Material Definition

Material Definition lets you define materials, apply materials to objects, and explore materials and material domains. Designers and engineers use materials to specify the appearance and mechanical behavior of their products.

See Also
What's New
Material Definition Basics
In Other Guides
3DEXPERIENCE Platform
3DEXPERIENCE Native Apps

Material Definition is a native app that lets you do the following:

  • Create core and covering materials and modify their properties.
  • Add or modify material domains.
  • Create and edit material vectors, which are sets of materials that you can apply as a group to a single object or support. When you apply a material vector to an object, you can switch the object's appearance quickly using any of the materials in the material vector. This approach makes it easy to experiment with different material appearances.
  • Modify the rendering domain of decals that change the appearance of a region rather than the entire part or product. You can define and apply decals to geometry from the Rendering Scene Design and Live Rendering apps.

You can also perform additional material-related activities using other apps and functionality on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. You can do the following:

  • Search for materials in the database from the top bar.
  • Use the Material Browser to associate a material with a geometric object.
  • Use the Material Finder app to explore a material and its associated material domains or to explore a material domain and its associated parent material.

For information about accessing Material Definition, see Opening an App from the Compass.