Defining Colours
- Last UpdatedNov 14, 2025
- 3 minute read
Keywords:
COLOUR ACTIVE CE VISIBLE CLASH OBST AIDS
Description:
These commands allow colours to be defined so that different types of item in the display may be distinguished by means of colour. Certain items such as current element and active element colours have default settings, but these may also be redefined.
The colours may be assigned by using the COLOUR command to define the Red-Green-Blue mix for a colour number or to assign a predefined colour mix by name. Design allows the use of 115 user-definable colours, plus some specific ones which are assigned to items which need to be readily distinguishable in the display.
Definitions:
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The Active element is the significant element (and its components) being worked on.
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The Current Element (CE) is the actual element currently being accessed.
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The Visible design consists of the design elements which you wish to be displayed (but which you are not currently working on).
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A Clashing element is an element whose current position and geometry are being tested for interferences against other elements in the design and which has been found to clash (see Design Reference Manual Pt 3: Utilities).
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An Obstructing element is any of the elements in the design against which a clashing element is being tested for interferences and which has been found to clash (see Design Reference Manual Pt 3: Utilities).
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An Aid includes tags (markers), axes and other graphical annotations.
The predefined colour mixes which you may specify by name are as follows:
|
Predefined Colour Mixes |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
black |
pink |
darkgreen |
beige |
|
white |
salmon |
cyan |
wheat |
|
whitesmoke |
orange |
turquoise |
tan |
|
ivory |
brightorange |
aquamarine |
sandybrown |
|
grey |
orangered |
blue |
brown |
|
lightgrey |
maroon |
royalblue |
khaki |
|
darkgrey |
yellow |
navyblue |
chocolate |
|
darkslate |
gold |
powderblue |
darkbrown |
|
red |
lightyellow |
midnight |
blueviolet |
|
brightred |
lightgold |
steelblue |
firebrick |
|
coralred |
yellowgreen |
indigo |
darkorchid |
|
tomato |
springgreen |
mauve |
dimgrey |
|
plum |
green |
violet |
coral |
|
deeppink |
forestgreen |
magenta |
indianred |
|
lightblue |
limegreen |
mediumaquamarine |
sienna |
|
slateblue |
|||
The default colour assignments are:
|
Colour No |
Colour |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Active design |
orange |
|
|
Current element |
yellow |
|
|
Visible design |
lightgrey |
|
|
Clashing element |
red |
|
|
Obstructing element |
tomato |
|
|
Aids |
blue |
|
|
1 |
grey |
|
|
2 |
red |
|
|
3 |
orange |
|
|
4 |
yellow |
|
|
5 |
green |
|
|
6 |
cyan |
|
|
7 |
blue |
|
|
8 |
violet |
|
|
9 |
brown |
|
|
10 |
white |
|
|
11 |
pink |
|
|
12 |
mauve |
|
|
13 |
turquoise |
|
|
14 |
indigo |
|
|
15 |
black |
|
|
16 |
magenta |
|
|
Examples: |
||
|
COL 5 DARKGREEN |
Colour 5 will be changed to dark green |
|
|
COL 3 MIX RED 50 GRE 50 BLU 5 |
Colour 3 will change to the specified mix of red, green and blue |
|
|
COL ACTIVE BRIGHTRED |
Sets the colour for displaying active elements to bright red |
|
Note: When colours are mixed in their Red, Green and Blue constituents, the command line must contain values for all three constituents in the correct order. The numbers entered for the relative proportions of the basic colours must each be in the range 0-100, but they are not percentages of the overall colour and so do not need to add up to 100.
Command Syntax:
>- COLour -+- integer -.
| |
|- ACTive --|
| |
|--AIDS-----|
| |
|- VISIble -|
| |
|- CE ------|
| |
|- CLASH ---|
| |
‘- OBST ----+-- colour_name --->
|
‘-- MIX RED integer GREen integer BLUe integer ->
where colour_name is the name of any of the predefined colour mixes listed above.
Querying:
>-- Q COLour --+-- integer -----.
| |
|-- CE ----------|
| |
|-- ACTive ------|
| |
|-- VISIble -----|
| |
|-- CLASH -------|
| |
|-- OBST --------|
| |
‘-- AIDS --------+-->