Ok, there are tons of things I don't understand. Maybe having used the software for 13 years turns out to be a handicap rather than an advantage. If someone could explain any of this, I would be an eager learner.

In SW2010, go to Tools, Options, Colors. Notice that there is a new line on this page, "Default appearance: color"

1. There is a link on the text "Default appearance", and the link goes to the Help topic "Assigning a Default Appearance"

2. There is no link on "color" that allows you to change the default appearance

3. The Help link to "Assigning a Default Appearance" has another link to " Search 'Assigning a Default Appearance' in the SolidWorks  Knowledge Base.", which of course has nothing there. If you don't read the entire Help entry, it is very easy to miss the explanation of how to assign a default appearance, and the information you most want is the information that is last given.

4. SolidWorks spent a lot of energy trying to retrain people two releases ago that Appearances are different from colors because Appearance = color + texture, and now it makes default appearances individually called "color" and "texture". Whaaaa??? Why not "default plastic", or even just "default"?

5. Appearance is a document specific thing, why do you to set it in the System Options? Actually, I guess you don't set it in the System Options, the System Options direct you through a very indirect way to go to the Appearance tab in the Task Pane to set the System Option for Default Appearance.

6. If you can't find "color" and "texture", don't waste 20 minutes like I did looking for them. They are immediately under the top level "Appearances" heading in the Appearances tab of the Task Pane, not under any of the Appearances sub-folders.

Why can't you just set the default appearance in the Tools, Options, Color area where it tells you what the setting is? Why is there a special link to the Help instead of to the place where the change is made? Why have they used a default name that leads people back to old way of thinking they tried so hard to eradicate (color vs appearance)?