used to be able to hide decal outlines in realistic view

[narlee]

there used to be a transparency check off box side by side with visibility and halftone, in the first dialogue box upon choosing to override the graphics of a particular object. that is gone now. there is a transparency check off lower in the dialogue flyouts, but it doesn't do the job. I've searched around and it seems to be the concensus that this (useful) feature is history.

Just checking here to see if anyone knows a workaround.

thx

[eabimgxg678896]

in 2014,how to hide it? thanks

[Duncan Lithgow]

http://bim4scottc.blogspot.dk/2012/02/decal-borders.html

[narlee]

thanks, duncan, that's a pretty good idea.

Also:
Here's another way. Use an image as a material:
In an elevation or section, make your object, as an extruded rectangle, that is larger than your final object. Make the rectangle only 1/32" thick, so you can later rotate it without seeing the non-matching edges. Apply you image onto your object. In Realistic View, your (image) material will be tiled on the object at this point. Go back into the Material Editor and manipulate the image's scale, aspect ratio, brightness, whatever. Back in Realistic View of the object, trace with Drafting Lines, the final object shape. Now Edit the object: Use the Pick Lines Tool. Hit Tab to highlight each chain of the Drafting Lines you traced before. Delete the rectangle's outline. Finish Edit. Finish Model. You now have an object that you can move around as you please and it retains the scaled image and shape.

If you want to re-scale the object/image, you can do so by getting the object/image back into an elevation or section that includes the Drafting Line trace. Re-scale the trace using the Scale feature from the Modify Menu. Open the Material Editor, click the Appearance Tab, click the image. Rescale the image same amount (each direction) as you re-scaled the Drafting Lines. Save. In your elevation/section, you will see that the image has shifted on the object. Draw a Drafting Line from (what will be) matching points of the image and object. Connect the endpoints with a horizontal line intersecting a vertical line. Click on each and note their length in Properties. Go back into Material Editor, Appearance, click on the image and apply those Offsets.

You can also do it in the Family Editor outside the project file. Although the visibility of the drafting lines is more difficult, because you have to use Family editor lines and also they can get temporarily obscured.

Also, I found shifting/re-scaling the decals runs into some limitations (i.e. falling outside the outline before it falls outside the outline, which prevents you from proper alignment...don't ask me?).