto-coloring individual objects
You can apply auto-coloring to selected objects in a color mapping. Select the individual objects that you want to change, then select Auto-color Selected from the Color Mapping list. ABAQUS/CAE applies color coding from the auto-color list according to the alphabetical order of the names in the selected rows.
Sorting by columns
Click the column headings in the Color Mappings table to sort the table by the contents of the selected column. Click the same heading a second time to reverse the sorting order.
Note: You cannot sort by columns when you color code nodes or elements.
Changing the sort order of the objects in the Color Mappings table is for navigation only; their order in the dialog box has no effect on the colors that are selected for color coding. ABAQUS/CAE assigns colors from the auto-color list to model definitions in alphabetical order, based on the names of the items in the color mapping.
Filtering rows by name
If your selected color mapping contains many rows, you can use the Name filter to reduce the number of rows displayed. Click the Tip button next to the Name filter field to see examples of valid filtering syntax.