Creating a Custom Appearance in SOLIDWORKS Visualize

SOLIDWORKS Visualize installs with a large library of appearance files that you can apply to your models, but you can also create  Custom Appearance files and save them in your Appearances Palette for future use.

Create a Custom Appearance File

Brand new appearance can be created through Appearances Palette > Click on “+” > New Appearance

OR Copy (Ctrl+C) the existing appearance in the Appearances Palette > Click on empty space in appearances palette and paste (Ctrl+V).

Create/Add new Appearance

Appearance properties:

Now, on the General Tab, give it a new name in “Appearance Name” field and change the appearance type. Texture can also be added to the appearances on the Texture tab and then map the textures on the texture mapping tab.

SOLIDWORKS Visualize Appearance Tabs

Export/Add to the Appearance Library:

Once you have created the appearance and changed the properties, now this appearance can be exported and saved into the appearances library of SOLIDWORKS Visualize and can be used for other projects in future.

To do so:

1. On the Appearances Palette > Select the custom appearance > Now click on Export icon > Click on Save Appearance.

Save Appearance

2. By default the save appearance file dialog-box allows us to Save this appearance (.svap) file into the default appearances path.

Save Appearance in default appearances path

Now, these custom appearances can be used for new projects.