Prerequisites

Access to the DigiPara DataManager with write access to a module you're allowed to edit (e.g. your own developer module).
A texture bitmap file ready, if you want the new surface to use an image rather than a flat color.

Steps

Look at existing render colors.
In the Table View, choose Render Colors. Browse a predefined module — for example [4406] RAL Colors — to see the colors already defined. The PGOGL_MODE field controls the texture mode for a color.
Look at existing render surfaces.
In the Table View, choose Render Surfaces. Browse a predefined module — for example [4504] DigiPara Surfaces — to see the surfaces already defined, each with an RGB code set per mode.
Create a render surface and assign it to a render color.
Choose the module you're authoring in. Click L_OGLFilenameTab to create a new row: give the surface a description and select its texture bitmap file from your file system. Then switch to the Render Colors tab and create (or edit) a row to link it to the new surface via PGOGL_OGL_RID (generated automatically) — a surface that isn't linked to a render color will not be visible. Give the render color a description too.
Apply the new color to a component.
In Liftdesigner, click a component to change its material via the properties window or the 3D Object Settings docking window.

Result

Your new render color and texture can be selected on components the same way as any predefined surface.

3D Object Surface Parameters Reference

Lookup reference for the parameters available under Surface Settings in the 3D Object Settings docking window (Diffuse, Texture, and Other), used when customizing an individual 3D object's surface.

Diffuse

Parameter	What it controls
RGB sliders	Set the surface color by adjusting the red, green, and blue channels with sliders, or by entering a numerical value for each.
RGBA code	Enter the full color (including alpha/opacity) manually as an RGBA code.
Greyscale	Set the surface to a shade of grey instead of a color.
Opacity (A / alpha)	Controls transparency. Per the source: 0 = fully transparent 255 = fully opaque

Texture

Parameter	What it controls
Texture dimension	The size of the texture as mapped onto the surface.
Texture angle	The rotation angle of the texture on the surface.
Plain legacy color	A flat legacy color mode (as opposed to an image-based texture).
Texture mode	Different modes for how the texture is applied.

Other (Emission, Bump, Specular, Shininess)

Parameter	What it controls
Emission	Makes the surface appear luminous (self-lit) without it illuminating other objects.
Bump / bumpmap	Adds apparent height differences to a surface's structure, without changing the actual geometry. Two supported formats: - strictly greyscale image (bright = high, dark = low) - RGB image (color encodes surface orientation — e.g. B=255, G=R=127 = a neutral flat surface). Bump strength is scalable, and the bumpmap can be changed while keeping the same base texture.
Specular	The color that a reflected light source takes on, as if the surface were a mirror. A darker/blacker specular value produces fewer or no highlights.
Shininess	How smeared out a reflection becomes. High shininess = little smearing = small, sharp highlights; low shininess = larger, less bright highlights.

TIP:

High specular brightness + high shininess → small, bright highlights.
Dark specular + low shininess → large, not very bright highlights.
Fully black specular → no highlights at all.
Specular and Shininess can also be set to produce colored highlights.
Specular/Shininess effects look best on standard Liftdesigner geometry rather than on imported CAD files.

Create a Custom Render Color and Texture