Material assignment in family table

Thought I'd try this in WF5. From the Table interface you can navigate to select Parameters however you can not get to the Material parameter dialog box. If you change the generic material file from the File->Properties dialog box then the new material file is assigned to the instance. Likewise, if you change the material file on the instance from the File->Properties dialog box then the generics mateial file is the same as the instance.

If you really require unique material files/designations between instance models then perhaps using a Family Table is not the preferred path.

Kind Regards, Jim

I have done this a few times. I create a parameter "MATERIAL" as an integer, then add to the part all the possible materials it may be, in this case I have added brass, bronze, ss, and steel to the material properties. Then I enter in the relations the following:

if material==1
ptc_material_name="BRASS"
endif
if material==2
ptc_material_name="BRONZE"
endif
if material==3
ptc_material_name="SS"
endif
if material==4
ptc_material_name="STEEL"
endif

Add your parameter "MATERIAL" to your family table and verify. I believe you could add PTC_MATERIAL_NAME directly, but I've always used the material as an integer and keep a list of what numbers correspond to what materials (essentially I'm being lazy, it's easier to enter a single number than type out a name, and it eliminates the chance of typos).

I do it by just turning off a line in my part relation:

MATERIALFMF=MATERIAL_PARAM("CONDITION")

After that I can change the material callout in each line of my family table to whatever I want.

mb

I'm not sure about WIldfire 2, but in 3 (and I would assume 4 & 5)it is possible. First, in thegeneric, add all thematerial files you might want to assign to the generic orinstances and assign the one you wantPro/E to consider the generic tobe made of. Then add the parameterPTC_MATERIAL_NAME to the family table.For your instances, select in the cell under the column for PTC_MATERIAL_NAME, you'll get a list of the materials that you added to the generic. What you're doing with the family table is changing what materialfile is assigned to each instance, not changing material characteristics of the assigned file. Key is in the generic you have to add all the material files you might want to switch your instances to. Remember that Pro/E copies the material file definitions into the model, it doesn't retain an active link back to your material library.

Erik

Thanks to all for their replies. Icompletely overlooked the 'PTC_MATERIAL_NAME' parameter in the Parameter list. In WF5 it is as Erik described. Add all the material files to the generic. In the Table add the 'PTC_MATERIAL_NAME' to the table from the Parameter list. Then when you click that table cell you will have the drop down to select the available material files.

Regards, Jim