About Decals

You need to know the concepts that are specific to decals.

A decal is a kind of material (core or covering) and works like a sticker. Like materials, decals represent a physical matter and its properties. They are created as a reference in the database and are attached to the root product.

Note: Decals cannot be emissive and do not support volumic appearance parameters.

This page discusses:

Decals Geometry Location

The decal is applied in a different way according to the selected location and the type of object.

You can apply decals onto:

  • Products
  • Parts
  • 3D shapes (when the geometry is not loaded)
  • Part bodies (when the geometry is loaded).

You cannot apply decals:

  • Faces
  • Multiple supports.

The following decal behaviors depend on the location of the selected object onto which you apply a decal:

LocationBehavior
Object in the work areaThe handle of the decal is centered by default on the selected point and is positioned along the normal to this point.

The following decal behaviors depend on the type of object:

TypeBehavior
V5 modelThe decal is applied to the part that you click in the work area or in the tree.

You can select one or multiple elements using the multiselection.

.cgr filesThe decal is applied onto the entire product.

Performance Impact

Decals might have a significant impact on performance in the following cases:

  • When too many decals are applied on the same location.
  • When changing the size/dpi of the artwork.
  • When referencing an SVG artwork.
  • When opening a product that includes decals with an SVG file.