Hello,

this is strange, but is it true that MoI can _export_ models with colors into STEP files, but it can't read STEP files with color information? This happens to me when I save into STEP with colors, and then reopen the file to find all color information lost.

Hi 3image, are you using MoI v3 ? There were some improvement made to reading colors in STEP files in v4.

- Michael

I can confirm V4 beta is much better at reading and saving color. V3 didn't show colors. Colors can be added, saved, and then read by another application. But if I re-open the same saved file in Moiv3 it would not show the colors.

V4 shows the colors, saves the colors, and re-opens the files with colors.

Colors would need to be added on a complete object/solid, not just on a face for example. I have found ways around this a bit. If at least one of the closed solids in the file is the same color, it would allow me to then color individual surfaces on the rest of the part. Not sure if it's the same in V4.

Hi All,

I'm a little bit disappointed with the first test I did on the V4beta-Feb 2019 version.
I've been waiting for more than 7 years (7 years!!) now to get MOI to work with color using AP214 format and it seems there are still flaws.

If I open the the current attachement in eDrawing, the parts shows the proper colors but when open in V4beta-Feb2019 there are no color information.
Worst, if I modify the part and change the entire part color and resize it then save it back, when reopening it in MOI everything is okay but if I reopen it in Solidworks eDrawings or Autodesk Viewer, I see the original colors of the part (not the MOI modified color) but the parts size is different.

There is something wrong on the way MOI writes color information and I hope it will not take an other 7 years to figure it out ;)

Thanks for your support.

Hi Fran6, I tested opening your file in both Rhino and ViaCAD and neither of them see the colors either. I think this is because your file is a single solid with color information attached to different faces in it rather than the more common configuration of having color information only attached at the "whole object" level.

That type of coloring is not commonly supported in most CAD programs and this is the first time someone has sent me a STEP file structured like that. I'll see if it is possible for MoI to support it.

- Michael

Hi Fran6, I've been able to update the STEP import and export for the next v4 beta to support individually colored faces inside of a single solid. So in the next beta your file above should import with colors intact.

- Michael