Model > Look

Background

Steps the view background through White, Light gradient, Dark gradient, Black and Horizon. Shift+Click picks one from the list or a custom color.

Tab and panelModel > Look
KindButton
Live whenA model is open

Status

Launched Ran inside Navisworks at least once with no error logged; nobody checked the result yet.

Ran headless under pynavis run against a sample model; no selection: ran to the end: 'Background'; result not checked by a person.

Recorded on 2026-10-09. The evidence is a pynavis run transcript.

The public ask

No public source is on record for this tool.

Installs with

Background sits in a stack, so installing it also installs:

Events it listens to

None. It runs only when you click it.

Files

Paths are relative to the Playground.extension folder.

  • Model.tab/Look.panel/View_Tools.stack/Background.pushbutton/bundle.yaml
  • Model.tab/Look.panel/View_Tools.stack/Background.pushbutton/config.py
  • Model.tab/Look.panel/View_Tools.stack/Background.pushbutton/icon.dark.png
  • Model.tab/Look.panel/View_Tools.stack/Background.pushbutton/icon.png
  • Model.tab/Look.panel/View_Tools.stack/Background.pushbutton/icon.small.dark.png
  • Model.tab/Look.panel/View_Tools.stack/Background.pushbutton/icon.small.png
  • Model.tab/Look.panel/View_Tools.stack/Background.pushbutton/script.py

Install

  1. Only this tool. In Navisworks, click pyNavis > Playground, search for Background, tick it and click Install.
  2. The whole extension. Download Playground.extension.zip, unzip it, put the Playground.extension folder in %APPDATA%\pyNavis\extensions\, and click pyNavis > Reload. Background is on the Model tab, Look panel.

You need pyNavis 1.3.0 or later.

Tried it? Tell us whether it worked or not. That report is what moves a tool up the status ladder.

Report

Source

The tool's own files, word for word as published in pynavis/Playground. Paths are relative to the Playground.extension folder.

script.py

The script that runs on a click.

Model.tab/Look.panel/View_Tools.stack/Background.pushbutton/script.py View on GitHub
"""Steps the view background to the next preset: White, Light gradient, Dark gradient, Black, Horizon."""
from namo import look_tools
from pynavis import doc as nwdoc
from pynavis import toast


def run():
    document = nwdoc.get_doc()
    index = look_tools.next_background(look_tools.current_background_index(document))
    spec = look_tools.BACKGROUNDS[index]
    try:
        look_tools.set_background(spec, document)
    except Exception as error:
        toast.error('Could not change the background', str(error))
        return
    look_tools.remember_background(index)
    following = look_tools.BACKGROUNDS[look_tools.next_background(index)]['name']
    toast.success('Background: %s' % spec['name'], 'Click again for %s. Shift+Click to pick one.' % following)


run()

config.py

The Shift+Click action.

Model.tab/Look.panel/View_Tools.stack/Background.pushbutton/config.py View on GitHub
"""Picks a background preset, or a custom color or gradient, from a list."""
from namo import look_tools, ui
from pynavis import doc as nwdoc
from pynavis import script, toast

DEFAULTS = {'choice': look_tools.BACKGROUNDS[0]['name'], 'top': 'FFFFFF', 'bottom': 'C9D1DB'}

cfg = script.get_config(DEFAULTS)
values = ui.form('Background', look_tools.background_fields(cfg), ok='Apply')
if values is not None:                      # None means cancelled: say nothing
    spec = look_tools.background_from_form(values)
    if spec is None:
        toast.error('That background cannot be shown', 'Pick a preset, or a valid color like 4E79A7.')
    else:
        cfg.update(values)
        script.save_config(cfg)
        try:
            look_tools.set_background(spec, nwdoc.get_doc())
        except Exception as error:
            toast.error('Could not change the background', str(error))
        else:
            look_tools.remember_background(look_tools.match_background(spec))
            toast.success('Background: %s' % spec['name'])

Library modules this tool uses

From the shared namo library, which installs with every tool. Each name opens the module on GitHub.

  • namo.look_toolsThe small Look tools: Match Appearance, Reset All Overrides and Background.
  • namo.uiWPF building blocks for Playground tools, themed from the pyNavis design system.

bundle.yaml

The bundle contract: the keys pyNavis reads for this tool.

Model.tab/Look.panel/View_Tools.stack/Background.pushbutton/bundle.yaml View on GitHub
title: Background
tooltip: Steps the view background through White, Light gradient, Dark gradient, Black and Horizon. Shift+Click picks one from the list or a custom color.
context: doc