Properties and BrickColor
Properties and BrickColor
Prerequisites |
|
Lesson Time | 5 - 10 minutes |
Optional Handouts | Coding with Lua |
Learning Objectives |
|
All objects in Roblox have properties that control how they look and function. Some properties an object might have are material, color, or shape. You can use code to change these properties and make things happen in-game. For example, by changing the color property of an object you can create a disco floor or flashing red buttons.
Teaching Exercise - Introducing Properties »
Take any available object and have your class describe at least three properties of that object. Emphasize a mix of properties that are visual and functional.
Pencil Example:
- Color: yellow
- Edible: False
- Makes marks: Yes
- Line color: grey
Explore Properties
To get an idea of some properties already being used by objects in your game:
- Open a previous project or create a new one.
- Create and click on a new part.
- Scroll through the Properties Window on the bottom right.
Many of an object’s properties are shown in the Properties window. You can use the Properties window to change properties before a game starts. However you need to use code to change properties like color or visibility in-game.

Can't see the Properties Window?
It's possible for the Property Window to be accidentally closed. To re-open the window, click on the View Tab and then click on the Properties button.
Changing Properties
The script will use code to change the color of a part at the start of the game.

Set up the Part and Script
- Select an existing part or create a new one.
- Rename the part. This example uses PracticePart.
- Rename the script ChangeBrickColor.
- Delete the the Hello World line.
Creating Comments
You should always start new scripts off with a comment about what the script does. Comments are special lines that help coders remember what scripts are for but doesn’t give Roblox Studio instructions.
Create Your First Comment
- Type
--
and a note about what this script does. The text should turn green to let you know it’s a comment.

Coding a Part to Change Color
While you know the exact part in Studio you want to change, the program doesn’t know yet. Each script needs instructions where to find a specific part and what property to change.
Start at the Top
To find the part, the script will look in game
, where the Workspace and part will be.
- Type
game
below your comment.

Find the Part in the Explorer
Remember that the Explorer Window lists all of the objects in your game and shows how they’re connected to each other. Notice in the Explorer that PracticePart is under Workspace.

Now that you know PracticePart is under Workspace, you can turn this information into lines of code that the program can understand.
Coding Vocabulary - Parent and Child
Parent and child mean something specific in programs. Parts that are under the Workspace are said to be children of the Workspace, while the Workspace is the part's parent The relationship is like below:
game
> Workspace > PracticePart
Write a Line with Dot Notation
You still have to give the program directions to the part, but if the words are typed all together, like gameWorkspacePracticePart
, the program will think it’s one big word instead of separate words.
So the program can recognize each word, objects and properties are separated using a dot. Always type the names exactly as you see them and don’t use any extra spaces.
- On the same line as
game
, type.Workspace
- Type
.
followed by thePracticePart
.
Check Your Code Before Moving on
Make sure your code looks exactly like the code above, and that PracticePart is spelled and capitalized exactly like in the Explorer.
Using Autocomplete
Roblox will autocomplete words as you type to help speed up the coding process. When the words appear, you can use the arrow keys to move down the list. Pick an option by pressing Enter.
Changing a Property with Code
Almost there! Now, you’ll change the part’s color with the BrickColor
property.
To start changing the color:
- Type
.BrickColor
after the name of your part.
Teaching Tip - Checking in Stages »
It's important for new students to check their code every few steps to reduce the possibility of errors. Additionally, encourage students to identify and solve their own errors (or ask their peers). This will help students become more independent while troubleshooting.
When checking their work, ask students the following:
- Is the capitalization correct?
- Is everything spelled correctly?
- Are there any extra spaces?
Using RGB Values
To change the BrickColor
property, you’re going to create a new BrickColor that will replace the current one. It’s not like mixing paints though, programs use RGB values, the combination of red, green, and blue to create all the colors on your screen.
There are some rules for using RBG values:
- Use 3 decimal numbers; one for each color.
- Separate each number with a comma.
- Use numbers between 0 and 1. 0 means a color is all the way off. 1 means the color is all the way on.
Below are some examples of RGB values:
Color | Code |
---|---|
BrickColor.new(0.9,0.6,0.2) |
|
BrickColor.new(0.2,0.6,0.2) |
|
BrickColor.new(0.8,0.2,0.8) |