Chief Architect Help Database - Article Number: 586
How to Restore Materials Changed Using the Material Painter
The information in this article applies to:- Chief Architect X5
- Chief Architect X4
- Chief Architect X3
- Chief Architect X2
I used the Material Painter to paint different colors and textures on the walls of my structure, and now I can't restore them back to the default materials. How do I reset the colors and textures to default?
It is important to be aware that starting in Chief Architect X3, if you attempt to use the Material Painter tool on a Pony Wall, a warning displays advising that both the upper, and lower, portions of the walls will take on the material if you continue.
If you do not want this to happen, select No and instead set the individual materials for each wall type in the Wall Definitions dialog.
In Chief Architect, there are several ways to select the material or materials that display on a wall. It is very helpful to understand that some of these ways override others in a predictable way.
- When a new wall is drawn in a plan, the materials that display on its surfaces are determined by the type of wall being drawn. These materials are specified in the Wall Type Definitions dialog.
- Wall materials can be changed on a room-by-room basis. When wall materials are changed in a particular room, the default material specified in the Wall Type Definitions dialog is overridden in that room only.
- Wall materials for a room can be selected on the Materials tab of the Room Specification dialog or using the Material Painter in a 3D view of the room. This applies to both interior and exterior wall surfaces, because Chief Architect creates an exterior room around each floor of your plan specifically for the purpose of applying wall materials.
- The wall materials of an individual room can also be overridden on a wall-by-wall basis on the Materials tab of the Wall Specification dialog.
- If you want the wall to display the default material as specified for the wall type, and that material is being overridden by a room wall material, select the actual material rather than "Default", because "Default" will continue to be overridden.
- If you want to create a pony wall, it's important that the default Wall Type materials not be overridden by either room or individual wall specifications.
If you wish to apply a material to a section of a wall rather than its entire length, you will need to break the wall into two or more segments first. This applies to both exterior and interior wall surfaces; however, if you wish to apply a different material to an exterior wall surface, the best approach will be to use a different wall type, since different siding materials typically have different thicknesses.
To reset walls to their default materials using the Material Painter:
The Material Painter is a fast and easy way to change the appearance of objects in your plan, providing nearly instant visual feedback in 3D, and allows you the option to check Use Default and paint the object back to its default material.
- First, launch Chief Architect and choose to Open
the plan that has the material you want to return to its default material.
- Take a 3D Camera
view of the object that you want to change.
- Select 3D> Materials> Material Painter> Material Painter Component Mode
.
Note: For more information on the Material Painter Modes, see Article Number 793: How to use the Material Painter modes
- In the Select Library Object dialog, check the Use default Material box and click OK.
- Then, click on the surface in 3D that you want to return to its default material, such as each of the Pony Walls whose materials you had previously overwritten.
Last updated on: Feb 08, 2013
My Cart