Onshape uses several colors to indicate what is selected or occurring in the Onshape application. This topic helps you understand how these colors are used.

Switch your Onshape theme between light or dark modes. See Theming.

Onshape has a predetermined color palette and rotation of color assignments as parts are created. They are rendered in a sequence of eight colors, with the sequence repeating on the 9th part:

Default part colors

In a Part studio, you can apply a color to a part, face, feature, or sketch. For example, right=click on the part or part face (or group of parts) and select Edit appearance to part or Add appearance to face. This opens the Appearance editor (shown below). Alternately, you can open the Appearance panel () on the right side of the interface to edit part or face colors.

Edit appearance

Colors can help to differentiate parts or provide a color code for your models:

Part colors

See Customizing Parts, Faces, Features, and Sketches: Appearance for additional information.

The following tables provides colors used in each Onshape tab, their context, and an example of each.

Color hex values and names sourced from ColorHexa.

Color Context Example

Light grayish blue

(#dbf1fa)

Background color in a list field where one or possibly more entries can be added

 list field color example

Light grayish red

(#f8eaeb)

Background color in a list field where an error exists.

 background error color in feature dialog

Slightly desaturated blue

(#789ad1)

Light grayish blue

(#d0dcef)

Box selection (left to right)

  • Slightly desaturated blue - outline

  • Light grayish blue - fill

 left to right box selection

Very light orange

(#ffdc74)

Very pale orange

(#fff3cf)

 

Box selection (right to left)

  • Very light orange - outine

  • Very pale orange - fill

 right to left box selection

Very soft blue

(#b2ddf6)

Light grayish blue

(#def1fb)

Dark blue

(#094174)

Information alert message related to a recent action, displayed at the top of the main view

  • Very soft blue - outline

  • Light grayish blue - fill

  • Dark blue - text

 Information alert

Soft orange

(#fcda7f)

Very pale orange

(#fff8e6)

Very dark gray

(#333333)

Warning alert message related to a recent action, displayed at the top of the main view

  • Soft orange - outline

  • Very pale orange - fill

  • Very dark gray - text

 Warning alert

Very soft red

(#dd979b)

Light grayish red

(#f9ebec)

Very dark gray

(#333333)

Error alert message related to a recent action, displayed at the top of the main view

  • Very soft red - outline

  • Light grayish red - fill

  • Very dark gray - text

 Error alert

Very soft green

(#a2db7d)

Light grayish green

(#ddf6cc)

Very dark gray

(#333333)

Success alert message related to a recent action, displayed at the top of the main view

  • Very soft green - outline

  • Light grayish green - fill

  • Very dark gray - text

 Success alert

Vivid yellow

(#ffc107)

Edit configurations, named views, exploded views notification

 Edit notification
Color Context Example

Pure blue

(#0000ff)

Indicates sketch entities in an active sketch are not fully defined; you can drag to move the entity or change its size.

 Acrtive Sketch line color

Black

(#000000)

 

  • Indicates a sketch entity in an active sketch is not fully defined; you cannot drag to move or alter the entity.

  • Sketch dimension values, arrows, and lines.

 Sketch that has been dimensioned color example sketch dimensions and constraint color

Moderate red

(#bd3039)

Indicates a sketch entity is over-defined, a sketch contains an error, or sometimes a sketch is unresolvable.

 sketch constraint error example

Dark grayish blue

(#949ba0)

Inactive sketch line/curve

 Inactive sketch line color

Light grayish blue

(#E3E6E9)

Closed sketch fill (active or inactive sketch)

 Closed sketch fill color

Very soft orange

(#f3bf8e)

Sketch edge hover

 sketch edge hover

Vivid yellow

(#ffc107)

Sketch edge or entity selected

 sketch edge selected Two rectangle corners are selected and a dimension appears at the cursor location

Very soft orange

(#d9bfa0)

Sketch dimension hover

 sketch dimension hover color

Soft orange

(#d9a566)

Sketch dimension selected

 sketch dimension selected color

Very soft blue

(#90cef1)

Sketch plane line and text

 Sketch plane line color
Color Context Example

Vivid yellow

(#ffc107)

Selected Part, surface, edge, or vertex in the graphics area

 Selection color examples

Moderate red

(#bd3039)

  • Feature dialog or Parts list text that has an error

  • Part, surface, edge, or vertex that has an error, in the graphics area

  • Interference detection (analysis tool)

 Error indicator examples

Vivid magenta

(#d403f9)

  • Show ruled lines (Ruled surface feature)

  • Show isocurves (Boundary surface feature)

 show isocurves and ruled lines examples

Pure pink

(#ff005a)

Curve/surface analysis: U curve combs and border (when a face is selected)

 Curve/surface analysis: U curves color

Pure blue

(#0000ff)

Curve/surface analysis: V curve combs and border (when a face is selected)

 Curve/surface analysis: V curves color

Mostly desaturated dark green

(#70a65c)

Curve/surface analysis: Curve combs (when an edge is selected)

 Curve analysis when edge is selected

Soft violet

(#b275de)

Curve/surface analysis: Curve combs border (when an edge is selected)

Very dark magenta

(#440154)

Low threshold Dihedral analysis combs

 Dihedral analysis colors example

Dark cyan

(#21918c)

 Mid threshold Dihedral analysis combs

Vivid yellow

(#fde725)

High threshold Dihedral analysis combs

White

(#ffffff)

Black

(#000000)

 Zebra stripes zebra stripe color example

Viridis

viridis color map

Curvature Color map - Colors: Viridis

 viridis color map example

Blue -> Red

blue-red color map

Curvature Color map - Colors: Blue -> Red

 blue-red color map example

Plasma

plasma color map

Curvature Color map - Colors: Plasma

 plasma color map example

Rainbow

rainbow color map

Curvature Color map - Colors: Rainbow

 rainbow color map example
draft analysis colors

Draft analysis

 draft analysis colors example
Color Context Example

Vivid yellow

(#ffc107)

Selected part in the graphics area

 Selection color example

Strong red

(#cd0000)

Dark lime green

(#009500)

Strong blue

(#0000d0)

Mate connector / Mate axes colors

  • X axis - Strong red

  • Y axis - Dark lime green

  • Z axis - Strong blue

 Mate connector Mate axes colors

Black

(#000000)

 Offset values, arrows, and lines. Mate offset line color

Very soft blue

(#90cff1)

Moderate red

(#bd3039)

Dark gray

(#999999)

 

Mate indicator icons (Fastened mate indicator shown here). See Mate indicators for more information.

  • Good Mate - Very soft blue

  • Problem Mate - Moderate red

  • Suppressed/inactive Mate - Dark gray

 Mate connector icon colors

Viridis

viridis color map

Simulation color scale option: Viridis

 viridis color scale example

Blue -> Red

blue-red color map

Simulation color scale option: Blue -> Red

 blue-red color scale example

Plasma

plasma color map

Simulation color scale option: Plasma

 plasma color scale example

Rainbow

rainbow color map

Simulation color scale option: Rainbow

 rainbow color scale example