Assigning alternate materials

If MI Materials Gateway for Creo, NX, Teamcenter with NX, or Windchill has been configured to support it, you can choose whether to assign a material as a primary or alternate assignment.

Primary assignment

Assigning a material as a primary assignment in MI Materials Gateway makes it the active material (NX, Teamcenter with NX) or master material (Creo, Windchill) on the part or body.

Alternate assignment

Assigning a material as an alternate assignment in MI Materials Gateway makes it available in the CAD or PLM application, as follows:

In Creo, NX, or Teamcenter with NX, the alternate material is added to the material library on the part or body.
In Windchill, the alternate material is created as an additional material linked to the part.

You can promote an alternate assignment to the primary assignment at any time, to make it the active or master material.

If processes, surface treatments, or colors are supported on your system, you can assign compatible sets of assignments (for example, a material plus a color) as alternates.

To view alternate assignments, select Show alternates in the top right corner of the Assignments panel.
Primary assignments are shown on the same row as the part or body. Click next to the part or body name to view its alternate assignments.
To assign a material as a new alternate assignment:
1. Select the parts or bodies that you want to assign the material to.
2. Right-click the material and select Assign as new alternate.
This creates a new alternate assignment row, below the primary assignment row, for each selected part or body.
To edit an existing assignment, or to add a process, surface treatment, or color to a material assignment:
1. Select the assignment rows (primary or alternate) that you want to edit.
2. Find the material, process, surface treatment, or color, right-click and select Assign to selection.
To make an alternate assignment the primary, right-click it and select Promote to primary.
The entire assignment row (including any process, surface treatment, or color assignment) becomes the primary, and the existing primary assignment becomes an alternate.
Tip: You can also demote the primary assignment to an alternate without assigning a new primary. Right-click it and select Demote to alternate.

To copy and paste assignments:

Option	Description
Individual row (primary or alternate)	Right-click the row and select Copy assignments. Then select the rows that you want to paste to, right-click and select Paste assignments.
All assignments on a part or body	Right-click the part or body and select Copy all assignments. Then select the parts or bodies that you want to paste to, right-click and select Replace all assignments