Using T-FLEX DOCs Materials

Following materials datasets are available in the T‑FLEX DOCs:

Material grades
Contains data on physical and chemical properties of material regardless of its structural shape. Also in this dataset you can assign to a material a set of visual properties from the Visual properties of materials dataset.

Visual properties of materials
Contains CAD models visualization parameters used for displaying bodies made of particular material grade. Same visual properties might be applied to multiple material grades.

Structural Shapes
Contains data on shapes and dimensions in which materials are supplied. Same shape might be applied to multiple material grades and vice versa.

Materials
Contains full data on material. Material data in this set is a combination of material grade and structural shape with some additional specifications.

Materials and Material grades datasets might be used as material libraries in T-FLEX CAD in the integration mode. Moreover, you can use in CAD libraries imported to the Files dataset. In both cases libraries are used in the same way, similar to the standard material libraries of T-FLEX CAD.

Alternatively, you can use the legacy mechanism of assigning DOCs materials to CAD parts..

When saving a product structure, material data is transferred to DOCs.

Using T-FLEX DOCs Materials and Material grades datasets as T-FLEX CAD materials libraries

Materials and Material grades datasets can be opened in the T‑FLEX CAD Materials tool window via the Open T-FLEX DOCs Dataset command. The command is available in the toolbar below the window's header.

Upon calling the command, a dialog appears containing following drop-down lists:

•Dataset
Here you can select either Materials or Material grades dataset.

•Catalog
If the selected dataset contains catalogs, here you can select a catalog. If you don't select a catalog, the whole dataset will be opened, otherwise - the selected dataset only.

Upon clicking ОК, the selected dataset or catalog will appear in the Materials tool window as a materials library.

Using in T-FLEX CAD a materials library imported to the Files dataset of T-FLEX DOCs

A T-FLEX CAD materials library in the .mtr format can be imported to the Files dataset of the T-FLEX DOCs.

In order to import particular files, select a folder for the files to be added to in the Files dataset window, and then call the Import files command from the toolbar or from the contextual menu:

Upon calling the command, a Windows Explorer window appears, where you should select files to be imported. Specify a path to the necessary files, press the Open button and wit for the importing process to finish.

Alternatively, you can import all content of a particular folder using the Import Folder command as described in the Working with Custom Libraries section.

In order to open an imported library in the T‑FLEX CAD, call the Open library from T-FLEX DOCs command. The command is available in the toolbar below the Materials window's header .

The Files dataset window will appear, where you should select an .mtr file of the imported library and press the Select button.

The selected materials library will appear in the Materials tool window.

Usage of T-FLEX DOCs materials in T-FLEX CAD

T-FLEX DOCs materials libraries, opened in T-FLEX CAD as described above, are indicated by the icon.

It is recommended to close eponymous T-FLEX CAD libraries to avoid confusion.

Materials of these libraries are used in the same way as materials of standard T-FLEX CAD libraries.

The detailed information on working with materials in T-FLEX CAD is available in the Materials section.

If a T‑FLEX DOCs material has visual properties assigned from the Visual properties of materials dataset, then such properties will be used for displaying the material in T‑FLEX CAD. Notice that among other visual properties you can specify a texture, a bump map and parameters of hatch.

Transferring material data from CAD to DOCs, when saving a product structure

If a record of T-FLEX CAD product composition has a main material assigned, then a data on this material is saved in the Material box of the part properties in the T‑FLEX DOCs Product Structure dataset, upon saving the composition to DOCs.

If a part's main material is assigned from T-FLEX CAD library, then this material will be saved into the Materials dataset, upon saving the DOCs product structure. However, only the Combined name is filled for such material.

If a material is added to the product structure, then it is saved as a child object of the part.

T-FLEX DOCs Materials command

Along with the standard mechanics of working with materials, you can assign a T‑FLEX DOCs material to a T-FLEX CAD part using the following command:

This command is used fro compatibility with old version of T‑FLEX DOCs.

Upon calling the command, a window appears containing the following controls:

Product Structure Object
Here you can select any product structure record of the current document not associated with other documents. The material will be applied to the selected record. If the document has no DOCs product structure, then this parameters will be unavailable.

Grade
Here you can select a material from the Material grades dataset.

Material
Here you can select a material from the Materials dataset.

Material of Object
If the Product Structure Object selected above has child objects of the Material type, then you can select one of these materials here.

Material Denotation
This box is deactivated in English version.

See Also:

•Materials

•Applying Material to Bodies and Adding to Product Composition