Selecting Find Variable , will bring up a dialog box that allows you to quickly find a specific variable within your library. 

The Material File icon opens an interface that will allow you to set up default templates for materials, edge banding, and hardware to be used with a specification group collection. 

The Material File interface contains two sections. The section on the left contains material pointers and the materials that have been assigned to it – these are referenced inside the library products. The section on the right contains materials that can be assigned to the pointers using the arrow button located between the two sections. There are three tabs across the top of the left section: Cut Parts, Edgeband Parts, and Hardware Parts. There are five tabs across the top of the right section: Sheet Stock Library, Solid Stock Library, Buy Out Library, Edge Band Library, and Hardware Library.

When right-clicking on a selected category or material, you will see one of the following menus.

1. Add New Category – Allows you to create a new category or subcategory.
   
2. Rename Selected Category – Allows you to rename a category.
   
3. Delete Selected Category – Allows you to delete a category. 
   

Deleting a category that contains materials can create “orphaned” materials. Move or delete the materials contained before deleting the category.

4. Move Selection to Another Category – Allows you to move materials to another category.
   
5. Copy Selection to Another Category – Allows you to copy materials to another (or the same) category.
   
6. Edit Selected Material – Allows you to edit the properties of a material.
   
7. Add Material – Allows you to add a new material to the selected category.
   
8. Add Formula Material – Allows you to add a new formula-driven material (for advanced users only).
   
9. Delete Selected Materials – Allows you to delete materials.
   
10. Edit Multiple Materials – Opens another interface which allows you to change several different fields of information.
    
11. View Correspondence for Selected Material – Allow you to view/add correspondence records for a material.
    
12. Inventory – Allows you to set up and manage inventoried materials (used with ERP solutions).
    
13. Vendors – Allows you to set up vendors for specific materials (used with ERP solutions).
    
14. Mark Selection as Cloneable – Allows you to setup materials that will be copied and converted to project-level materials.
    
15. Associate Selected Material with Selected Pointer – Allows you to assign a material to a pointer in the left section of the interface.
    
16. Find and Replace Description Inside this Category – Allows you to perform a find and replace within a category.
    
17. Hardware Machine Tokens – Allows you to access the associative machine tokens for hardware.
    

The material files use a color-coding system. Green materials are simply library materials – this is the default color. Library materials exist across every project, but the material properties can only be controlled at the library level (Library Specification Groups). Red materials contain inventory properties for use with ERP solutions and are also controlled at the library level. Blue materials indicate materials marked as cloneable. Cloneable materials will be copied and converted to project-level materials. Black materials (not shown at the library level) are project-level materials and are unique to the project. Project level materials allow you to control the material properties at the project level instead of the library level (Project Specification Groups).

Green/red marked materials are shared materials, and their thicknesses can only be modified at the library level. Blue/black material thicknesses can be controlled at the project level.

To create a new material (or item), select the tab at the top of the right section (Sheet Stock Library, Solid Stock Library, Buy Out Library, Edge Band Library, or Hardware Library), select the category in which to add the new material, right-click and select Add Material.

1. Material Setup – Allows you to set up the material. The code field can be used for overriding routing and border tools. It can also be used for part numbers or other data – more common when setting up buyout or hardware materials.
   
2. Grain Setup – Allows you to set the grain direction for the material.
   
3. Face 6 Handling – Allows you to set an option on how to handle face 6 machining.
   

Most 2-sided materials can be set up as Always Flip. 1-sided materials can be set up as Always Ask or Never Flip – prior testing is recommended.

4. Sheet Setup – Allows you to enter sheet sizes, material margins, and optimization priorities.
   

If all sheets have an optimization priority of 1, the system will optimize to get the best yield using all the available sheets. Numbers greater than one will optimize as materials are needed.

5. Extended Data – Allows you to set up extended data to be used in reporting.
   
6. Hatching – Allows you to select the type of hatching to be used when drawing sections.
   
7. Region – Allows you to select your region.
   
8. OK – Allows you to save changes and exit.
   
9. Cancel – Allows you to cancel the operation.
   

The Material File Wizards icon will allow advanced users to create customized interfaces to be used for customized formula-driven materials.

Formula driven materials are not covered in this training – users who wish to utilize formula-driven materials are recommended to request additional advanced training after completing this entire training program. More information on Formula Driven Materials can be found in the Knowledge Base article, "Overview: Formula Driven Materials".

Material File Wizard

Door Wizard