Material Assignment
Materials definitions like properties quantitatively define physical characteristics. Many definitions exist like isotropic, anisotropic, and orthotropic and other material laws that represent steel, plastics, composites, and so on. The assignment and unassignment of materials have a specific set of rules based on the solver interface being used.
Solver interfaces allowing for the indirect (components) and direct (elements)
assignment:
- OptiStruct
- Nastran
- Abaqus
- EXODUS
Solver interfaces allowing for only indirect (component) assignment:
- LS-DYNA
- Radioss
- ANSYS
- Permas
- Feko
-
From the Model ribbon, Materials tool group, click the
Assign Materials tool.
Figure 1. 
-
Assign or unassign materials.
Option Description Assign - Select a material to assign using the first selector.
- Using the second selector, select the components or properties to be assigned the material.
- Click one of the following:
– Assign the material and
remain in the tool
– Assign the material and
exit the tool
– Exit the tool without
assigning
Both selectors need to be populated to for the assign action buttons to be active.
Unassign - Using the second selector, select components or properties that have a material assigned to them.
- Click one of the following:
– Unassign the material and
remain in the tool- – Unassign the material and
exit the tool
- – Exit the tool without
unassigning
Only the second selector can be populated to perform an unassignment.