Tutorial Attachment Color

Coloring Attachables

Usually, when coloring a shape with the color() module, the parent color overrides the colors of all children. This is often not what you want:

include <BOSL2/std.scad>
$fn = 24;
color("red") spheroid(d=3) {
    attach(CENTER,BOT) color("white") cyl(h=10, d=1) {
        attach(TOP,BOT) color("green") cyl(h=5, d1=3, d2=0);
    }
}

If you use the recolor() module, however, the child's color overrides the color of the parent. This is probably easier to understand by example:

include <BOSL2/std.scad>
$fn = 24;
recolor("red") spheroid(d=3) {
    attach(CENTER,BOT) recolor("white") cyl(h=10, d=1) {
        attach(TOP,BOT) recolor("green") cyl(h=5, d1=3, d2=0);
    }
}

Be aware that recolor() will only work if you avoid using the native color() module. Also note that recolor() still affects all its children. If you want to color an object without affecting the children you can use color_this(). See the difference below:

include <BOSL2/std.scad>
$fn = 24;
recolor("red") spheroid(d=3) {
    attach(CENTER,BOT) recolor("white") cyl(h=10, d=1) {
        attach(TOP,BOT)  cyl(h=5, d1=3, d2=0);
    }
}
right(5)
recolor("red") spheroid(d=3) {
    attach(CENTER,BOT) color_this("white") cyl(h=10, d=1) {
        attach(TOP,BOT)  cyl(h=5, d1=3, d2=0);
    }
}

Similar modules exist to provide access to the highlight and background modifiers. You can specify highlight() and then later highlight(false) to control the use of the # modifier. Similarly you can use ghost() and ghost(false) to provide more control of the % modifier. And as with color, you can also use highlight_this() and ghost_this() to affect just one child without affecting its descendents.

As with all of the attachable features, these color, highlight and ghost modules only work on attachable objects, so they will have no effect on objects you create using linear_extrude() or rotate_extrude().