Filtering Materials in the Palette

In the Materials Palette, the Filter Specification Tree lets you specify material filters based on attributes to sort materials retrieved either from session or from a Search Result.

You can select or deselect the filter values to limit the materials displayed in the palette view. The filter value appears under the material filter; it is identified by a check box, a name (or range), and the number of matching materials in parentheses.

Material filters include the standard PLM attributes, as well as a specific filter that is based on existing material domains.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin: Make sure the search options are correctly defined in the settings. See Materials Palette.
Related Topics
Using the Materials Palette

Access the Filter Specification Tree

You can access the Filter Specification Tree tool within the Materials palette.

  1. Click Materials Palette .

    The Materials Palette appears with the Palette View and the Filter Specification Tree.

  2. Optional: Expand the Discipline and Family filter categories.

    The number of matching materials for each filter value is displayed.



By default, the filter specification tree includes the following categories:


  • Data Source and Filters: The root node of the filter specification tree.
  • Data Source: Allows you to populate the Materials palette view with materials in session (by selecting From session), or with materials retrieved from a search in the database (by selecting From Search). These options are mutually exclusive.
  • Discipline filter: Core and covering material types.
  • Family filter: Contains the values of the Family attribute. By default, the materials displayed correspond to the criteria defined in your settings. See Materials Palette. The Blank value corresponds to materials whose family attribute is undefined.

Add a Material Filter

You can add a material filter to the Filter specification tree.

  1. To add a new filter:

    1. Right-click the Data Source and Filters node, and select Add Filter.
    2. In the Add a New Attribute Filter dialog box, select an attribute in the list.

      The Add a New Attribute Filter list provides all the PLM attributes that are not already used.

    3. Click OK.

      Tips:
      • By default, if you add a material filter, the values for this filter are selected .
      • You can add as many material filters as you want while the Add a New Attribute Filter dialog box is open.

    The new filter appears in the Filter Specification Tree. In Details View , a column related to the attribute is added; except for the domain filter. See Sort Materials by Domains for more information.

  2. Click .

The added filters are activated and the filter values are selected .

Select and Clear Filter Values

You can select or clear one value for a filter, or select and clear all values at once by using the contextual menu.

  1. To clear a filter value :

    1. In the Filter specification tree, expand the filter.
    2. Clear the check box for a filter value.

      The matching materials are no longer displayed in the Palette view.

  2. To select a filter value :

    1. In the Filterspecification tree, expand the filter.
    2. Select the check box for a filter value.

      The matching materials are displayed in the Palette view.

      Important: Within a filter the or operator is applied; to be displayed in the Palette view, a material must have at least one attribute value that is selected.

  3. To select all values for a filter, right-click the filter, and select Select all.

  4. To clear all values for a filter, right-click the filter, and select Deselect all.

Filter Materials by Domains

You can filter the materials by domains. The Filter Domain is available in the Add a New Attribute Filter list.

  1. Add a domain filter using the procedure in Add a Filter .

  2. Modify the operator by clicking the Domain filter:

    • Or: Applies to all values of the Material Domain filter. Broadens your filter results and selects any material that includes at a minimum one of the material domains for which you selected a filter value. This option is selected by default.
    • And: Applies to all values of Material Domain filters. Narrows your filter results and selects any material that includes the combination of material domains for which you selected a filter value.

  3. Select the values for the Domain filter.

    The matching material domains are displayed in the Palette view, and the domain filter value is updated accordingly.

    Consider the following situation:

    • From session is selected in Data Source category.
    • A Domain Filter is added.

    Right-click a filter domain, and select And operator. Then select values for Drafting domain and Rendering domain :



    Only materials that include the domain's combination Drafting and Rendering are displayed in the Palette view.



    The Material Editor lets you check the existing material domains for each material in session.



The filter domain is added to the filter specification tree but does not appear in the palette view in Details View .

Activate and Deactivate Filters

You can activate or deactivate a filter. A deactivated filter does not filter materials in the Palette view.

Active filters are identified by a green color-coded status icon .

  1. In the filter specification tree, click a filter.

    The filter is deactivated; the color-coded icon is turns grey .

  2. Click a deactivated filter.

    The filter is activated; the color-coded icon is turns green .

Remove a Material Filter

You can remove one material filter or remove all material filters at once.

  1. To remove a material filter, right-click a material filter, and select Remove filter.

  2. To remove all material filters at once, right-click Data Source and Filters, and select Remove all.

The removed filters are no longer displayed in the filter specification tree, but the corresponding columns are kept in the palette view.