The Material Appearance subnode () replaces the graphics from the parent node with a material appearance, providing the possibility for a mixed-mode visualization, where some surfaces or volumes are colored according to an expression and others are plotted using a given material appearance. You can add a Material Appearance subnode to the following plot types: Arrow Line, Arrow Point, Arrow Surface, Arrow Volume, Image, Isosurface, Layered Material Slice, Multislice, Particle Trajectories, Phase Portrait, Poincaré Map, Point Trajectories, Radiation Pattern, Ray Trajectories. Scatter Surface, Scatter Volume, Slice, Streamline, Surface, Surface Data, Surface Slit, Volume, Waterfall, and Whirl. In the Model Builder, add one of those plot types; then right-click the plot node and select Material Appearance.

From the Appearance list, choose From material (the default) or Custom. With the From material option, choose the appearance associated to any material in the model or None. If you select a material here, the Use the material’s selection check box is selected by default to render the material appearance only for the geometric entities in the material’s selection. Clear the check box to use the material appearance where the parent plot node is rendered.

Click the Customize button to use a custom material. Then choose the type of material appearance from the Material type list; the default setting is Custom. For the settings that are then available for defining a custom appearance, see Appearance. The default custom properties are taken from the last chosen material in the Material type list.

If you want to use the color from the plot instead of the material’s color, as defined in the parent node’s settings as a color table, color gradient, or uniform color, select the Use the plot’s color check box.