| Assign by Level/Color icon |
Used to assign materials to elements in the model by level and
color.
 | Materials cannot be assigned to True Color elements. Only
indexed colors can be used with Level/Color assignments.
|
| When using Bentley Building products, level/color assignments
by default override part assignments. To change this behavior so that
part assignments override level/color assignments, the configuration
variable TF_ASSIGN_MATERIALS_BY_PART_FIRST should
be set to 1.
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| Remove Assignment icon |
Used to remove an assignment of a material by level and color.
| Attach icon |
Used to attach a material as an attribute to an element in your
model. This
includes the ability to attach materials to individual faces of SmartSolids
and Feature solids. Materials attached in this manner override material
assignments by level and color.
| Remove Attachment icon |
Used to remove a material that has been attached as an attribute
to an element,
a face of a SmartSolid, or a face of a Feature solid, in
a model.
| Query icon |
Used to query elements in a model for materials associated with
them, either by assignment or attachment (or by part assignment when
using Bentley Building products).
| Material preview area | This area, at lower left in the tool settings,
displays an example of the currently selected material. You can use
the right-click menu for this area to Edit (open the Material
Editor dialog), or to choose the preview object,
from Sphere, Rectangle, Cylinder, or Cube. Additionally, double-clicking
on the preview window opens the Material Editor dialog.
You can change the image file used for the material preview
background for this tool, and for the Material Editor dialog,
by setting the configuration variable MS_MATERIAL_PREVIEW_BACKGROUND. If the full path to the image file is not
specified, then it is expected to be in one of the locations defined
by the configuration variable MS_IMAGE.
The file “checker.tif” is used by default, or if that
is not found, “mslogo.tif”.
| | Table | Displays the name of the open material table (.mat)
file. When the pointer is held over the name, it displays the full
path name of the material table file in a tool tip.
| | Open Material Table icon |
Opens the Open Table File dialog,
which is used to open a different material table (.mat) file.
| Save Material Table icon |
Becomes enabled whenever a change is made to the material assignments
in the DGN file. Saves the modified material assignment table.
| Save Table As icon |
Opens the Save Table As dialog,
which lets you save the open material assignment table to a file with
a new name.
| Palette | Sets the active material palette (PAL) file whose
member material definitions are options in the Material option menu.
Where more than one material palette file is loaded, becomes a combo
box with a drop-down list from which you may select the required palette.
Palettes shown in bold type currently have materials from them
used in the DGN file.
When the pointer is held over the palette name, it displays
the full path name of the material palette file in a tool tip.
| | Open Palette icon |
Opens the Open Palette dialog,
which lets you select a material palette file to load.
| Unload Palette icon |
Removes the current palette file from memory. To remove it permanently
from the material assignment table (.mat), you must save the table
(by clicking the Save Material Table icon.)
| Material | Sets the material definition. Material definitions
displayed in bold type are currently applied to elements in the DGN
file either as level/color assignments or attached to elements.
When the pointer is held over the material name, it displays
the color and level assignments for the material in a tool tip.
| | Material Assignments icon |
Opens the Material
Assignments dialog, which is used to apply
a material manually to elements by color and level.
To open a material palette(s)
- Select the Apply
Material tool.
In the Apply Material settings window, the
name of the DGN file (by default) is shown on the Table button.
- In the tool settings
window, click the Open Palette icon.
The Open Palette dialog opens.
- In the Open Palette
dialog, select a material palette file.
- Click the OK button.
The dialog closes. The name of the material
palette file appears in the Palette option menu of the settings window.
Also, the name of the first material in the palette appears in the
Material option menu, and a sample of it displays in the material
preview window.
- (Optional) Repeat steps 2 to
4 to load additional palette files.
| If you click the magnifying glass icon in the Open Palette
dialog, an Open dialog displays. In addition to external PAL files,
a design file (DGN) can be opened if local materials are used.
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To apply a material to elements (automatically) by color and
level
- Select the Apply Material tool.
- In the tool settings window, click
the Assign by Level/Color icon.
- If necessary, from
the Palette option menu, choose the material palette file.
- From the Material
option menu, choose the material.
- Select the element.
The element highlights.
- Accept the element.
The material definition is applied to all elements
having the same color and on the same level as the selected element.
The material is displayed in Bold Type to show that it is currently
applied to an element(s) in the DGN file.
- (Optional) To
apply the same material to additional elements, repeat steps 5 and
6.
or
(Optional) To apply a different
material from the same material palette, return to step 4.
To open the Material Assignments dialog for manually assigning
materials
- Select the Apply Material tool.
- If necessary, from the Palette option
menu, choose the material palette file.
- From the Material option menu, choose
the material.
- Click the Material Assignments icon.
The Material Assignments dialog opens.
To assign a material (manually) via the Material Assignments
dialog
- In the Material Assignments dialog's
levels list box, click the level to which you want the material applied.
The level highlights.
- (Optional) While holding down
the <Ctrl> key,
select further levels that are to have the material applied.
- In the color palette,
click the color(s) to which this assignment is to apply for each specified
level.
The colored dots highlight by changing shape
from round to square with white outlining.
- Click OK to accept the assignments and
return to the Apply Material tool settings.
or
Click Apply, to add the assignment to the list,
in order to create additional assignments. | Clicking the required levels and colors, highlights
them for assignment. Clicking the Apply button adds the assignment
to the list. Clicking OK accepts the assignments and closes the dialog.
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To add assignments of a material via the Material Assignments
dialog
- In the Material
Assignments dialog, click the New button.
The New Assignment dialog opens.
- In the Levels field,
type the level(s) to which you want the material applied.
- In the Colors field,
type the numbers of the color(s) to which this assignment is to apply
for each specified level.
- Click the OK button.
The New Assignment dialog closes and the new
assignment is added to the assignments list.
- (Optional) To make additional
assignments of the current material, repeat steps 1 to 4.
- When done, click
the OK button in the Material Assignments dialog.
The material is applied to elements on the
specified levels that are of the defined colors.
To add extra levels or colors to a material assignment via the
Material Assignments dialog
- In the assignments list at the top of
the Material Assignments dialog, select the assignment to which you
wish to add levels or colors.
- Click the additional colors and/or,
while holding down the <Ctrl> key, select the additional levels.
- Click the Apply button.
The additional colors/levels are applied to
the material assignment.
To attach a material as an attribute to an element in the design
- Select the Apply
Material tool.
- In the tool settings window, click
the Attach icon.
- From the Palette
option menu, choose the material palette file.
- From the Material
option menu, choose the material.
- Select the element.
The element highlights.
- Accept the element.
The material definition is attached to the
element as an attribute.
- (Optional) To
attach the same material to additional elements, repeat steps 5 and
6.
or
(Optional) To attach a different
material from the same material palette, return to step 4.
To attach a material as an attribute to a face(s) of a solid
- Select the Apply
Material tool.
- In the tool settings window, click
the Attach icon.
- From the Palette
option menu, choose the material palette file.
- From the Material
option menu, choose the material.
- Select the solid.
The element highlights.
- Move the pointer
over the solid and, when the required face highlights, accept.
The selected face of the solid remains highlighted.
- (Optional) To
attach the same material to additional faces, hold down the <Ctrl> key and repeat step 7.
- Accept to apply the material to the
selected face(s).
To edit a material's level and color assignments
- Select the Apply
Material tool.
- In the tool settings,
select the material whose assignments are to be edited.
- Click the Material Assignments icon.
The Material Assignments dialog opens. The
title bar identifies the material. The list box shows the existing
color and level assignments.
- Select the assignment to be modified.
- Click the Edit
button.
The Edit Assignment dialog opens.
- Edit the Levels
field to specify the new level(s) to which you want the material applied.
- Edit the Colors
field to specify the numbers of the new color(s) to which this assignment
is to apply for each specified level.
- Click the OK button.
The Assign Material dialog closes.
- (Optional) To edit additional
assignments for the current material, repeat steps 4 to 8.
- When done, click
the OK button in the Material Assignments dialog.
To delete a material assignment manually
- Select the Apply Material tool.
- In the tool settings, select the material
whose assignments are to be edited
- Click the Material Assignments icon.
The Material Assignments dialog opens with
the selected materials assignments displayed.
- In the Levels/Colors list box, select
the assignment to be deleted.
- Click Delete.
To save the material table to disk
- Select the Apply
Material tool.
- In the tool settings
window, click the Save Material Table icon.
The material table is saved to a file with the same name as
the DGN file, but with a “.mat” extension.
To save the material table to disk with a different name
- Select the Apply Material tool.
- In the tool settings window, click
the Save material table to a different file icon.
The Save Table As dialog
opens.
- Use controls in the Save Table As dialog
to select a directory and file name for the material table.
- Click OK.
To remove a material from an element(s)
- Select examples
of the element(s) from which you want material assignments removed.
All elements with the same attributes for level
and color will be affected.
- Select the Apply
Material tool.
- In the tool settings
window, click the Remove Assignment icon.
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