GemDiagram Docs

Themes: Light, Dark & Studio

GemDiagram has two independent appearance controls: the app theme (the chrome around the viewport — sidebar, panels, buttons) and the viewport background (what's behind the stone in the 3D view).

App theme (Light / Dark)

Click the sun/moon icon in the top bar to switch the whole app between Light and Dark. This changes the sidebar, panels, dialogs, and text colors. Your choice is remembered (saved to your browser) so the app opens in the same theme next time you visit.

Viewport background (White / Black / Studio)

Below the Material card or near the viewport, the background dropdown sets what's behind the gem itself, independent of the app theme:

  • White: A plain light background — good for screenshots meant for a light-themed document.
  • Black: A plain dark background — makes faceting edges and sparkle stand out, the classic "jewelry photography" look.
  • Studio: An HDRI environment map — gives the stone realistic reflections and ambient lighting, closer to how it'd look photographed in a studio setup with soft, indirect light from every direction.

How they interact

The viewport background follows the app theme automatically: switch to Light app theme, and the viewport background snaps to White; switch to Dark, and it snaps to Black. This keeps the two looking coordinated by default.

Studio is the exception. If you manually pick Studio from the background dropdown, GemDiagram remembers that as a deliberate choice and stops auto-syncing it — toggling the app theme afterward won't knock you back to White or Black. To return to the auto-synced behavior, just pick White or Black again from the dropdown.

Tip

If you're using Realistic render mode, Studio background makes the biggest visual difference — the HDRI environment is also what the stone refracts and reflects against, so it adds realistic sparkle and color variation that a flat White or Black background can't.

Which to use when

  • Designing/editing: Either app theme works; pick whichever is easier on your eyes.
  • Screenshots for a light document or print: Light app theme + White background.
  • Screenshots for social or dark presentations: Dark app theme + Black background.
  • Showcasing the finished stone: Studio background with Realistic render mode — the closest thing to a product photo GemDiagram can produce.

See Solid vs. Realistic Render for how render mode affects what the background actually shows you.