# Specifying colour of entities
The colour of entities displayed in graphic views can be defined explicitly, as follows:
Colours can be assigned to the following object types:
- Nodes
- Elements and members
- Materials
- Properties
- Polylines
- Analysis stages
# Displaying colours
When the view is set to colour elements by property, or by material or by initial stage, elements (or members) are displayed in the colour of the property, material or stage, respectively.
Otherwise entities are displayed in the colour of the entity.
If the colour is set to undefined (the default) default colours are assumed.
# Setting colours
The colours of objects are assigned using the Modify colour of selection command.
If the view is set to colour elements by property, or by material or by initial stage the colours of the properties, materials or stages of the selected elements (or members), respectively, are modified.
Otherwise the colours of the selected entities are modified.
# Choosing colours
Colours are chosen in the Select colour dialog; either by selecting from a list of preset colours or by picking in a colour dialog.
The colour may be set to undefined.
The Select colour dialog remembers the last selected colour.
The last selected colour can be set by picking the currently assigned colour of an object, by using the right-click Pick colour of this command.
The colour of all objects in the model can be reset to undefined by using the Clear colour modifications command.