Creating Material Vectors

You can use the New Content dialog box to create material vectors or you can do it when you apply materials to an object.

This task shows you how to:

See Also
About Material Vectors
About Applying Materials
Editing Material Vectors

Create a Material Vector Using the New Content Command

You can use the New Content dialog box to create material vectors.

Important: Material vectors are suitable for changing materials for rendering purposes only. Do not use material vectors in simulations.

  1. Click Add > Content.
  2. Under the Materials category of the New Content dialog box, select a vector type.

The material vector opens in the Material Definition app and in the material browser.

Create a Material Vector when Applying Materials

You can create material vectors when you apply materials to an object.

Before you begin: In Me > Preferences > Legacy Preferences > Infrastructure > Material Definition > Material Browser, select the Allow creating or completing vectors at apply option.
  1. In the Material Browser, select a material and apply it to an object.
  2. If this is the first material to be applied to the object, select the second material in the browser and apply it to the same object.
    When you apply a material to an object that already has a material applied to it, multiple options are available in the second column of the Material context toolbar.
  3. In the Material context toolbar, select Material Vector .
    • If a single material is already applied to the object, a new material vector containing the original material and the new material is created and applied to the object.
    • If a material vector is already applied to the object, the new material is added to the vector and becomes the active material.

    In the tree, the active material is underlined.

  4. To add materials to a material vector, apply materials to the same object.