To Assign Material Using the Material Server
In Creo Parametric, you can assign materials to parts and bodies using the Material Server integrated with Windchill.
These materials defined in Windchill include attributes such as density, mass, volume, and surface area. Creo Parametric users can access these materials using the Material Server option available in the Materials dialog box. The Material Server points to a Windchill location defined by the administrator.
To assign materials using the Material Server:
1. Open the Materials dialog box in one of the following ways:
In a part:
◦ On the Model Tree, right-click the part and click 
Edit Materials.
Edit Materials.◦ On the Model Tree, right-click Materials and click Edit Materials.
Materials and click Edit Materials.◦ Click > > 
Model Properties. Click change in the Material line.
Model Properties. Click change in the Material line.2. Click Material Server and select materials from the library. The details of the selected material appear in Material Preview.
3. Double-click the material to add it to the part or model.
4. Click OK. The Materials dialog box closes, and the selected material is assigned to the part.
Materials from Windchill are read-only in Creo Parametric. You cannot edit their properties directly.
Calculating Mass Properties
When you assign a material in Creo Parametric to a body, that material's identity and the amount used are communicated to Windchill after the model is checked in ( > > ). The amount of material is determined by the body's mass properties. If multiple bodies have assigned materials, the part model will accurately calculate the usage parameters for each material. It is recommended to recalculate mass properties after assigning or updating materials.
1. Click > > Model Properties. The Model Properties dialog box opens.
Model Properties. The Model Properties dialog box opens.2. In Materials, click change in the Mass Properties line. The Mass Properties dialog box opens.
3. Click Calculate. The mass properties are updated.
4. Click OK.
5. Click Close to close the Model Properties dialog box.
For family table instances, calculate mass properties for each instance.
Material Parameters
When a material is added to the model, a set of parameters is designated to the material.
Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
PTC_MATERIAL_SOURCE | The system source of the material on the material object, for example, Windchill |
PTC_MATERIAL_ID | An unique identifier from Windchill of the material object |
PTC_MATERIAL_MASS | Mass of the assigned body or part |
PTC_MATERIAL_VOLUME | Volume of the assigned body or part |
PTC_MATERIAL_AREA | Surface area of the assigned body or part |
These parameters are visible in the Parameters dialog box and are read-only. When you create the material, the MASS, VOLUME, and AREA parameters are set to -1.0 until the mass properties are calculated.
If multiple materials are assigned to a model and the mass properties have not been calculated, the parameters are set to -1.0 until the mass properties are calculated.
In legacy models, these parameters stay at -1.0 even if the mass properties have been recalculated.
Updating Material Usage
Creo Parametric checks for updates to the material definition from Windchill and usage parameters during the following operations:
• Retrieving the model
• Opening the Materials or Mass Properties dialog box
• Entering simulation or composite modules
If the material usage parameters are out of date, you can update the parameters using one of the following methods:
From the Model Tree:
1. Right-click the model in the Model Tree.
2. Select Update Materials Usage from the context menu.
From the Notification Center:
1. Open the Notification Center from the status bar.
2. Locate the warning for the outdated material usage.
3. Click Update to recalculate and refresh the parameters.
You can configure how these notifications appear from the Notification Center in the Creo Parametric Options dialog box.
1. > . The Options dialog box opens.
2. Select Notification Center. In Notification Types,for Material usage parameters are out of date, choose one of the following options:
◦ Do not Show
◦ Warning
◦ Warning with message (default)
◦ Error
This setting is controlled by the configuration option nmgr_mtrl_usage_out_of_date.