Using the Materials Palette

The Materials Palette provides an easy way to select predefined materials and apply them to components in your model. The Materials palette displays all the materials that are available in the PLM database and that correspond to the criteria defined in your settings; a material's type (core or covering) determines how it is applied to the product. For more precise control over material search functionality, use the Apply Core Material or Apply Covering Material commands.

Before you begin: Make sure the search options are correctly defined in the settings. See Materials Palette.
Related Topics
About Applying Materials
Applying a Core Material
Applying a Covering Material
Filtering Materials in the Palette

  1. Click Materials Palette .

    The Materials palette appears. The materials palette comprises three components:

    • Filter Specification Tree that allows you to filter materials. (Left zone)
    • Edit Applied Material Balloon command that allows you to access a dedicated balloon toolbar to edit applied materials. The balloon toolbar appears when you click Edit Applied Material Balloon and select geometry from either the model geometry or the specification tree.
    • Palette View that displays the materials (right zone). In Details View any material attribute added as a filter appears in a column. See Filtering Materials in the Palette for more information.



    If the material name is not entirely displayed, you can display it by moving the cursor over the material: a tooltip appears giving you the full material name.

    Important:
    • The content of the Palette view is different depending on the settings you specified (Tools > Options > Infrastructure > Material Editor). If no material in the database corresponds to the options you defined in the settings, the Materials palette is empty and a message appears. See Materials Palette.
    • The names in the Materials palette correspond to the display names specified in the PLM attributes for each material; this may not be the same name that was specified when the material was created. See Settings Customization Guide: PLM Access Settings: PLM Attributes.

  2. Optional: Modify the display mode of the palette content.

    • To display the palette content with thumbnails, click Thumbnail View .
    • To display the palette content in tiled view, click Tiles View .
    • To display the palette content in detailed view, click Details View .

    Thumbnail view
    Tiles view
    Details view

  3. To undock the palette, click .

    You can move and resize the palette.

  4. To dock the palette, click .

    You can resize the palette, but you cannot move it.

  5. To modify the content of the Materials palette, use the Search box of the Bar.

    The content of the palette is replaced by the result of your search criteria.

    To restore the full content of the palette, click Materials Palette .

  6. To apply a material to a support:

    1. Click a material in the Palette view

      The cursor changes to indicate that you are in the material application mode.

    2. Select a geometry, a 3D shape, or a product from either the model geometry or the specification tree.

      The Material balloon toolbar appears. For more information about the Material balloon toolbar, see About the Material Balloon Toolbar.

    3. To change a support, click Apply Up to apply the material to the upper object in the selection path or click Apply Down to apply the material to the lower object in the selection path. For more information about the selection path, see About the Material Balloon Toolbar.

      Warning:
      • The Apply Up and Apply Down options available in the Material balloon toolbar depend on the current support selection.
      • You can apply a covering material to a product reference, a product instance, and a representation instance.

    4. To apply a material to another support, repeat Step b.
    5. To change a material, click another material in the Materials palette.

      Important: This action applies to the next material application.

    6. To remove the last material you applied to a support, click Undo.

      The material is automatically removed from the last support selected for application.

    7. To close the balloon toolbar, click .

  7. To edit an applied material:

    1. Click Edit Applied Material Balloon.

      The cursor changes to indicate the material edit mode is active. For more information, see About the Edit Applied Material Balloon Toolbar.

    2. Select a geometry from either the model geometry or the specification tree.

      The name of the applied material appears in a tooltip as you pass your cursor over the material's type icon.

    3. Click Delete to remove the applied material.
    4. Click Undo to reverse the delete operation.

      The material is automatically reapplied to the last selected support.

    5. Click Reapply to apply the selected applied material to other supports.

      The Materials balloon toolbar appears and replaces the Edit Applied Material balloon toolbar. The cursor changes to indicate the material application mode is active .

    6. To edit an applied material, repeat step a.
    7. Click Close .

  8. When you are done applying and editing materials, click to close the Materials palette.