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Instances Colorizer

by Nikita Akimov·Workflow

Images © Nikita Akimov. Used for product review; image policy.

Why we like it

Instances Colorizer earns its place in the superhive library for a focused job: it turns instance relationships into viewport colors through Blender's own Viewport Display – Color property, with separate Multi-Color and Single-Color modes.

What is Instances Colorizer?

Instances Colorizer is a Blender add-on for coloring instances—objects that use the same data block—directly in the 3D viewport. Clicking the Colorize Instances button in the add-on panel colorizes the instances in an existing scene, and the resulting colors appear in the viewport when Shading Mode is set to Object. The add-on uses the object Viewport Display – Color property to show these colors.

Two coloring modes are available. Multi-Color assigns each group of instances a different color, and the color of any group can be changed from the add-on panel. Single-Color paints every instance in the scene with the same color. When a new instance is created and other instances of that object already exist, it takes the color already assigned to them; if none existed before, the new instances get a random color. An object added with no instances receives a base color.

The add-on lives in the 3D Viewport N panel under the IC tab. It supports Blender 2.93, 3.0 and 3.1, and installs through the Preferences window by pointing Blender to the downloaded zip archive.

Who is Instances Colorizer best for?

Instances Colorizer is best for blender users who want to visually distinguish instanced objects—those sharing the same data block—by color in the 3D viewport.

How much does Instances Colorizer cost?

Instances Colorizer is completely free to download and use.

Key features

  • Automatic colorizing of object instances via the Colorize Instances button in the add-on panel
  • Multi-Color mode assigns each instance group a different color, changeable per group from the panel
  • Single-Color mode colors every instance in the scene with the same color
  • Colors shown in the 3D viewport when Shading Mode is set to Object
  • New instances inherit the existing color of their object group, or get a random color when none exists
  • Objects added with no instances receive a base color
  • Uses the object Viewport Display – Color property to display instance colors

Tags

#Blender#add-on#instances#viewport#coloring#objects#workflow

Frequently asked questions

What Blender versions does Instances Colorizer support?

Instances Colorizer supports Blender 2.93, 3.0 and 3.1. Once installed, it appears in the 3D Viewport N panel under the IC tab, where the Colorize Instances button and the color controls are located. The add-on relies on the object Viewport Display – Color property to show instance colors, so you'll see the results when Shading Mode is set to Object. If you're on a different Blender release, check the developer's page for the latest compatibility details before installing.

How do I install Instances Colorizer?

Instances Colorizer installs as a standard Blender add-on. Download the zip archive with the add-on distributive, then open the Preferences window in Blender, go to the Add-ons section, choose Install, and point Blender to the downloaded archive. After that, the add-on is available in the 3D Viewport N panel under the IC tab. From there you can click Colorize Instances to color the instances in your scene and adjust group colors when using Multi-Color mode.

What's the difference between Multi-Color and Single-Color mode in Instances Colorizer?

Instances Colorizer offers two coloring modes. In Multi-Color mode, each group of instances is assigned a different color, and you can change the color of any group from the add-on panel. In Single-Color mode, every instance in the scene is colored with the same color. Beyond that, when you create a new instance, it inherits the color already assigned to other instances of that object; if none existed before, the new instances get a random color, and an object added with no instances receives a base color.

Is Instances Colorizer free?

Instances Colorizer is listed as free here in the catalog. Licensing and pricing can change over time, so check the developer's page for the current terms. The add-on is distributed under the GPL license. Once installed it appears in the 3D Viewport N panel under the IC tab, supports Blender 2.93, 3.0 and 3.1, and colorizes object instances so they can be distinguished in the viewport when Shading Mode is set to Object.

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