# Material Color By Layer - request

**URL:** <https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/material-color-by-layer-request/222102>\
**Category:** Rhino\
**Tags:** windows\
**Created:** [August 24, 2026, 10:19pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/material-color-by-layer-request/222102 "2026-08-24T22:19:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![davidcockey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/davidcockey/32/732604_2.png) [@davidcockey](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/davidcockey)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 10:19pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/material-color-by-layer-request/222102/1 "2026-08-24T22:19:46Z")

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Request: Add the ability for materials to take on the “layer color” of objects they are assigned to, and in the panels for specifying material properities add a “by layer” option for color/base color.

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**Author:** ![scottd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/scottd/32/494002_2.png) [@scottd](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/scottd)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 1:08am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/material-color-by-layer-request/222102/2 "2026-08-25T01:08:29Z")

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Which modes are you intending to do this in?

Rolling it into grasshopper would work in the wip.

There is the same discussion here: [Convert Display Color to Render Material?](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/convert-display-color-to-render-material/146895)

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**Author:** ![dale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/dale/32/685184_2.png) [@dale](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/dale)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 1:30am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/material-color-by-layer-request/222102/3 "2026-08-25T01:30:13Z")

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SynchronizeRenderColors?

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**Author:** ![davidcockey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/davidcockey/32/732604_2.png) [@davidcockey](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/davidcockey)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 2:00am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/material-color-by-layer-request/222102/4 "2026-08-25T02:00:07Z")

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> [@scottd](#):
>
> Which modes are you intending to do this in?
> 
> Rolling it into grasshopper would work in the wip.

I work in Rhino, not Grasshopper.

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**Author:** ![davidcockey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/davidcockey/32/732604_2.png) [@davidcockey](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/davidcockey)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 2:13am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/material-color-by-layer-request/222102/5 "2026-08-25T02:13:46Z")

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> [@dale](#):
>
> SynchronizeRenderColors?

I’ll try it.

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**Author:** ![Jean-Go](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/jean-go/32/765762_2.png) [@Jean-Go](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Jean-Go)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 2:14am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/material-color-by-layer-request/222102/6 "2026-08-25T02:14:28Z")

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**![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/4X/7/f/4/7f44c67dd591ff0d8639ece2cf3232abea8adbea.png)**  **ObjColorAsMatColor** : Applies the material color as the display color.  
[byRhino Gadget - Help](https://www.byrhino3d.com/byRhinoGadget/help_en/index.html?page=objcolorasmatcolor.html)

**![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/4X/8/6/a/86af0d8f715418649d7bdbbdc0a7a0ad85cfca1e.png)**  **ObjColor2MatColor** : Creates a material with the same display color; if the display standard is by layer, creates a layer material.  
[byRhino Gadget - Help](https://www.byrhino3d.com/byRhinoGadget/help_en/index.html?page=objcolor2matcolor.html)

Would this be helpful? You can apply the layer color to the material color, or vice versa. It’s a free plugin. ‘byRhinoGadget’

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/4X/3/9/c/39c3e09ad26caa394e1c1a4325d3f6005421ac20.png)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![davidcockey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/davidcockey/32/732604_2.png) [@davidcockey](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/davidcockey)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 3:10am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/material-color-by-layer-request/222102/8 "2026-08-25T03:10:03Z")

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> [@Jean-Go](#):
>
> **![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/4X/8/6/a/86af0d8f715418649d7bdbbdc0a7a0ad85cfca1e.png)**  **ObjColor2MatColor** : Creates a material with the same display color; if the display standard is by layer, creates a layer material.

@Jean-Go How is this different than `SynchronizeRenderColors`?

> The SynchronizeRenderColors command changes an object’s material color to match its display color.  
> If the object does not have a material assigned, a new material will be created and assigned to the object’s layer.

> **[SynchronizeRenderColors | Rhino 3-D modeling](https://docs.mcneel.com/rhino/8/help/en-us/commands/synchronizerendercolors.htm)**
>
> The SynchronizeRenderColors command changes an object's material color to match its display color.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jean-Go](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/jean-go/32/765762_2.png) [@Jean-Go](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Jean-Go)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 3:58am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/material-color-by-layer-request/222102/9 "2026-08-25T03:58:05Z")

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I just tested it, and it does the exact same thing! 😅 Using the built-in SynchronizeRenderColors command without installing a plugin seems like the better way to go.