====Skins====

When creating a [[virtual environment|virtual environment]], ARDI needs to know what your asset looks like.

There are two parts to that - the **[[3D Model]]** and the **skin**.

While the model determines the //shape// of the asset, a skin determines how it's coloured - how ARDI //paints// it. This not only includes the base colours, but also how glossy, smooth or bright different areas of the model are.

This allows you to take a single 3D model and radically change its appearance for different manufacturers, models or device types. 

{{ardibasics:modelskin.png}}

Above is an example - the pink model has //no// skin, while the blue one is painted as a //Yokogawa EJX pressure transmitter//. Using a different skin again, it could change to look like it's from a dozen different manufacturers, or could even look like a different device all-together.