First let me thank you very much for answering my question, I was able to change the trunk color in about 15 seconds. AWESOME! Thanks SO much, I can't beleive it was right under my nose. I do have some 3D experience in 3DS Max, but I totally like the environments that Vue can create almost effortlessly. You sound like you know what you're doing in Vue, someday I hope to also. I'm still waiting for the new Vue 7 books out soon, then I won't ask such dumb questions. Thanks for helping this Vue-Newbie with my problem, and if you need help with Max, I may be able to help you, hopefully as fast and completely as youy helped me. Here's a small rendering of that same scene with the trunk color changed. I'm still working on adding more tropical plants, so it's a work in progress. Mostly I just render these scenes for my desktop, reminds me of Diego Garcia, an island in the Danger  Archipelago  (real name), that I visited in the late 80s courtesy of the US Navy. Thanks again for all your help, Ron