As of build 15.6.1806, the Microvellum Apply Materials screen contains a column for the AutoCAD Layer Name and revised controls. The purpose of this article is to provide a reference for commands and controls on the Apply Materials screen.

See Render Materials Missing Layer Information (Overview) in the Microvellum Knowledge Network for a reference article explaining the commands and control options of the current Apply Materials screen.

You access the Apply Materials screen by clicking the Change Material button from the Camera command group on the Toolbox screen.

Assigning Materials to Layers

The materials are mapped or linked to the AutoCAD layers by opening the Apply Materials screen, highlighting the row containing the Item Name and AutoCAD Layer Name, then clicking a material on the left side of the screen and clicking the button at the top of the screen, “Apply Material to Layer” (with the checkmark icon).

In the examples below, the default material assigned the AutoCAD layer 3D_COUNTERTOP was “EVEREST.” We reassigned it to an “ash-olive” material with the method described in the preceding paragraph with the visual differences you see below.

Apply Materials Interface Controls

Material Filters

Filter the materials displayed to help find the correct material using the dropdown boxes for Main Category and Sub Category.

Command Buttons

Use the command buttons to work with your rendering materials and layers.

1. Use the button “Apply Material to Layer” to apply a selected material to a selected Item Name/Layer row.
   
2. Use the button “Create New Layer” to add a layer to the list.
   
3. Use the button “Delete Selected Layer” to remove a selected layer from the list.
   
4. Use the button “Edit Selected Layer” to make revisions to a selected layer in the list.
   

Presets

Use the Load Preset box and controls to create combinations of rendering materials and AutoCAD layers. For example, you may create one preset in which the layer 3D_TALL_DOOR is linked to the rendering material “apple-tree.” A different preset may link that same layer to the material “ash-european.” When you load the first preset, all parts on the layer 3D_TALL_DOOR are rendered with the apple-tree material. When you load the second preset, all parts on that layer are rendered with the ash-european material.

Layer Types and Grouping

The Apply Materials screen contains two tabs, one for the layers and rendering materials that apply to various room components, and the other for the layers and rendering materials that apply to individual product parts.

The data in each of these tabs may be grouped by dragging a column heading to the dark grey area just below the tabs. For example, to see all the layers that are assigned to the material “aningeria,” drag the column header named Render Material Name to the dark grey area.

You may drag multiple columns to group by multiple columns.

Check the box for each of the column header names included in the group definition to expand or contract each of the groups to customize how you display the data.

Drag a column header name from the dark grey area back to the desired location in the column header area to remove a group definition.

Each column header contains a dropdown box that you may use to filter what is displayed in the list below it without needing to scroll through long lists of items. For example, you may click to open the dropdown list for the Item Name and select Cabinet Doors, Cabinet Door Rails, and Cabinet Door Stiles. The list is then modified to include only those items. The lists are unique to any given preset.

Purge Unused Materials

Some of our users are accustomed to entering rendering materials at the AutoCAD command line. If you enter materials in this way, you will eventually have a large number of materials in the drawing that is not used. Checking this box purges those materials from the drawing.