Crest, Per Actor, and Model

When creating technical illustrations in SOLIDWORKS Composer, selecting the right display styles is crucial for conveying technical information. In the Technical Illustration Workshop, showing silhouettes adds clean, distinct outlines to the model views.

There are three SOLIDWORKS Composer Silhouette styles: Crest, Per Actor, and Model. In this article, we’ll review the purpose of Silhouettes and look at the outputs of each different style so you can choose the right one for your documentation.

Why Enable SOLIDWORKS Composer Silhouettes?

Silhouettes are bold outlines that make components stand out, and in this case, refer to the options in the Technical Illustration Workshop. By utilizing a different line thickness than other model edges, they can help to convey shapes and boundaries without relying only on shading or color.

For the kinds of outputs generated from SOLIDWORKS Composer, such as assembly instructions, service manuals, and marketing visuals, they can improve readability and avoid confusion. Take a look at the image below compared to the one above; one has silhouettes enabled, the other does not. Notice that the increased line thickness outlining individual components provides extra visual clarity.

A simple Composer view with silhouette lines

Where to Find Silhouette Options

These Silhouette options are specified when generating a technical illustration output from Composer and are enabled in the Technical Illustration Workshop.

To enable the Silhouette options:

1. Switch to the Workshops tab of the SOLIDWORKS Composer ribbon.
2. Launch the Technical Illustration Workshop.
3. In the Task Pane, enable Show Silhouettes.
4. Choose between Cres, Per actor, or Model.

Enabling Silhouette Options in the Technical Illustration Workshop

These options are only visible in the final output file, which is generated upon clicking Preview or Save As in the Technical Illustration Workshop.

The Differences Between Crest, Per Actor, and Model

As shown in the image above, after enabling Silhouettes, the user must determine the style. There are three distinct choices that each have their own use case.

Crest Style

The Crest style adds the most outlines to the model view. It draws a silhouette around each component in an assembly, including important internal edges like ridges and sharp transitions.

Model view with the Crest style enabled

Because this style gives the most detail, it is a good option for when you need to show the shape and features of components clearly. In the image above, notice that the holes on the blue bottom plate (and the tan side plates) are accented with the Crest style outline, as well as each component’s silhouette.

Per actor Style

The Per actor style draws a clean outline around each part, which are considered separate actors in SOLIDWORKS Composer. However, it does not highlight any internal details.

Model view with the Per actor style enabled

This style can be less cluttered than Crest, while still clearly showing distinct outlines between components. In the image above, notice that the only thickened silhouette lines are around each component and coincide with the colored regions of the parts.

Model Style

The Model style creates an outline around each contiguous set of assembled parts as one model. In this style, the interfaces between touching components are not considered. Open gaps, such as holes that are “see-through” to negative space behind the model, will always be outlined.

Model view with the Model style enabled

The Model style is the least detailed, but it provides a unified appearance for the assembly and could be used to indicate that certain components do not break apart. In the image above, notice how there are no thickened lines between components, and the bold outline connects multiple different colored regions.

Directly Comparing the SOLIDWORKS Composer Silhouette Styles

Below is an exploded view generated from the Technical Illustration Workshop in all three styles. Crest style provides the most detail, Per actor maintains the outlining around individual components, and Model creates a single silhouette around assembled components.

Comparing the SOLIDWORKS Composer Silhouette styles

Key Considerations for Silhouettes

Silhouettes in SOLIDWORKS Composer serve as more than just a cosmetic decoration; they are a visual tool to make your technical content clearer and easier to digest. Each Silhouette style brings unique benefits and can be useful to achieve different goals.

It’s best to experiment with different options in the Technical Illustration Workshop for Silhouette Styles, Outline Styles, Shadows, and Color Regions to see what combination of settings you prefer for your documentation purposes.

To learn more about SOLIDWORKS Composer best practices, register for an upcoming training course here.