Materials Window

Materials Window

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AutoCAD 2008 Command Reference > Commands > M commands > MATERIALS > Materials Window > Available Materials in Drawing > 

Available Materials in Drawing

Concept

Procedure

Quick Reference

 Command entry: materials

Displays swatches of the materials that are available in the drawing. The default material is named Global. Click a swatch to select a material. The settings for that material are displayed in the Material Editor panel, and the swatch is outlined in yellow to indicate selection. One button above the swatches and two groups of buttons below it provide the following options. In addition, there are options available only on the shortcut menu.

Toggle Display Mode

Switches the display of swatches from one swatch to rows of swatches. This button is located above the swatches in the upper-right corner.

Swatch Geometry

Controls the type of geometry displayed for the selected swatch: box, cylinder, or sphere. The geometry changes in other swatches as you select them.

Checkered Underlay Off/On

Displays a multicolored checkered underlay to help you visualize the degree of opacity of a material.

Preview Swatch Lighting Model

Changes the lighting model from a single light source to a backlight lighting model. The selection from the fly out list changes the selected material swatch.

Create New Material

Displays the Create New Material dialog box. After you enter a name, a new swatch is created to the right of the current swatch and the new swatch is selected.

Purge from Drawing

Removes the selected material from the drawing. The Global material and any material that is in use cannot be deleted.

Indicate Materials in Use

Updates the display of the in-use icon. Materials currently in use in the drawing display a drawing icon in the lower-right corner of the swatch.

Apply Material to Objects

Applies the currently selected material to selected objects and faces.

Remove Materials from Selected Objects

Detaches materials from the selected objects and faces.

Select Objects with Material (Shortcut Menu Only)

Selects all objects in the drawing to which the selected material is applied. Faces with materials applied explicitly are not selected.

Edit Name and Description (Shortcut Menu Only)

Opens the Edit Name and Description dialog box.

Export to Active Tool Palette (Shortcut Menu Only)

Creates a material tool for the selected material on the currently active tool palette. If the Tool Palettes window is closed, it opens.

Copy (Shortcut Menu Only)

Copies the selected material to the Clipboard. You can paste the material in the Tool Palettes window, or paste it back into the Available Materials panel as a copy.

Paste (Shortcut Menu Only)

Pastes from the Clipboard either a swatch from the Available Materials panel, or a material tool from the Tool Palettes window.

Size (Shortcut Menu Only)

Controls the size of the swatches when they are displayed in rows.