Visualization Guide
Visualization Guide
Visualization Guide

Apply Material

Use it!

The Apply Material tool is used to:

Icons along the top of the tool settings window let you select the required task. A preview window displays the currently selected material. Other icons let you open and save material tables, load/unload palette files, view and edit material assignments.

Material definitions are stored in palette files. With this tool you can load material palettes and apply materials from them to elements in the DGN file. Material tables apply to all models in the DGN file. When more than one palette file is loaded, the Palette setting becomes an option menu, from which you select the required material palette. Finally, you can save the assignments in a material assignment table file.

When a material palette file has been loaded, you can apply materials from it to elements in your models. There are two methods by which material assignments can be applied to design elements. You can assign materials by level and color, or attach materials to elements as attributes. The latter method is particularly useful for attaching different materials to various faces of a SmartSolid. When a material is attached as an attribute, this setting overrides the assignments by level and color. When using Bentley Building products, you can attach, or remove, materials from the faces of forms.

You can assign materials by level and color, either by identifying the required element, or by selecting the level and color manually. Before actually applying a material to an element, you can preview the result.

By default, when the Apply Material tool is first selected for a DGN, a search is made to find a material table having the same name as the DGN file, but with a “.mat” extension. If this file is not found in MicroStation's default directory, or the directory pointed to by the MS_MTBL configuration variable, then the DGN file's name appears on the Table button, ready for a new table to be created.

You can make any material table the default for a DGN. To do this you load the required material table and then select File > Save Settings. The current material table then becomes the default and it will be loaded when you next open the DGN and select the Apply Material tool.

Tool SettingEffect
Assign by Level/Color icon

Used to assign materials to elements in the model by level and color.

When using Bentley Building products, level/color assignments by default will override part assignments. To change this behaviour so that part assignments override level/color assignments, the configuration variable TF_ASSIGN_MATERIALS_BY_PART_FIRST should be set to 1.

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).

Preview icon

Used to preview a material on one or more elements in a model.

Environment Maps icon

Opens the Environment Maps dialog box that lets you set or clear environment maps. These are image files that are associated with the faces of the environment cube. In a rendered image, they take the place of the background color of the screen/view when reflected by, or viewed through materials in the model.

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 box), or to choose the preview object, from Sphere, Rectangle, Cylinder, or Cube. Additionally, double-clicking on the preview window opens the Material Editor dialog box.

You can change the image file used for the material preview background for this tool, and for the Material Editor dialog box, 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 box, 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 box, 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 box, 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 box, which is used to apply a material manually to elements by color and level.

To open a material palette(s)
  1. 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.

  2. In the tool settings window, click the Open Palette icon.
    The Open Palette dialog box opens.

  3. Use controls in the Open Palette dialog box to select a material palette file.

  4. Click the OK button.
    The dialog box 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 is displayed in the material preview window.

  5. (Optional) Repeat steps 2 to 4 to load additional palette files.

    Clicking the Open Palette icon to open the Open Palette dialog box.

      

    After selecting the material palette file, click OK to load the file.

      

    The name of the selected palette file and the first material in its list appear in their respective fields.

      

To apply a material to elements (automatically) by color and level
  1. Select the Apply Material tool.

  2. In the tool settings window, click the Assign by Level/Color icon.

  3. If necessary, from the Palette option menu, choose the material palette file.

  4. From the Material option menu, choose the material.

  5. Identify the element.
    The element highlights.

  6. Accept the element.
    The material definition is applied to all elements having the same color and on the same level as the identified element. The material is displayed in Bold Type to show that it is currently applied to an element(s) in the DGN file.

  7. (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 box for manually assigning materials
  1. Select the Apply Material tool.

  2. If necessary, from the Palette option menu, choose the material palette file.

  3. From the Material option menu, choose the material.

  4. Click the Material Assignments icon.
    The Material Assignments dialog box opens.

    Clicking the Material Assignments icon, opens the Material Assignments dialog box.

      

To assign a material (manually) via the Material Assignments dialog box
  1. In the Material Assignments dialog box's levels list box, click the level to which you want the material applied.
    The level highlights.

  2. (Optional) While holding down the <Ctrl> key, select further levels that are to have the material applied.

  3. 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.

  4. Click OK to accept the assignments and return to the Apply Material tool dialog box.
    or
    Click Apply, to add the assignment to the list, in order to create additional assignments (see below).

    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 box.

      

To add assignments of a material via the Material Assignments dialog box
  1. In the Material Assignments dialog box, click the New button.
    The New Assignment dialog box opens.

  2. In the Levels field, key in the level(s) to which you want the material applied.

  3. In the Colors field, key in the numbers of the color(s) to which this assignment is to apply for each specified level.

  4. Click the OK button.
    The New Assignment dialog box closes and the new assignment is added to the assignments list.

  5. (Optional) To make additional assignments of the current material, repeat steps 1 to 4.

  6. When done, click the OK button in the Material Assignments dialog box.
    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 box
  1. In the assignments list at the top of the Material Assignments dialog box, select the assignment to which you wish to add levels or colors.

  2. Click the additional colors and/or, while holding down the <Ctrl> key, select the additional levels.

  3. 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
  1. Select the Apply Material tool.

  2. In the tool settings window, click the Attach icon.

  3. If necessary, from the Palette option menu, choose the material palette file.

  4. From the Material option menu, choose the material.

  5. Identify the element.
    The element highlights.

  6. Accept the element.
    The material definition is attached to the element as an attribute.

  7. (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
  1. Select the Apply Material tool.

  2. In the tool settings window, click the Attach icon.

  3. If necessary, from the Palette option menu, choose the material palette file.

  4. From the Material option menu, choose the material.

  5. Identify the solid.
    The element highlights.

  6. Move the pointer over the solid and, when the required face highlights, accept.
    The selected face of the solid remains highlighted.

  7. (Optional) To attach the same material to additional faces, hold down the <Ctrl> key and repeat step 7.

  8. Accept to apply the material to the selected face(s).

To edit a material's level and color assignments
  1. Select the Apply Material tool.

  2. In the tool settings, select the material whose assignments are to be edited.

  3. Click the Material Assignments icon.
    The Material Assignments dialog box opens. The title bar identifies the material. The list box shows the existing color and level assignments.

  4. Select the assignment to be modified.

  5. Click the Edit button.
    The Edit Assignment dialog box opens.

  6. If necessary, edit the Levels field to specify the new level(s) to which you want the material applied.

  7. If necessary, edit the Colors field to specify the numbers of the new color(s) to which this assignment is to apply for each specified level.

  8. Click the OK button.
    The Assign Material dialog box closes.

  9. (Optional) To edit additional assignments for the current material, repeat steps 4 to 8.

  10. When done, click the OK button in the Material Assignments dialog box.

To delete a material assignment manually
  1. Select the Apply Material tool.

  2. In the tool settings, select the material whose assignments are to be edited

  3. Click the Material Assignments icon.
    The Material Assignments dialog box opens with the selected materials assignments displayed..

  4. In the Levels/Colors list box, select the assignment to be deleted.

  5. Click Delete.

To save the material table to disk
  1. Select the Apply Material tool.

  2. 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
  1. Select the Apply Material tool.

  2. In the tool settings window, click the Save material table to a different file icon.
    The Save Table As dialog box opens.

  3. Use controls in the Save Table As dialog box to select a directory and file name for the material table.

  4. Click OK.

To remove a material from an element(s)
  1. 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.

  2. Select the Apply Material tool.

  3. In the tool settings window, click the Remove Assignment icon.

  4. Accept the removal.

Alternative Method — To remove a material from an element(s)
  1. Select the Apply Material tool.

  2. In the tool settings window, click the Remove Assignment icon.

  3. Identify an example of the element from which you want material assignments removed..
    The element highlights. In the Apply Material tool settings, the Palette and the Material display in their respective fields.
    All elements with the same attributes for level and color will be affected.

  4. Accept the removal.

To load a different material table
  1. Select the Apply Material tool.

  2. In the tool settings window, click the Open Material Table icon.
    The Open Table File dialog box opens.

  3. Use the controls in the Open Table File dialog box to select a material table.

  4. Click the OK button.
    The selected material table is loaded, and its name appears on the Table field of the tool settings window.

    Step 2. Click the Open Material Table icon to open the Open Table File dialog box.

      

    Step 3. Select the new table to be used.

      

    Step 4. Clicking OK loads the selected material table, its information now appearing in the Table, Palette and Material fields.

      

To modify a material definition
  1. Select the Apply Material tool.

  2. In the tool settings window, click the Query icon..

  3. Identify an element in the design that has the material attached and accept.
    The palette file opens, and the material is displayed in the preview box.

  4. Double-click the material preview box.
    or
    Right-click in the preview window and select Edit from the menu.
    The Material Editor dialog box opens, with the required palette and material selected.

  5. Use the controls in the dialog box to make the desired modifications.

  6. In the Material Editor dialog box, click the Save Palette icon.

To preview the application of a material to an element(s)
  1. Select the element(s).

  2. Select the Apply Material tool.

  3. In the tool settings window, click the Preview icon.

  4. Select a palette and material to preview.

  5. Accept the selected element(s). This data point also selects the view in which to render the element(s).
    The selected element(s) render with the chosen material in the selected view.

Alternative Method — To preview the application of a material to an element(s)
  1. Select the Apply Material tool.

  2. In the tool settings window, click the Preview icon.

  3. Select a palette and material to preview.

  4. Identify the element.
    The element highlights.

  5. Accept the element. This data point also selects the view in which to render the element.
    The identified element renders with the chosen material in the selected view.

Key-in: MATERIAL APPLY