Materials Browser

Use the Materials Browser to navigate and manage your materials. You can organize, sort, search, and select materials for use in your drawing.

The Autodesk library and user-defined libraries are accessible in the Materials Browser. The browser contains the following main components:

• Browser toolbar. Contains the Show or Hide Library Tree button and the search box.
• Materials in the document. Displays all the materials saved in the current drawing. You can sort the materials by name, type, swatch form, and color.
• Material library tree. Displays the Autodesk library, which contains the predefined Autodesk materials and other libraries, which contain user-defined materials.
• Library details. Displays previews of the materials in the selected categories.
• Browser bottom bar. Contains the Manage menu which provides options for adding, removing, and editing libraries and library categories. It also contains a button for controlling the display options for the library details.

  

Materials Libraries

The Autodesk library, with over 700 materials and over 1000 textures, is included with the product. The library is read-only, but you can copy Autodesk materials into the drawing, edit them, and save them to your own library.

There are three types of libraries:

• Autodesk Library. Contains predefined materials provided by Autodesk for use by all applications that support materials. It contains material-related resources, such as textures, thumbnails, and so on. You cannot edit the Autodesk library. All user-defined or modified materials are placed in user libraries.
• User Library. Contains all materials, except those in the Autodesk library, that you intend to share between drawings. You can copy, move, rename, or delete user libraries.
• Embedded Library. Contains a cache of materials used or defined in a drawing and available only to that drawing. This library is created automatically when the first Autodesk application using Autodesk materials is installed. You cannot rename this type of library. It is stored in the drawing.

Open a Library

You can access and open existing user libraries created locally or on a network and add them to your defined libraries in the Materials Browser. You can preview and select materials from multiple libraries.

The libraries are stored in a single document and can be shared with other users. However, any custom texture files used by the materials in a user library must be manually bundled with the user library.

Once connected to a library, you can browse and view its contents. Materials are categorized by type.

Create and Modify a Library

Add your materials to one of your libraries. To modify Autodesk materials, first copy them to your drawing.

Use the Manage drop-down list in the Materials Browser to add, rename, or remove libraries. You can also add categories and regroup library materials in the Materials Browser. Locked libraries cannot be edited and only unlocked libraries can be removed.