Actually, I would really like a simulation color choice that is a solid color, maybe a very light gray, with no grain at all.
I can imagine what the project will look like in wood, what I want in the simulation is details which are often obfuscated by the patterns in the simulation. I currently use Aluminum all the time, at least until those times when Show 3D in the Model panel insists on converting to Cherry which offers the least detail resolution.