Choosing How to Display Specific Objects

You can use a Display property to control how specific objects are displayed in the 3D views.

You can specify the display mode. For example, you can have specific objects display in wireframe even when the view is set to shaded.
You can set the unselected wireframe color.
You can make objects transparent.

New objects initially inherit the default Display property from the scene root, but you can give objects their own local property. You can apply a Display property to objects, hierarchies, groups, layers, and partitions. You can apply a Display property manually, or use the Palette toolbar to quickly apply one of several preset values. For a description of all options in the Display property, see Display Property Editor.

Using Individual Display Modes in the Views

By default, all 3D views are set to override individual objects' Display properties and show all objects in the same way. You can allow the views to draw objects according to their individual settings, but interactive and playback performance may be affected.

To use individual display modes in a specific view

Do one of the following:

On a view's Display Mode menu, turn off Override Object Properties.

or
Open a view's Camera Display property editor by choosing Display Options from its Display Mode menu, and activate Mixed Viewing Mode on the Modes tab.

To use individual display modes in all views

From the main menu, choose Display Display Options (All Cameras) and activate Mixed Viewing Mode on the Modes tab.

Applying a Display Property Manually

Select an object, branch, group, or scene layer.
Choose Get Property Display from any toolbar.

A Display property is applied and its property editor is opened.

You can modify this Display property again later by clicking the object's Display icon in an explorer.

Using the Palette

When you use the Palette, a Display property is applied locally if an object does not have one. If an object already has a Display property, its values are modified.

To display the palette

At the bottom of the toolbars, click the Palette icon.

To set display mode per object using the palette

Click a display mode icon, then pick the objects to receive the associated display mode. Right-click to end the picking session.

The same display mode is used for all viewing conditions.

B = bounding box

W = wireframe

H = hidden line

C = constant

S = shaded

T = textured

D = default (based on viewport settings)

To set wireframe color per object using the palette

Click a color swatch, then pick the objects to use that wireframe color. Right-click to end the picking session.

Making Objects Transparent

You can make objects transparent or partially transparent in the 3D views in two ways:

Using the Transparency settings in objects' surface shader properties. This works only when you are using non-alpha channels to control transparency (RGB in RGBA mode, HLS in HLSA mode, and so on). See Transparency [Materials and Shaders].
Using the Opacity setting in objects' Display properties. A value of 0 is fully transparent and 1 is fully opaque. Note that this affects viewing only and is not considered when rendering.

You can see the effect in the Constant, Shaded, Textured, Textured Decal, and Realtime Shaders viewing modes.

To show or hide transparent objects in a specific view

Click on a view's Show menu (eye icon) and choose XRay Surfaces. This works only for objects whose transparency is controlled by the Opacity setting in their Display properties, not their shaders.

For other ways of setting this and other display options, see Displaying Types of Elements and Other Data.

To control transparency in one or more views

Toggle Enable Transparency in the Camera Display property editor to turn transparency on or off in a 3D view — see Setting Other Display Options. You can also use Sort Transparent By to control the order in which transparent objects are drawn on top of each other. These options apply to all transparent objects, whether the transparency is controlled by their surface shaders or their Display properties. For a complete description of these and all other options in the property editor, see Camera Display Property Editor.